I’ve been a fan of science fiction for quite some time. Recent films like Transcendence and Replicas kept me “edutained” and intrigued about science and technology. But there is a project in the works that’s turning fiction into a reality, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

2045 Initiative

Founded by Russian Entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov, the 2045 Initiative is a project aimed at creating technologies that enable the transfer of individual consciousness to a non-biological carrier, which could extend life to the point of immortality; in other words, transferring human personalities into artificial brains (robots). According to The Sun, a team of scientists is building a research center that’ll focus on robotics, cybernetics, and the merging of man to machine. They predict that the mapping of the human brain can one day be uploaded to a computer (AI), and the artificial brain will be imprinted with the personality and thoughts of an existing human.

As for the reason for this project, Itskov advised the following:

“I’m motivated by the fear of death.”

“Within the next 30 years, I am going to make sure that we can all live forever.”

The future prospects of the 2045 Initiative include the following:

• 2015 – 2020: the emergence of android avatars that will be controlled by a “brain-computer” interface. This will give people the ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, and travel in extreme situations.
• 2020 – 2025: the creation of a life-support system for the human brain, linked to a robot avatar, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged.
• 2030 – 2035: the creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness that’ll transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier.
• 2045: substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities exceeding ordinary humans.

I don’t have a problem with artificial intelligence that helps humanity, but replacing biological humans with robots and fighting against nature (death) is too Frankensteinish for me. Robots are the future, and I think most of us have accepted that. But there needs to be a line drawn somewhere.

For more information on the 2045 Initiative, check out their official website. You can also stay connected on their Facebook and YouTube page.

Until Next Time…

(Sources)

Pettit, H. (2019, July 30). HOW TO LIVE FOREVER Russian billionaire ‘100% confident’ he can make humans IMMORTAL by 2045. Retrieved September 07, 2020, from https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/9613934/billionaire-dmitry-itskov-20145-initiative/