From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Tue Oct 29 2002 - 17:13:47 MST
Eugen Leitl wrote:
>On Tue, 29 Oct 2002, Charles Hixson wrote:
>
>
>
> ...
>
>In practice you don't have to do an experiment, because it's trivial to
>realize what will happen in a gedanken. This is the domain to do start
>discussions in.
>
There are aspects that are trivial, and others that aren't. Expect,
e.g., the first generation of uploads to be a destructive read process.
For that reason it will probably only be applied to lab animals. The
first human will probably be someone otherwise on death's door (consider
cyronics, and don't expect this to have any better of an image).
But, will there ever be a non-destructive read process? Well, probably.
But that's much less sure.
Another avenue is a bit different. Evolve the robot that answers your
phone forwards for awhile. Eventually people many not be able to
distinguish between him and you. This isn't exactly the same kind of
identity. Well, it probably isn't. But if nobody else can tell the
difference, how do *you* know.
A third avenue sort of blends the other two. I.e., it starts with the
robot that answers your phone (well, conducts social interfacing) for
you. To make it more effective, you use a neural link to transfer some
of your memories. Periodically you add a few more, until much of your
more recent memories (i.e., the things you've pulled out of long term
storage recently) has been transferred. And used as a social construct.
Who is it? Who are you?
>Once we agree on definitions, and what would happen in above simple
>context, the bridge to atoms and neurons is rather short.
>
>
>
>>so we don't really have any idea what the possibilities and constraints
>>would be. At this point, perhaps the important thing is to consider all
>>
>>
I don't feel the distance is short. Merely that the trip is essentially
inevitable. I expect personal identities to become more diffuse. I
suspect that they already have. (On the internet, nobody knows if
you're a dog.)
"To men a man is but a mind. Who cares
What face he carries or what form he wears?"
The future may take this to extremes that we can't yet imagine.
(Actual quote taken from the Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose
Bierce, but I believe he was quoting Jogo Tyree)
-- -- Charles Hixson Gnu software that is free, The best is yet to be.
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