Do you know who you are? AI may become the key to human identity

Do you know who you are? If the answer is yes, can you guide your own actions? When others ask us about our identity, we also ask ourselves these two questions. In the West, people value individualism. We believe that we are active in action and that our identity is not controlled by the world. We are unique and there is no substitute.

History of Identity Theory

There are two kinds of identity theories in the world: one is the theory of mind-brain identity (a philosophical statement), and the other is the theory of social identity (a psychological statement). In the 1930s, psychologist E.G Boring proposed the theory of mind-brain identity (also known as type physicalism), that is, the internal state of mind can be divided into several categories related to physical activities of the brain. Later, psychologists Feigel and Smart distinguished different feelings in brain processes and classified them as the same physical phenomenon. The mind-brain identity theory holds that identity is a single, independent construct (that is, the heart and brain are essentially the same thing).

In the 1970s and 1980s, psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner proposed the theory of social identity, claiming that the individual concept of a person comes from his identity in a social group. The theory of social identity argues that because human identity is born from the interaction between communities (such as families, schools, and communities) and the environment, in this structure, the flow, competition and creativity of members affect the identity of individuals, so we play There is little room for self-motivation. These two identity theories jointly advance and protect our identity, and our brain network determines how we respond to the environment. In addition, the reflection of human identity in the social environment also helps the human brain to further confirm our true identity. With these theoretically prescribed mechanisms, we are able to gradually recover ourselves.

Brain Enhancement and Identity Theory

Human brain enhancement is not a new theory. As early as the 1950s, Robert G. Heath said that currents could be used to stimulate patients to treat brain diseases. Many doctors followed suit. Since then, the US military has also begun experiments on brain control for military purposes. In 2000, the military transplanted micro-electromechanical systems into animal brains for experiments, which could effectively control animals. In the end, the army developed the "Syborg Insects" and "Syborg Sharks" (the animals used for spying). It is worth noting that ECT (electric shock treatment) and TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) are now used to treat emotional disorders.

It can be seen that brain enhancement comes from the cardio-brain identity theory. In a sense, brain enhancement implements the core concept of the same round of mind-brain: mental activity is related to physical activity of the brain. By identifying these activities, they can be monitored and controlled, so that they can be corrected to cause the required physical resonance. This is the real brain enhancement.

Brain Moral Hazards

The moral hazards of brain enhancement are not difficult to see. With the power of AI to control the human brain, the entire person will be controlled. From then on, we began to lose our autonomy.

Innovation often involves certain risks, but handling such risks helps to promote innovation. There are three things we must hold firmly to within the moral boundaries of brain enhancement:

1. Human testing is regulated by the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) and NIH (Institute of Health), and subjects need to participate voluntarily. It can be seen from previous experiments that the cost of removing the transplantation device has to be paid by the experimenter. If the subject is willing to retain the transplantation device, the maintenance cost is the responsibility of the subject. Subject qualifications need to be rigorously reviewed.

2. Find the right use cases for brain enhancement for the purpose of meeting social needs. For example, if used to treat diseases such as Parkinson's, then this use case would be superior to other uses. If brain augmentation and transplantation bring benefits, other forms of brain augmentation can be implemented safely.

3. Human initiative needs to be reflected at every step. If someone chooses to transplant, he is responsible for that choice. Finding the right balance between humans and AI is not easy, but it is not unattainable.

Elon Musk and his company Neuralink

Elon Musk released a white paper and showed various researches under his Neuralink project. Among them, the most concerned is the neural net transplantation. This transplant will grow in the human brain and eventually become the AI layer, covering the upper part of the human brain, thereby improving various activities of the brain.

Elon Musk showed how this graft can be safely transferred into the human brain and maintain its efficacy, and how it can be combined with AI. He also hinted that the technology might improve mental or brain disorders.

After sharing, the scientists discussed the possibility of this device to treat diseases. AI proponents also show how AI advances all aspects of humanity. Indeed, in order to adapt to the current era of AI, we need porting to help us improve "performance". Just as evolutionists call it "human-machine" evolution, humans will continue to evolve with the help of machines.

What is science fiction? What is the truth?

Although we have achieved some results in AI brain enhancement, there is still a long way to go to test transplantation of human brains or to use transplantation to treat diseases. We still have to wait until the first verification occurs, and we also need to conduct in-depth research on its ethical issues.

The new research allows us to take into account many issues in every aspect of our lives in the future-human mobility, moral conflicts, security concerns, privacy issues and health hazards.

Human beings need time and resources to deal with the above issues first, instead of focusing on the small achievements of innovation.

in conclusion

The future is difficult to define and the timeline is uncertain. But if we can see the vision of human-machine evolution, this must be a great step. In the age of AI, this vision will eventually be realized. Do you want this to happen? Have we considered other impacts? Whether in 2020 or later, these issues have not yet been determined.

(Selected from: TowardDataScience Author: Jun Wu compilation: NEW YORK intelligent participation: Meadow)

Source: Netease Intelligence, translated by Google Translate

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