Transhumanism

At some point after reading some of my posts (particularly Accelerationism), you might push the thinking to an extreme and wonder what’s the limit of an exponential curve of technological progress.

Where do we lose our humanity? Of course, the answer depends on the person asking the question. I want to try answering it - one answer among the many that can exist.

I would start by saying what, I think, makes us human: our “advanced” consciousness. Other animals can be semi-conscious but clearly not at our level.
The rest, like our body, can clearly be evolved into - some primates have proved that.

If tomorrow I get a bionic arm, then a leg, then other parts of my body until there is nothing left apart from my brain (which is what allows me to be conscious), am I still human?

That’s why there is so much noise about AI sometimes. Would it be possible to have a sentient AI? If yes, what’s the difference with a human except that it doesn’t have a body? If the AI is conscious and says that it is sad, could we say “no, you don’t”?

In other words, what’s the difference between a human and an AI (in the theoretical sense, not necessarily what we have right now) saying they are sad? You don’t experience their consciousness, you can never be certain as any third-party observer.

I think I’m transhumanist because I don’t see a difference between both.

So many people accept a bit of transhumanism when the recipient is missing a physical part of themselves: lost a leg/arm/whatever, lost hearing (who doesn’t want to have hearing aids when having trouble hearing nowadays?) but what’s missing depends on each individual.

I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to get aid from a machine if that allows me to Accomplish my goals and be a better person.

The difference between aid and cheating is left for social norms, as it was already the case: was fertilizer cheating for the agricultural revolution? Was coal cheating for the industrial revolution? Is AI cheating for the cognitive revolution?

I would say that any technology is cheating until it’s considered an aid.