Our entire bodies could be 'replaced or upgraded' with robotic parts by 2070 to give us SUPERHUMAN abilities,
- Our bodies could be swapped out with robot parts as soon as 2070
- A robotics expert says in the near future people will buy upgraded body parts
- 'Biohackers' are already 'upgrading' their bodies with microchip implants
Our entire bodies could be swapped out with robotic parts as soon as 2070, says robotics journalist and expert Chris Middleton.
He says we're not far from a future where anyone can buy upgraded body parts that provide superhuman powers.
'Biohackers' are already upgrading their bodies with implants such as chips that let them open doors with a wave of the hand, so the predictions aren't too far-fetched.
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Our entire body could be swapped out with robot parts as soon as 2070, says robotics journalist and expert Chris Middleton. He says we're not far from a future where anyone can buy upgraded body parts that provide superhuman powers (stock image)
'At some point, 50 or 100 years in the future, might a whole human body become replaceable, editable or upgradable? I wouldn't bet against it,' Mr Middleton told the Daily Star.
'We can already see that some technologies encourage people - unfortunately - to behave more like machines.
'But at the same time, machines are becoming more human. Look at Siri, Alexa, and the rest.'
The self-professed robotics experts said these kinds of technologies could progress to rule the human race.
He said that in the meantime, people are already getting used to being told what to do by machines.
'Walk 10,000 steps a day, run around the park, turn left, turn right and so on,' said Mr Middleton.
A range of new TV series and movies have entertained the idea of cyborgs and semi-humans, for example Black Mirror and Westworld. Pictured is an image from the HBO series Westworld, which is set in a Western theme-park populated by human-like robots
He also questions whether wearable devices are part of a journey towards incorporating technology into ourselves.
'I think in the long run, that's inevitable,' Mr Middleton said.
'But in the meantime, we should all treasure being human while it lasts!'
Mr Middleton, who has given speeches about the impact of AI at universities, says that although he believes robotics and AI will play a big role in the future, his opinions are only predictions based on what we currently know.
A range of new TV series and movies have entertained the idea of cyborgs and semi-humans, for example Black Mirror and Westworld.
'I write about robotics and AI in the real world, because these technologies raise important questions about what sort of society we want, or don't want,' said Middleton.
'In the long run, many human beings may simply reject these technologies.'
Mr Middleton's predictions come just a month after ex-Microsoft experts claimed that humans will have a 'robot second self' within just 20 year.
Microsoft execs Brad Smith and Harry Shum said the robot will know everything about you and act as a digital extension of your consciousness.
WHAT IS BIOHACKING?
Biohackers, or grinders, are people who hack their own bodies with do-it-yourself devices.
They practice body modification in an effort to extend and improve human capabilities.
They usually turn to body modification experts like piercing artists to perform the implant procedures - but many do it themselves too.
One of the first biohackers was Kevin Warwick, an engineer and the Vice-Chancellor at Coventry University who had an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) chip implanted into his arm which allowed him to control devices such as lights by simply snapping his fingers.
Professor Kevin Warwick undertook a ground-breaking experiment with an implanted computer chip in his arm. Professor Warwick became the first human cyborg by implanting a computer chip in his arm to control machines with signals from his brain
A Utah based biohacker named Rich Lee has six implants; one in each ear that serve as headphones, two magnets in two different fingertips for feeling magnetic fields, an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip in his hand for controlling devices and a bio-therm chip in his forearm for monitoring temperature.
The first implant was a finger magnet, which he got because 'the thought of being able to feel an invisible force and gain a new sense was too intriguing to pass up.'
He explains that he used to have implants in his shins to see how well they would protect his bones from impact.
While a few of the implants were done himself, most were carried out by body modification experts such as piercing artists.
Rich Lee receiving an implant in his hand. He usually asks body modification artists to do the procedures for him, but he's done a few on himself when he thinks the risk is extremely limited The pair are working to develop advanced AI software capable of mimicking human thought.
This breakthrough - which some fear could spell the beginning of the end for humanity - will come over the next two decades, they claimed.
Mr Smith and Mr shum made their predictions in a book published last month called 'The Future Computed', which detailed their predictions for the future of AI.
They warned that controls should be put in place to prevent intelligent machines from acting against the interests of society and people.
Bodies kept alive in plastic bags and lifeless 'blank' humans ready for a new consciousness to be uploaded: Controversial booth at CES claims to offer IMMORTALITY - but is all as it seems?
- At the Psychasec booth at CES, what appeared to be human bodies were on display in glass cases and bags
- The exhibitors introduced a plan for 'immortality,' by uploading your consciousness into lab-grown bodies
- But, at the end of the booth, it is revealed to be a bizarre marketing stunt for the Netflix show, Altered Carbon
At one mysterious booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center this week, the reaction of passers-by has been unlike anywhere else.
Murmurs of ‘I don’t like this,’ and ‘no, this is too much for me,’ could be heard as CES attendees crowded around the Psychasec setup, greeted by what appeared to be lifeless human forms on display in large glass cases.
During a brief tour through the booth, exhibitors dressed in all white sold the idea of immortality, through a plan to upload human consciousness to ‘human sleeves’ of whatever design you desire – before concluding around the display of ‘Joel,’ a fresh ‘sleeve' in a vacuum sealed bag, breathing and eating through a tube.
While the display has been jarring to some, there is more to it than initially meets the eye.
During a brief tour through the booth, exhibitors dressed in all white sold the idea of immortality, through a plan to upload human consciousness to ‘human sleeves’ of whatever design you desire – before concluding around the display of ‘Joel,’ (pictured) a fresh ‘sleeve in a vacuum sealed bag, breathing and eating through a tube
Visitors who went through the tour were presented with a trailer for a Netflix show called Altered Carbon, and gifted small Netflix branded goodie bags containing ‘cortical stack aftercare gel.’
It may be one of the most bizarre Netflix marketing schemes yet, going as far as plastering posters with ‘Boycott #Psychasec’ and ‘Immortality is Immoral’ along the outside of the booth (though an exhibitor insisted to Dailymail.com that this had been done by anti-Psychasec protestors).
But, either way, it’s not an exhibit you’re likely to forget anytime soon.
Pointing to the disturbing ‘human sleeves’ inside the neon-backlit cases, a guide said: ‘These are 100 percent genetically home-grown organic sleeves – the sleeve is your body.’‘These are made of skin, tissue, muscle, bone, nervous system, cells, everything that we have to generate ourselves to make our movements, these are made up of,’ the Psychasec exhibitor said.
Unlike all other booths at CES, none of the exhibitors at Psychasec had name badges.
Pointing to the disturbing ‘human sleeves’ inside the neon-backlit cases, a guide said: ‘These are 100 percent genetically home-grown organic sleeves – the sleeve is your body’
NETFLIX DEBUTS BIZARRE 'HUMAN SLEEVES' AT CES AHEAD OF ITS NEW SHOW ALTERED CARBON
At CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Netflix set up a bizarre - and somewhat disturbing - promotion for its new series, Altered Carbon.
In a description of the show, Netflix says: 'In a future where humans can transfer their minds from body to body, a rebel is brought back to life to solve a twisted, high-stakes murder case.’
During a brief tour through the Psychasec booth at CES, exhibitors dressed in all white sold the idea of immortality, through a plan to upload human consciousness to ‘human sleeves’ of whatever design you desire – before concluding around the display of ‘Joel,’ a fresh ‘sleeve in a vacuum sealed bag, breathing and eating through a tube.
The Psychasec booth is seen at CES inside the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Netfix used the unusual display to promote its show Altered Carbon
‘These are made of skin, tissue, muscle, bone, nervous system, cells, everything that we have to generate ourselves to make our movements, these are made up of,’ the Psychasec exhibitor said.
It may be one of the most bizarre Netflix marketing schemes yet, going as far as plastering posters with ‘Boycott #Psychasec’ and ‘Immortality is Immoral’ along the outside of the booth (though an exhibitor insisted to Dailymail.com that this had been done by anti-Psychasec protestors).
The dystopian sci-fi Altered Carbon is set to premier on Netflix February 2. ‘These are conscious-less sleeves right now,’ the presenter continued.
‘We’ve developed a way to put your consciousness into these sleeves. Now these sleeves can be genetically designed to be whatever you like
'You can have a sleeve of yourself, you can have a sleeve genetically designed to whatever you want: Taller, shorter, musclier, better vision, faster, any race or any gender, with your mind.’
The system relies on what the firm calls a ‘cortical stack.’
The so-called cortical stack is a small device that is inserted into the base of the spine in the ‘human sleeve.’
It may be one of the most bizarre Netflix marketing schemes yet, going as far as plastering posters with ‘Boycott #Psychasec’ and ‘Immortality is Immoral’ along the outside of the booth (though an exhibitor insisted to Dailymail.com that this had been done by anti-Psychasec protestors). But, either way, it’s not an exhibit you’re likely to forget anytime soon.
‘These are conscious-less sleeves right now,’ the presenter said. Visitors who went through the tour were presented with a trailer for a Netflix show called Altered Carbon, and gifted small Netflix branded goodie bags with the ‘cortical stack aftercare gel’
The stack then interacts with the nervous system, to ‘essentially download your memories, or you, onto this device like backup hard drive,’ much like iPhone users do with the cloud, the presenter noted.
‘The same thing, this will back up you – everything that makes up your personality. The emotion, every memory, everything that is you is stored onto this cortical stack.’
The downloaded information could then be transferred into the human sleeve in what’s called a ‘needle casting.’
As the sleeves are made of biological material, they’d still be susceptible to disease and injury, the exhibitors said.
But, with the needle casting, a person could just transfer their information to new bodies as needed, ‘therefore creating immortality – you let your mind live on.’
The dystopian sci-fi Altered Carbon is set to premier on Netflix February 2.
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