October 2019 – Article 1:
Billionaire Elon Musk fears God’s greatest creation—humanity—is close to becoming mentally obsolete and will be pushed aside by artificial intelligence (AI).
His answer? Quickly develop a process to link your brain to a computer, possibly creating medical advances as well as enhancing human performance.
Musk also claims it eventually may be possible for people to “upload [themselves] into a new ‘unit’ when they die.”
If successful, making us half human and half computer will seriously alter the concept of Personhood as designed by God.
The merge humans with computers is being developed at Musk’s San Francisco-based Neuralink Corp. Musk recently said the first prototype could be implanted in a person by the end of next year.
The process will involve inserting groups of minuscule, flexible electrode threads into the human brain using a neurosurgical robot. Each thread is one-tenth the size of a human hair.
It has the potential to create a high-bandwidth brain/machine interface (BMI) system, meaning that it connects the brain to an external device to form a link between the brain and the machine .
One of the goals is to understand and treat different forms of brain or spine-related disorders. For example, paralyzed individuals could use the implanted device to control phones or computers.
Long term, Musk envisions using the process to enhance the brain’s capability, giving individuals the option to one day achieve superhuman intelligence.
Musk claims joining humans with AI will help secure humanity’s future as a civilization relative to AI.
Not everyone agrees.
Susan Schneider, writing in the Financial Times says the underlying motive behind Musk’s plan is “a radical vision of the mind’s future.” Schneider is a professor of philosophy and cognitive science.
She argues the computer could slowly take over the functions of different parts of your biological brain and destroy them. At some point in the process, she says your mind ceases to exist, which she calls a “brain drain.”
You would now be a biological person with an artificial, computer mind.
But can any of this actually happen?
Artificial intelligence is limited by human programing. While technology will continue to advance, it is unlikely we can create an artificial brain equal to, or greater than, our ability to think and make choices.
Christians can take heart that only God can create a mind with genuine intelligence—there can be no such thing as true artificial intelligence created in the image of God.
Such attempts at altering God’s perfect creation threaten all of our Personhood.
Sources: nbcnews.com; ft.com; dezeen.com; Wikipedia.com;gotquestions.org.
By Wayne DuBois
Georgia Right to Live
Media Relations Advisor