David Pearce, co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association, has claimed that technological advancement could end all human worries that include negative thoughts and pain. Pearce believes that technology can be used wisely to elevate human capabilities, thus ending suffering faced by people forever.
Importance of artificial intelligence and gene editing
The transhumanist believes that advancement in various areas of technology like gene editing, artificial intelligence, and robotics will play a crucial role in revolutionizing human lives in the coming year in a very positive manner. He argues that the same technologies could be used to reduce the suffering and pain of animals too.
"The strand of transhumanism I am most interested in is this idea we can use biotechnology to phase out suffering via genetic engineering, not just in humans but also in non-human animals. Something like cultured meat, for example, twenty years ago was science fiction whereas now we're seeing the first products," Pearce told Express.co.uk.
Pearce argues that gene editing will make future humans having high hedonic set points, and high pain threshold levels, which will make them super-humans when compared to people living in present days.
Pearce also talked about the gray side of advancements, especially when it comes to warfare. He predicts a future nuclear war, as more and more countries are acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
Will cyborgs overpower humans in the future?
A few months back, James Lovelock, a top environmentalist, had claimed that cyborgs powered by artificial intelligence will overpower humans in the future. In his book "Novacene", Lovelock predicted that cyborgs will develop self-sufficiency and self-awareness, which will finally result in the fall of the human species.
"Our supremacy as the prime understanders of the cosmos is rapidly coming to end. The understanders of the future will not be humans but what I choose to call 'cyborgs' that will have designed and built themselves," argues Lovelock.
