In this blog post, we explore the necessity of expanding human capabilities in response to the development of artificial intelligence.
Humankind vs. Artificial Intelligence
Science fiction movies and novels, such as ‘The Matrix’, often depict a bleak future for humanity caused by artificial intelligence. The belief that AI will threaten humanity’s survival likely stems from the fact that, as technology advances, there are increasingly more instances where AI demonstrates problem-solving abilities similar to or even superior to those of humans. Will robots that are wiser than us eventually come to rule over us? If AI becomes an entity possessing both self-awareness and intelligence, humanity will need to possess corresponding intellectual capabilities to avoid being dominated.
Technological Advancement and the Future of Humanity
The idea of extending human capabilities through machines may seem like something straight out of science fiction. However, given the pace of technological advancement today, we are looking at a point in time that is not merely a distant fantasy but a real possibility. Furthermore, machines can go beyond simply complementing human abilities to enable new intellectual and physical capabilities that humanity has never been able to achieve before. This is becoming a reality through scientific research that was unimaginable in the past, and it will bring about changes in our daily lives. Advances in artificial intelligence and neuroengineering are at the forefront, enabling technological leaps that transcend human limitations.
Since the pace of biological evolution is limited, how can we enhance our capabilities without falling behind artificial intelligence, which is developing at an exponential rate? Let’s envision a future human form that might seem like something out of science fiction but is on the horizon.
First, we can consider how we might become artificial intelligence ourselves. In other words, if all the mechanisms occurring in the brain can be mechanically reduced, transferring a human brain into a machine would not be impossible. In fact, research is underway to replicate the human brain on a computer. The “Human Brain Project,” which has been underway in Europe since 2013, aims to simulate the human brain using supercomputers. Professor Henry Markram, the project’s director, has already succeeded in simulating part of a mouse’s brain. In addition to attempts to simulate the brain on a computer, research is also underway in various countries to create hardware modeled after neurons, mimicking the brain’s operational mechanisms. Notable examples include IBM’s “TrueNorth” and the University of Manchester’s “SpiNNaker” project, both of which aim to implement the brain’s characteristics—specifically its highly energy-efficient, parallel network structure—onto electronic chips.
However, such radical and unique attempts to emulate the brain in a machine are easily met with immediate criticism. Setting aside the view that realizing this in the near future is practically impossible due to controversies over the ethics of the research or the complexity and broad scope of the subject, there are also those who express fundamental skepticism about whether a computer can perfectly emulate the way the brain operates. This is because the human brain clearly does not seem to operate as a combination of logical signals, as a computer does. This is a very powerful counterargument; according to them, human thought is non-computable, and therefore it is fundamentally impossible to simulate human thought using any computational machine referred to as a computer. However, their argument critically lacks empirical evidence that human thought is non-computable. Of course, it is currently impossible to prove that their argument is wrong; however, the claim that the various mechanisms occurring in the brain are computable—as revealed by the aforementioned research on brain modeling—appears more persuasive than their argument.
Expanding Human Capabilities Through Machines
Even if it were possible to transfer the human brain into a machine, some might fear that the day artificial intelligence advances to the point of dominating humanity will come sooner than the day this research succeeds. In that case, could we not, instead of the previous approach, connect machines to the brain to enhance human capabilities? This is clearly more realistic and achievable sooner than transferring the entire brain into a machine, and it is also less likely to provoke resistance.
In this regard, research aimed at compensating for human limitations has been yielding meaningful results for several years now. Enabling the visually impaired to see by delivering electrical stimulation directly to the optic nerve from a camera, or developing prosthetic legs that move by detecting the brainwaves of people who have lost a leg, are not new developments. So, is it possible to go beyond merely compensating for human limitations and actually expand them? Although there are no documented cases of this being applied to humans yet, attempts to grant super-sensory abilities to mice—or even implant memories they have never experienced—have been successful. A research team at Duke University connected infrared sensors to the sensory cortex of mice, enabling the test subjects to detect infrared light, and in 2013, another research team implanted false memories into laboratory mice.
The Future Potential of Technology
Research on expanding human capabilities through machines goes beyond merely compensating for visual impairments or physical disabilities. Furthermore, research is also progressing in the direction of transcending human cognitive limitations. For example, research is advancing to overcome the limitations of memory and realize new forms of information storage by connecting external memory devices to the human brain. This goes beyond simply restoring some brain functions and offers the potential to maximize the quantity and quality of information humans can remember. As this technology develops, it could lead to innovative advancements in cognitive domains such as language learning, information analysis, and creative thinking.
Furthermore, research is expanding into mental domains such as emotional regulation. For instance, connecting mechanical devices to the brain’s emotional regulation centers could enable technologies to suppress or enhance specific emotions. This would provide practical solutions not only for treating mental disorders like depression but also for addressing various challenges faced by modern people, such as stress management and improving concentration.
So far, we have examined technologies that extend human capabilities—technologies that once seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Furthermore, through various studies that have already been conducted or are currently underway, we have glimpsed the possibility that these technologies could become a reality in a future that is not yet close, but certainly not too far off. Of course, the present moment is merely the starting point of a challenging journey in which we must resolve not only technical hurdles but also non-technical issues such as social and ethical concerns. However, if research in fields related to these technologies—such as neuroengineering and artificial intelligence—continues to progress as vigorously as it is now, and if we consistently envision a better future through social discourse, I dare to dream that an era will come—not one of gloom, but one where humans and robots coexist to build a highly advanced culture.
