A Life Intertwined with Technology: Augmented Human
All intelligent technologies, phones, tablets, wearable technologies that we use in our daily life have equipped us with next–level skills. We manage our time with our smartphones in our pockets; we find our way easily while on the road; we communicate and socialize online with our hundreds of connections. With the smartwatch on our wrist, we can calculate how far we have walked, how many calories we have burned, and we keep our health under control. Our shopping decisions, the music we will listen to, the movies we will watch, the restaurants we will eat at are decided by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is getting to know us better than we do, even if we are not aware of it from to time. Now we are connected to the Internet almost 24 hours a day, some of us have even become addicted.
The human body grows, develops, matures, and after a point, it becomes unable to use its energy and old power. However, we can delay this loss of power and energy in specific periods, sometimes with sports and sometimes with a healthy diet.
But is it possible to do these without doing anything, without making any effort, using only technology? This is where Augmented Human Technology comes into play, and the human body combines with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Therefore, the Augmented Human study of improving human limbs, organs, and even brains naturally attracts a lot of attention.
Transhumanism
Transhumanism is a movement based on the idea that the human species has not completed its development and even represents an early stage in the evolution process and generates hypotheses about the future from this point of view. Transhumanism aims to develop technologies to eliminate aging, increase humanity’s intellectual, physical, and psychological capacity, examine the potential dangers and advantages of these technologies, and regulate the ethical issues related to these technologies.
In our age, which is one of the turning points in the history of humanity, as a result of the developments in science and technology, very shortly, we will be able to make interventions to our body that we could not even imagine a short time ago.
With the integration and hybridization of Biological and Robotic Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Human Technology, we will now be able to transform our intelligence and our bodies without restriction.
Radically enhancing human performance has been the subject of intense debate for the past 20 years. Some analysts are pessimistic and cautious about Augmented Humans, ignoring the reality of how close such technologies are. On the other hand, some commentators are optimistic and state that this technological revolution will change every aspect of human life. What is certain is; Augmented Human studies in the next 30 years will cause a significant transformation in society, security, and defense.
What Does Augmented Human Technology Try to Add to Our Lives
- Defense
Technologies used on the battlefield have traditionally focused on platforms increasingly used by, or people move. However, developments in life science and converging advances in related fields have begun to blur the line between humans and technology. Much thought has been given to what this means in terms of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, and Robotics, but what it means from a human perspective has not been given much attention to date.
Developing a person’s physical, psychological, or social abilities have been considered throughout history, and the battlefield has been where this dynamic is seen. The paradox is that you are human, playing a central role on the battlefield while at the same time being its weakest link. To defeat the enemy on the battlefield, whether a cyber warfare specialist, drone pilot, or infantryman, more robust, faster, intelligent, and agile warriors have always been desired.
Increasingly complex technologies have been designed and developed to increase lethality, survivability, and mobility. As technology matures, the idea of creating these capabilities is increasingly focused on machines rather than humans, but this now needs to change if we are to be effective in the future and win the war.
Recent developments in life science and related technologies can change every aspect of human life; This led to the emergence of a new interdisciplinary field called Augmented Humans. The interconnectedness and potential implications of Augmented Human Technology are so vast and complex that it is difficult to predict what the future might mean for society and defense.
Augmented Human Technology will inevitably become more and more the focus of attention. This is partly because it directly enhances human performance and abilities and interfaces between man and machines. As a result, future wars will not be won by those with the highest technology but by those who can most effectively integrate humans’ and machines’ unique capabilities and capabilities.
The importance of human–machine team building is widely recognized and accepted, but it has been viewed from a technology–centered perspective. The Augmented Human is the missing piece of the puzzle.
Thinking of people as a platform and understanding people at an individual level is the foundation for successful augmented people development. For example, industrial age warfare saw humans as replaceable components of military units or as elements using platforms such as vehicles, planes, and ships.
While these platforms are constantly monitored and analyzed, it is noteworthy that little research has been done on the most critical element, the ability to understand people. Successful application of the augmented people concept requires a much more sophisticated approach to understanding people and their abilities.
- Long Life
At its core, transhumanism is a movement that seeks to use science and technology to improve people’s bodies, health, and lives through longevity research. Transhumanists see old age as another disease that can be prevented once we understand maintaining our health.
Radical gene therapies and other biological methods that will indefinitely stimulate repair mechanisms to prevent or delay normal aging processes are not far away. Even today, the evolution of nanotechnology and biotechnology is astonishing.
- Super Intelligence
Superintelligence means any form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) inspired by a better understanding of the human brain’s computational architectures and learning algorithms, capable of surpassing the best in almost any discipline, including scientific creativity, practical wisdom, and social skills. Furthermore, it is argued that the hardware and software necessary for superintelligence can be developed in a few decades.
- Interconnected World
Even in its current form, the Internet has a tremendous impact on some people’s lives. The results are just beginning to appear. However, this commitment can make people’s lives perfect, contrary to expectations. Undoubtedly, a notification that warns you before you have a heart attack or when your blood pressure starts to rise dangerously will be much more valuable than a posting notification on the beach shared by your friend on social media.
- Loading Our Consciousness Into Virtual Reality
If we can scan the neural networks of a human brain and emulate them on a computer, then it may also be possible to move from our biological bodies to an all–digital substrate. By directing the activation flow in emulated neural networks, we can design entirely new kinds of experiences. Installation, in this sense, will likely require advanced nanotechnology. Today, however, many accessible ways of fusing the human mind with computers are being tried; Efforts are being made nonstop to develop neurochip interfaces. The technology is still in its infancy, but it may be possible to build neuroprostheses to connect to cyberspace one day.
Understanding and descending the fundamentals of human physiology, biochemistry, and psychology is a prerequisite for the Augmented Human, and these areas will be even more critical in the future. Research in the Augmented Human field has revealed how little is known about these foundations. The soothing effects of nutrition, sleep, and water consumption and their interaction with other areas of the body need to be better understood. The development of monitoring technology, optimizing nutrition, rest, and other factors will facilitate efficiency in an organization at a relatively low cost and without compromising ethical risks.
Augmented man is not a task to be accomplished immediately. However, considering the level of technical maturity reached today, some technologies need to be realized in the short and long term.
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