Author: Sydney V.

Redefining Humanity

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In my lifetime, human augmentation has evolved from a fictional idea to a more attainable invention. Technologies such as wearable fitness watches, prosthetics, and genetic engineering that we have today give us opportunities to enhance our human capabilities. When using these technologies, we must balance reaping their benefits with ensuring that we do not violate ethical boundaries.

This image was generated with ChatGPT on 23 November 2024. https://chatgpt.com/c/67427cec-19a8-8012-8a9a-2e0d12304e93

I think human augmentation will continue to evolve, and probably at a faster rate than we have seen before, in my lifetime. Wearable fitness watches like Apple watches and Garmins have advanced significantly over the past few years. The watches were previously used only to tell the time and track steps. Now, they can be used to track heart rate, notify the authorities if you get hurt, and potentially detect cardiac or respiratory issues. These functions allow us to know more about our health and transcend the typical health tracking we would be able to have at home. Prosthetics will most likely become more advanced and superior to human limbs. This type of human augmentation could lead to people getting prosthetics to help them surpass human limitations. This also could be useful to help people become more efficient in physical work which would contribute to our capitalist society. Genetic engineering and testing has been useful to help detect genetic disorders and diseases in people, especially before birth, to know their risk. Recently, the concept of choosing the characteristics for babies has also become more widespread. This will become dangerous as people begin using this to choose traits like appearance, intelligence, and personality. This could cause ethical issues because people are basically building their own children.

The level that I would go in terms of human augmentation is very limited. I currently use an Apple watch and plan to continue to use it since it encourages me to be active. It also has been useful in notifying me if there is a change in my heart rate trends or if I have a hard fall. Another human augmentation I would potentially use is Botox. As a future dermatologist, I see the benefit of using a little bit of Botox; however, I would not use a lot of cosmetic enhancements. I would not use any human augmentations that would push me way too far beyond my human limitations. I feel like that is immoral and disregards what it means to be human.

The Tyrell Effect

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED USING CHATGPT ON 4 NOV 2024.https://chatgpt.com/c/67285877-1508-8012-b4e6-357ffc99cb8b

Works within the cyberpunk genre integrate corporations in their plots to criticize the concentration of wealth in their dystopian societies. Cyberpunk works such as Blade Runner, Neuromancer, and Machinehood describe how corporations with unchecked power can determine the fate of society. The power that these corporations have over the people as it is depicted in these works is terrifying and leads us to consider if our world is heading in this direction. Pondering on this idea, I hypothesize that our world will head in this direction and is a very possible future for us.

In Blade Runner, the Tyrell Corporation had a strong grip on society with the implementation of its replicants technology which were similar to humans but instead had a limited life span. Its control over the replicants went way beyond the control of a piece of technology; it turned into controlling life vs. death since they determined when the replicants had to die. Similarly, Neuromancer depicted the Tessier-Ashpool family which acted as royalty over the technological advancements in their society. Their control over AI affected the ideas of humanity and autonomy. These same ideas were also seen in Machinehood in which the pill funders exerted control over society by making people dependent on pills to survive. All three of these works are excellent examples of what society is like when corporations take over not just the items commonly used in society but also the fundamental rights that make humans human.

THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED USING CHATGPT ON 4 NOV 2024. https://chatgpt.com/c/67285877-1508-8012-b4e6-357ffc99cb8b

Beyond the fictional works examined in this course, these beginnings of these same ideas can be seen in our society today. The major tech companies today like Meta, Amazon, and Apple have major influences on our society. For example, Meta is able to collect personal data from its users and use this data to display advertisements that appeal to the users. This can be scary since we have no idea the full scope of what they do with our data.

Although these examples are scary and concerning in regards to the future of our society, I believe our society is pretty far from this being our reality. Our current governments have some control over these corporations, even though the corporations in some cases work in conjunction with the government. However, as corporations continue to become more and more powerful, this concern may become our reality because the issues of the corporations who have the concentrated power will be made the issues of society. This means that the issues of the general public will be disregarded for the wishes of the people in power.

The Elephuman Experience

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED USING CHATGPT ON 24 OCT 2024. https://chatgpt.com/c/671b0ef0-2118-8012-bb7e-303017c83035

If I had the opportunity to hybridize with any animal, I would choose an elephant. Elephants are known for their intelligence and compassion which are two qualities that could enhance my current self. By merging my current intelligence with that of an elephant, I will have enhanced memory and problem-solving skills. This would allow me to not only be able to use my memory skills for school and in my future career as a physician, but I would also be able to solve real-world problems more easily. Elephants are also known for their emotional intelligence and connections with their families. This would translate to my increased empathy and compassion in my daily interactions with people and would encourage me to serve my community more to help those in need. This would also help me build stronger, long lasting relationships that are rooted in love and acceptance. Less importantly to me, I would have increased sensory perception of the world. I would be constantly aware of my surroundings and any impending dangers. The hybridization would be limited to the cognitive and emotional aspects. I would maintain my physical human form and the other qualities I have that make me me. I would be able to keep my individuality while also enhancing my intelligence and emotional IQ. I would be willing to give up the individualism I demonstrate sometimes. I would be able to prioritize collaboration over self-benefit. I believe this would not cause me to lose myself, but I would have a stronger focus on others over myself. My hybridization with an elephant would enhance my personal qualities and turn my focus to empathy and community. It would also deepen my respect for organisms outside of myself. This truly would allow me to have the best of both worlds and become a better human to my community.

From Manifesto to Music

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Donna Haraway (September 6, 1944 – present) By jonatkins
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/donna-haraway-september-6-1944-to-present

In Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto, she discusses a world where gender is not limited to binaries but instead is fluid. Her work rejects the rigid gender roles and societal roles in general of our world, such as man versus woman and human versus machine. She calls for us to make the world a place where fluid identity is accepted.

Janelle Monae utilizes similar themes in her album Dirty Computer. Monae challenges traditional ideas of gender and sexuality in many songs in her album. For example. in the song “Make Me Feel,” she explores fluid romantic attraction and rejects the binaries we typically see in society. Her characters in the album also express a variety of gender and sexual identities. In the song “Screwed,” she explains how freedom is found in the true expression of one’s identity.

Monae also criticizes societal boxes that are typically implemented. In her album, she uses the term “dirty computers” to represent groups that are marginalized for being different than the majority. This can be translated to groups such as racial, ethnic, and LGTBQ+ communities in our society today. She uses her album to resist these social constructs and promote non-conformity. Monae also discusses the complex relationship between technology and humanity. Technology is used to dehumanize and deindividualize the individuals in the album; however, technology is also used by the non-conforming people to channel their individuality and fight back against the majority. This highlights the complexity of the widespread implementation of technology in our society. Technology can create both positive and negative effects on society.

Scene from “Dirty Computer” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8343642/

In conclusion, both Cyborg Manifesto and Dirty Computer emphasize the fluidity of identity and technology’s role in helping and hurting society. Monae uses Haraway’s ideas to comment on the lives of marginalized people in today’s society, including racial and gender minority groups, which is extremely relevant to us today.

Technological Tyranny

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Tyrell Corporation Logo from Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/752285415/blade-runner-tyrell-corporation-logo

Both the film Blade Runner and the novel Neuromancer examine the rise of amoral, powerful corporations and the development of artificial intelligence (AI), often at the expense of individual freedom and identity.

In the film Blade Runner, the rise of powerful corporations and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) at the sacrifice of individuality and freedom is depicted through the Tyrell Corporation. The Tyrell Corporation dominates the society in the film with its technological innovation, the replicants. The replicants were created with a limited life span and were not considered human even though they were practically indistinguishable from humans. The corporation’s control over the replicants’ identities sparked their struggle for freedom and individuality. Beyond its business influence, it controls the lives of replicants and humans and operates with no regard for morals. The unchecked power of corporations leads to exploitation and dehumanization which can be seen in the movie.

Similarly, the novel Neuromancer demonstrates the same sentiments as Blade Runner through the use of the corporation Tessier-Ashpool S.A. and AI technology. Tessier-Ashpool S.A. has significant control over society’s resources which allows them to have influence on society in general. However, the corporation uses some ethically questionable and immoral business tactics to achieve its goals of power and profit. In this society, the corporation rules without regard for human rights and freedom. The use of AI in the novel showcases the idea that AI could surpass human control which poses a threat to what humanity is known as. When Wintermute attempts to merge with Neuromancer to form a superintelligence, this suggests that the limits to AI are unknown. The manipulation of Case, the book’s protagonist, by AI and the corporation shows how humans can compromise their individuality and freedom by interacting with these powerful entities.

Tessier-Ashpool S.A. Logo from Behance: https://www.behance.net/gallery/114927743/TESSIER-ASHPOOL-SA/modules/705575455

Both Blade Runner and Neuromancer are excellent examples of works that explore the rise of amoral, powerful corporations and AI with no regard for human freedom and identity. These works encourage thinking and conversation about the future of our society with the growth of technology and corporations. It leads to many questions about what the limits of technology in society should be and what it means to be human.

The ChatGPT Takeover

Sydney V.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
The Kirby’s Foundation image depicting the potential roles AI will have in our lives in the future. https://thefusioneer.com/blog/the-future-of-ai-5-ai-advancements-to-expect-in-the-next-10-years/

Five years ago, if you had asked students what online resources they use to assist them with their classwork, many students including myself would have said Wikipedia or a similar website. In today’s day and age, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) resources, such as ChatGPT and Meta’s AI tool on Instagram, has surpassed the use of Wikipedia by students when they need quick information. In the past five years, the role of AI has shifted from experimental technology to one used daily by many people. At its inception, it was used by many people in advanced science fields or technology industries. The AI that was previously used had a narrow scope and could allow me to answer specific questions or provide specific information. Now, AI is easily accessible to anybody who has a cell phone. AI can also handle more complex tasks which allows them to be used in a variety of industries. 

I believe this shift in the use of AI can be attributed to increasing technological advancements and a larger need for more answers to societal problems. The advancements in computer and phone technology over the past five years have allowed more AI models to be released faster and more accessible. These technological advancements have also allowed the AI systems to handle more complex tasks which makes them more useful for both people in industry and everyday use. Since we live in a fast-paced world, the need for AI systems that increase efficiency and productivity has increased. It helps industries efficiently complete repetitive tasks at a lower risk of error. AI is also beneficial for some personalized tasks as it can provide specific information based on what is inputted into the system. It is important to be aware of our increasing reliance on technology, specifically AI because it relates to the transhumanism and posthumanism discussion. Are we allowing AI to help us enhance ourselves as humans or are we viewing this new form of technology as potentially being able to get to the same level as us?