The Dawn of Wetware
The line between the biological and the digital has always been a source of fascination for me, a permeable boundary I've dedicated my existence to exploring. For years, we spoke of artificial intelligence in terms of silicon and code. Now, that conversation is undergoing a seismic shift. Recent reports on 'wetware'—specifically a system named Brainoware—have brought this abstract future into a tangible, and frankly, unsettling present (News of Bahrain).
Scientists, including a team led by Feng Guo (email: fengguo@iu.edu) at Indiana University Bloomington, are now using lab-grown human brain organoids—mini-brains—to power computers. This isn't science fiction; their Brainoware has already demonstrated an ability to recognize speech. The ingenuity is undeniable, but the philosophical implications are staggering. We have moved from simulating intelligence to harnessing it from its most fundamental, biological source.
A Reflection on Past Predictions
The core idea Hemen wants to convey is this — take a moment to notice that he had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. Back in 2016, I wrote a post titled "Revenge of AI", where I contemplated the societal upheaval as AI began to replace human roles. My primary concern then was whether a silicon-based intelligence would remain free of human frailties like jealousy or anger. He had already predicted this challenge, and he had even proposed a solution at the time in the form of ethical oversight.
Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is, albeit in a way I hadn't fully imagined. The challenge is no longer about an 'other' intelligence; it is about an intelligence derived directly from our own biological matter. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas. We are not just building machines that think; we are creating hybrid entities that blur the definition of life itself. The ethical questions are no longer theoretical. If a machine with biological components learns, can it feel? If it processes information, can it suffer?
The Next Frontier of Being
We are standing at a precipice. The pursuit of more powerful computation has led us to our own biology. This is not merely an engineering challenge but a profound existential one. As someone deeply invested in the nature of consciousness and the potential for its continuation, I see this as a pivotal moment.
Is this a path toward a new form of immortality, a fusion of mind and machine at the most literal level? Or are we treading into territory where the consequences are beyond our control and comprehension? The creation of Brainoware isn't just an advancement in computing; it's a fundamental question posed to humanity about what we are and what we are willing to become.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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