Uploaded to the Cloud: The future may already be here

Black Mirror episodes are enthralling for many reasons. One of those reasons is the manner in which they portray leading trends in technology, and the way they give us a glimpse of how things can go awfully wrong if mismanaged.

 

One of the premises they rely fairly heavily on is the concept of uploading one’s consciousness to the cloud – we saw this in the beautifully shot episode San Junipero, which explored the possibility of second chances and a shot at living forever. We saw the more terrifying concepts explored in the last episode of Season 4 – in ‘Black Museum’, and without giving too much away, the directors explored transference of consciousness, as well as the prospect of replicating or duplicating one’s consciousness.

 

These themes are echoed over and over again in science fiction novels, movies, and television shows, and it often seems like a future over the horizon. But the reduction of ourselves to bytes may be closer than previously believed: startup Netcome intends to upload customers’ minds into the cloud at the point of death, and they have already worked on animal trials.[1]

 

People have already started to buy into the idea that immortality is within our reach, and is worth investing in. Alcor, the life extension foundation that preserves bodies (and supposedly, minds), has a total of almost 160 patients, mostly male.[2] The price to pay for membership into this exclusive club? A hefty $200,000,[3] just for the potential of extending one’s life.

 

Although many other breakthroughs in neuroscience will be required to make this reality, it is interesting to consider the technical details if these ideas come to fruition. Will companies pick a private or public cloud to store their customers’ minds? Will there be a virtual world for our minds to live in? Who should design it, and what rules will they play by?

 

And what about policy? What role should government play? Considering that welfare is usually a governmental function, should public funds be made available for the ‘extension’, or ‘preservation’, of human life? What about medical subsidies? If we subsidise medical fees for a terminally ill patient, would it be wrong to use that same amount of money for the same patient if he or she had opted for self-preservation via the cryonic route?

 

There are so many questions to be answered and many more to be asked. The discussion has not quite evolved, and perhaps it is time to bring the debate to the table as the future is dawning upon us.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/14/nectome-startup-upload-brain-the-cloud-kill-you

[2] https://alcor.org/AboutAlcor/membershipstats.html

[3] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/08/for-200000-this-lab-will-swap-your-bodys-blood-for-antifreeze/379074/