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A glimpse into tomorrow’s world

UBAID SAHIL

Ubaid Sahil

Let’s suppose a person from the 15th century opens his eyes in the 21st century’s complex world, how surprised and shocked he will be seeing a brand new world around him. At first, it will even be hard for him to believe that he exists in a real world.

Things have changed drastically in the past five centuries. For us today, the most interesting question is what the future of humanity will be in the upcoming centuries. Although we might not be able to witness the interesting aspects of the future, by observing today’s dynamics, we can predict some future developments.

On this subject, some brilliant intellectuals have already worked, including Yuval Noah Harari, Ray Kurzweil, Michio Kaku, and Max Tegmark. Let’s delve into their works to discuss some interesting aspects of the future.

Yuval Noah Harari, the renowned Israeli author and historian, is one of the most well-known historians. His famous work, “Homo Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” is a best-selling book worldwide, briefly discussing the entire history of humanity. Another of his works, “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow,” delves into the humans of tomorrow, covering the future evolution of humans, technological impacts on humans, and immortality.

He wrote that in the future, humans will overcome fatal diseases, and the most common subject for people will be immortality. Artificial Intelligence will become increasingly advanced, posing some serious threats. Advancements in biotechnology will evolve us into a new species, one with concepts of superpowers. Artificial organs with enhanced power and skills will be implanted into human bodies, making humans appear as a robotic species.

Data and algorithms will become the most important elements of our societies; for this, he uses the term “Dataism,” which will have both negative and positive impacts. Post-humanism might evolve us into a form of digital immortality. He also raises questions about future threats and challenges, including ethical and existential challenges from technology.

In his book “The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth,” Michio Kaku, the famous American physicist and science writer, discusses various aspects of humanity’s future. These include venturing into space, becoming a multi-planetary species, and the concept of immortality.

He discusses that due to threats and crises like nuclear warfare, climate crises, and asteroid impacts, it will be necessary for us to venture to other planets to live on. Initially, Mars will be colonized, and then other suitable planets will be considered for colonization, including Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Titan. Planets and moons beyond Earth can be transformed into life-supporting ones through scientific processes. He then discusses the concepts of interstellar traveling that could be used for traveling in far spaces. He also discusses how advancements in neuroscience and artificial intelligence could evolve into digital immortal entities.

In this context, he also raises the question of our nature and relationship with nature in the future. His main theme is that our destiny does not lie on Earth, but among the stars.

Ray Kurzweil, the American author and computer scientist, has written “The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology.” This interesting work discusses the impacts of rapid advancements in technology on humans, including artificial intelligence, human-machine integration, nanotechnology and nanobots, and biotechnology and gene editing.

He discusses that in the future, humans will become more robot-like species by implanting nanobots and artificial organs in their bodies. He predicts that artificial intelligence could surpass human intelligence and be able to perform tasks that are currently impossible for us. Technological advancements will emerge at a rapid pace, and new technologies might alter human nature. He discusses that in the future, we could be able to program our DNA just as we program software.

Nanobots will be injected into our bodies to boost our immune system and help us fight fatal diseases, resulting in lifespan longevity and a form of immortality. For this concept, he uses the term “longevity escape velocity.” He also writes that in the future, our minds could be transferred into independent digital mediums, raising serious questions about our identity and consciousness. Eventually, he also discusses the risks associated with technological advancements, including artificial intelligence; if not properly controlled, they can pose serious threats to humans in the future.

Max Tegmark, a Swedish-American physicist, machine learning researcher, and author, has written “Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” In this book, he covers the future of super-intelligent artificial intelligence, its ethical considerations and safety measures, its impacts on daily lives, and strategies for controlled and beneficial AI-driven progress.

First, he covers the positive aspects of the future of artificial intelligence, including disease curing, mitigating climate change, and ending poverty. Then, he discusses the negative aspects in the form of existential risks posed by uncontrolled AI. He further discusses the legal measures and ethical frameworks for the development of AI systems and robots. According to him, AI will eliminate millions of jobs but will also provide greater creativity in economic aspects. Healthcare and education systems could also be transformed to the next level, while ethically controlled progress is of utmost necessity.

 

(Ubaid Sahil is an undergraduate student, activist and writer from the Swat Valley).

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