The process of human evolution has not yet ended — it is well underway, and it doesn't look good for us.
-
Two central processes can be identified along the timeline of human development.
The first is a continuous improvement in our cognitive abilities.
The second is a decline in our physical abilities.
Most of us are no longer capable of hunting a bull or chopping wood.
Most of us can now read, write, and do arithmetic —
and there is a meaningful connection between the two.
-
The smarter we become, the more sophisticated the machines we invent to do things we are unable or unwilling to do ourselves.
The smarter we become, the more energy our brains consume at the expense of our muscle mass.
The smarter we become, the fewer physical and the more mental the tasks that remain for us to perform.
Machines produce an abundance of food for us.
They transport us from place to place.
They carry our groceries up to the fifth floor.
They are the primary driver of the obesity epidemic that claims so many lives.
Machines have evolved from something we operate, to something we sit inside, to something we hold in our hands — and in the next stage, they will become an inseparable part of us.
-
Would a person whose legs were augmented with 50% additional strength be able to return to walking normally?
Would a person who could suddenly lift their own body weight with ease voluntarily return to their previous condition?
The rise of machines that will become part of our bodies is good news — because it will allow us to leave this world while still caring for ourselves and preserving our dignity.
It is good news because, for the first time, instead of watching machines grow ever stronger at our expense, they will work in cooperation with us.
Yet at the same time, the price we will be forced to pay is a separation from the human body as we know it.
It will not happen in a day, nor in a year — but a future in which we will struggle to survive without machines attached to our bodies is already waiting for us on the horizon.