Augmentation, symbiosis, transcendence: technology and the future(s) of human identity

Abstract

Accelerating and converging technological changes in several fields are now challenging fundamental assumptions about human nature in general and, more specifically, ideas about the sense of personal identity. Major themes in the emerging dialogue concerning this subject are: augmentation (creating abilities not biologically inherent in the phenotype), symbiosis (interaction between two organisms or between people and intelligent machines), and transcendence (going beyond present identity boundaries to become parts of a larger entity). These themes are now being explored by various futurists and also by science-fiction writers who create imaginative scenarios of far distant futures in which human identity may change in spectacular ways. Such explorations offer not only useful visions of possible futures, but important insights into the past and present nature of human evolution.