If you could live forever, would you? Believe it or not billionaires have already been funding scientists to invent technology that would allow them to live forever. How do they plan to accomplish this? By mapping one’s brain completely and copying everything you are, your personality, your emotions, your memories, everything down to the tiniest idiosyncrasy onto a microchip. This microchip then acts as functional copy of a person’s brain. Then the microchip can be implanted in a flesh and blood clone body or a robotic body. This allows one to leave their "biological shell" and continue their existence. Human cloning and consciousness transfer has quietly become the most promising lead for how humans could use science to cheat death and live on for the foreseeable future. To put it in layman’s terms it is like the technology displayed in James Cameron’s Avatar movie. However, instead of eight-foot-tall blue aliens the consciousness is being transferred into a microchip and then a flesh and blood clone body or a robotic body. I will be laying out what scholars, scientists and the billionaires funding them have said about these technologies and then make the argument that these technologies have already been invented and utilized. For the rest of the article I will use the term “mind uploading” when referring to consciousness transfer/mind copying/emulation as they are all synonyms to one another. I will be using the term “microchip brain” when referencing the microchip that carries a copy of the original brain.
Uploading one’s consciousness onto a microchip means copying all the neural networks in a subject’s brain so the microchip contains a simulated version of how that particular person would react to new information or new situations. The microchip brain is meant to contain all of your memories and personality quirks that your biological brain had. The important distinction between a brain copied to a microchip and the biological brain, is a microchip brain does not have an expiration date. A microchip can be copied, and even if it is destroyed your consciousness can remain alive, if uploaded to a software cloud. With a microchip brain, you are no longer tied to the lifespan of your body. The two components to upload your mind onto a microchip brain go as follows 1. A scanned copy of one’s neural and neurochemical architecture 2. a sufficiently powerful microchip to run the scanned copy of the mind. The next step is to create a clone body to house the microchip brain.
The two steps to create a clone are 1. an egg with the DNA removed and 2. the nucleus of a cell from a tissue sample of who you want to clone. That nucleus is then implanted in the empty egg and then put in a surrogate mother. Human cloning has been a hot ethical debate since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996. Since Dolly was born, researchers have cloned 23 mammal species, including cattle, cats, deer, dogs, horses, mules, oxen, rabbits and rats. Chinese scientists just had a major breakthrough cloning monkeys for the first time this year. While the science behind consciousness transfer onto a microchip is not sound, the science behind human cloning is presumed to be no different than cloning monkeys and therefore already very possible for humans to achieve. When Doctor Leonard Zon director of the stem cell program at Boston’s Children Hospital heard about the cloned monkeys he said “These are the first primates ever to be cloned. We are closer to cloning humans than we’ve ever been before” (Greshko). While many scientists are incredibly optimistic about achieving human cloning sometime soon, implanting adult animal cells into a blank egg results in a much larger failure rate than young animal cells. Many miscarriages have been experienced in the attempted trials. The monkeys cloned in China required 60 surrogate mothers to produce two healthy monkeys. This isn’t stopping scientists and billionaires from looking improve on this breakthrough research and reduce the failure rates to better produce human clones.
Projects, Companies, Non-Profits, and Dictators such as the 2045 initiative, ClonAid, Carboncopies, and Kim Jong Un respectively are currently seeking to achieve mind uploading into a clone or a robotic body. The billionaires funding these scientists do not believe they are just throwing their money away on a pipe dream. Dmitry Itskov, the main financier of the 2045 Initiative, said in an interview, “I believe it will be done, otherwise I wouldn’t have put my money into it” (gf2045). The mission statement for Carboncopies states “We have already made strides. Looking at the years since the Carboncopies Foundation was first established in 2010, the possibility that the brain can be mapped and understood sufficiently for brain emulation has not only been accepted, but has grown to become an inspiration for research goals of numerous scientific labs and collaborative projects. Steady progress is being made today on the scientific and technological challenges” (Carboncopies). Clonaid on the human cloning side has claimed to have already cloned the first human baby. Supposedly achieving the feat on December 26th, 2002. Kim Jong Un is also reportedly obsessed with human cloning and “he believes he can live forever by making clones of himself” (Williams). According to British intelligence agency MI6, genetic scientists in North Korea have been working on human cloning for around 30 years since Kim II-Sung, Kim’s grandfather, began the program. So, I’ve just given you some optimistic takes and reasons to believe human cloning is already reality and if not soon approaching us, but many scientists are genuinely skeptical about the feasibility of mind uploading.
The main argument skeptical scientists are making is that a copy of one’s mind supposedly cannot distinguish itself from the original. In other words, there is no way after copying one’s consciousness onto a microchip to know if the copy is in fact the original (Fletcher). Another potential hiccup in mind uploading was put forth by theoretical neuroscientist Kenneth D. Miller. Miller says the operation of the brain hinges on biochemical and electrical exchanges between neurons; therefore, capturing them in a single "frozen" state may prove insufficient (Miller). Essentially, scientists in the skeptical camp argue that the copy of your neural network without the exact same molecular make-up will not truly be you anymore. The brain has around 100 billion neurons and copying all of them would be no small feat. The microchip will hold a copy, a simulated AI version that acts like you and maybe has been tricked into thinking it is you, but it is a separate entity and the original person will not actually be living on.
Beyond the optimism vs. skepticism debate there is also an ethical debate around what makes us human and even if consciousness transfer onto a microchip and then into a human clone body could be achieved, should it? Much like the Stephen King’s movie Pet Cemetery the person living on would not really be that person but a shadow of their former self. Scientists fear there will be no off or kill switch and the consciousness of any person uploaded onto a microchip will desperately want to get out and be permanently tortured. Another concern is babies and the mortal human form will cease to exist and there will be a technological singularity in which everyone on earth has their mind uploaded inside a computer. The next objection from the scientific community is possibly even worse than the previous two examples; Scientists fear a super intelligent consciousness that is transferred into a computer with massive computing capacities will look to gain intelligence and power by taking over the computer system it is being housed in. Once the consciousness gains control of the computer it would multiply itself onto other avatars, emulations or microchips and try to take over the world. Lastly, concerned scientists say even if the entire neural network with 100 billion neurons could be successfully mapped there would be too much public backlash that could even lead to war (Eckersley & Sandberg). The disparity between haves and have-nots would be exponentially increased as all the rich people in the world will be immortal and the poor masses will not be able to afford immortality and be unable to rise up the social ranks. As you can see there are a bunch of ethical issues with consciousness transfer onto a microchip.
I have laid out the scholarly conversation surrounding mind uploading and human cloning and now I will make the argument that these technologies have already been invented. Harvard-educated physicist Richard Seed is quoted as saying “We are going to become Gods, period. If you don't like it, get off. You don't have to contribute, you don't have to participate, but if you are going to interfere with me becoming a God, you're going to have trouble. There'll be warfare.” I believe historical figures such as Mao Zedong and now Kim Jong Un thought the exact same thing. They had achieved god-like status in their countries but when they inevitably died it would all be taken from them. To prevent that Mao, Kim Jong Un and the like sort simply put their scientists to work on human cloning and mind uploading. With the scientific community’s only reservation being if the microchip brain really holds the “real” you or not, I think it is inevitable that a secret government project achieved mind uploading as well as human cloning. The Manhattan Project demonstrated the government’s ability to assemble scientists to produce unbelievable technologies very quickly while maintaining total secrecy. The evolutionary will to survive would push humans such as Mao or Kim Jong Un with unlimited amount of power and resources to attempt to escape death. According to British intelligence MI6, “Genetic scientists have spent billions on a secret cloning program started by Kim’s grandfather more than 30 years ago. …For all we know, they may have already achieved it (Williams).” Since North Korea has been pursuing cloning and immortality for 30 years, it is logical that other dictators and billionaires with the even more money and scientists are attempting to invent technology that will make them immortal. As I have outlined it is no secret that staggering advancements in medicine, cloning, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and neural mapping are creating new possibilities for humanity. Israeli scholar Yuval Noah Harari puts it best “Technological breakthroughs will soon be redefining what it means to be human, making it possible to conquer disease, enhance our bodies and minds in numerous ways, and even design babies with precise characteristics, intelligence, physical appearance, and psychological traits considered desirable by parents or powerful institutions. Whether you find these possibilities fascinating or creepy, many of them will likely be part of the new human reality in the not-too-distant future.” To sum that up, if these technologies haven’t been invented by dictators and billionaires yet, they will be invented soon.
Finally, many celebrities have mentioned human cloning and mind uploading. Platinum rapper B.o.b. detailed that human cloning and consciousness transfer is indeed taking place. The comments weren’t covered by the mainstream instead were overshadowed by his Flat Earth comments. Oddly enough reality star Tila Tequila pulled the same routine, after talking about cloning centers being run by the most powerful people in the world she immediately began discrediting herself in many ways. Amanda Bynes tweeted that her father had put a microchip in her brain during her fall from grace. The chorus to a Britney Spears song entitled Mona Lisa is “She’s the original, she’s unforgettable, she wants you to know, she’s been cloned, she’s been cloned, she’s been cloned”. Nicki Minaj tweeted “My tears have dried and I know no weapon against me will prosper searching for people who can relate #STOPHUMANCLONING”, she quickly deleted this tweet. And many other athletes, rappers, actors, and actresses such as Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Kevin Hart, Nick Cannon, T-Pain, Adina Porter, Miley Cyrus, Kreayshawn, Kidd Buu, Trippie Redd, Charlamagne the God, Frenchy Morgan, Tyrann Mathieu, Jared Goff, Alex Hirsch, Justin Roiland and Paris Jackson have all said or tweeted that they have seen the cloning centers or have been cloned or something of the sort. Cory Booker potential 2020 presidential candidate tweeted “Because of a secret government cloning operation” when asked about his similar appearance to NBA player Richard Jefferson. Even Good Morning America’s Al Roker recently tweeted “I’m a clone”. While many on the internet see this as celebrity craziness and solely due to attention starvation or drug use, I find it extremely odd so many celebrities are talking about human cloning and consciousness transfer. But, let me be the first to say rappers and celebrities are not the most credible sources and many of these types of statements/tweets are made in a joking manner. However, Dr. Peter Beter a lawyer who worked with JFK’s administration revealed in detail the existence of human cloning and minds uploading onto microchips to operate them, and this was back in the 1970’s. George Green is another credible source he was affiliated with U.S. Presidential candidates, and was once asked to be the Finance Chairman for the next President of the United States and he detailed the governments use of human clones as well, rather nonchalantly saying “Our scientists have learned how to make people. They call them synthetics.”
I am simply saying there have been dictators and billionaires with god complexes and they know about this technology. Individuals have had the means, motivation, and disposition to pursue immortality. Put yourself in their shoes, what would you do? Attempt to become immortal? Or accept death and lose everything you have amassed in life?