Two experts in information technology and artificial intelligence present to “Sky News Arabia” the stages of turning the “cyborg” idea into reality, and whether this will benefit humanity or pose a threat to it.
Dream of superpowers
The term “cyborg” refers to a being that is half human and half “machine”, consisting of a mixture of organic, biological, electronic and mechanical components.
Anas Al-Najdawi, an expert in information technology and artificial intelligence, points to the most prominent company in making this mixture, which is “Neuralink” for neurotechnology, which was founded by the American billionaire, Elon Musk.
The company is already working on developing computer interfaces that support the human mind, linking people with machines, and the goal of its projects is to increase human abilities in vision, perception and learning to “superhuman” levels.
The cyborg is among us.
In the estimation of the information technology and artificial intelligence expert, Salloum Al-Dahdah, the interference that amounts to a “merger” between man and machine has already occurred, and there are “cyborgs” who lived and still live among us.
Al-Dahdah attributes this to the scientists’ use of “artificial intelligence-based robots” to replace some parts of the body lost by humans, giving examples:
- The use of prosthetic eyes for blind people based on robotic software.
- Using robotic prostheses to replace natural limbs.
The world’s first “cyborg”
The most prominent embodiment of the “cyborg” idea is the British scientist, Peter Scott Morgan, who died in 2022, at the age of 64, after a 5-year battle with a rare neurological disease.
Al-Dahdah traces the process of his transformation, saying:
- In 2017, the British roboticist was diagnosed with motor neuron disease and had only two years to live.
- He underwent a series of complex operations, including insertion of a feeding tube directly into his stomach, catheterization of his bladder, and other procedures to help him continue to live without complications arising from his terminal illness.
- He underwent a laryngectomy to separate his esophagus and trachea to reduce the risk of fatal pneumonia, and was unable to speak afterward.
- Before he underwent surgery, Peter recorded tens of thousands of words and sentences that he could make using his eyes.
- He underwent laser eye surgery to improve his vision at 70cm, the distance from his face to a computer screen, which allowed him to remotely control a computer using eye-tracking technology.
- He developed an “avatar”, which resembled his own face, and was designed to respond using artificially intelligent body language.
- Later, Peter announced that he had completed his full transition to “the world’s first full-fledged robot”, calling himself “Peter 2.0”.
the next in 20 years
As the two experts point out, more human-machine interaction can be achieved for several purposes:
- Solving disability problems and supporting the medical field.
- Developing the mental and physical capacities of human beings.
Due to the developments of artificial intelligence technologies, many models of “cyborgs” may spread among us during the next 20 years, and within a few years there may be animals merging with smart machines, and we will have hybrid beings with “superpowers,” according to Al-Najdawi.
Do smart machines rule the world?
Al-Dahdah enslaves that, and says: “Intelligent machines have not and will not be able to rule the world, and only humans are able to control them.”
However, Al-Najdawi has fears about the future of humanity as a result of the “frightening” development of artificial intelligence technologies.
“If smart machines continue to evolve at the same pace, humans will be in danger, and they may lose control of those intelligent systems that can be learned and simulated, and whose capabilities far exceed humans,” according to Al-Najdawi.
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