The concept of immortality has fascinated mankind since the very beginning.
Philosopher's stone, holy grail, fountain of youth - there are many mythological and fictional concepts about achieving immortality.
But what has always sounded like science fiction might actually become a reality in the near future:
The 2045 initiative, founded by Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov in 2011, aims to transfer personalities into a different "carrier" to ultimately achieve immortality.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality.
We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
Essentially, the goal of Initiative 45 is to upload someone's brain / personality onto a computer, which is then transferred to either a "robot" body or a hologram.
4 Avatar Project Milestones
Initiative 2045 is working towards 4 milestones of their so-called "Avatar Project".
Avatar A
The first step, Avatar A, is supposed to be completed until 2020. It implies to control a humanoid robot with a brain-computer-interface (BCI). Many of these BCI's are already being used today - for example in thought-controlled headsets or even artificial limbs. These experiments with prosthetics have already proven that it is possible for the human nervous system to interact with them.
Avatar B
For Avatar B, it will be necessary to transplant a brain into a robotic avatar, instead of just remotely controlling it.
In theory, this will happen at the end of one's life, when the brain is "turned off", relocated, and then transplanted into the robotic body. This would mean that we create consciousness inhabiting an artificial body that could be augmented, modified or updated.
Avatar C
Avatar C, the 3rd development stage aimed to be achieved until 2035, aims to create an avatar with an artificial brain and a human personality.
To achieve this step, we would have to find a way to allow consciousness to be uploaded and inserted into a totally robotic body. Essentially, we would upload the brain to a computer, rather than keeping it as the fleshy matter that it is.
Avatar D
For Avatar D, the last stage of the Initiative 2045, there is almost no information available. Only the description that the project aims to create a "hologram-like Avatar" by this stage - which would mean that with an uploaded consciousness, we don't even need a physical (robotic) anymore.
Interview with founder Dmitry Itskov
The 36 year-old Russian billionair Dmitry Itskov achieved his wealth through the Web publishing company New Media Stars.
In an Interview from 2013 with different journalists, he explained his vision for the 2045 initiative.
6 years ago, he founded the 2045 Initiative - because he realized that the current plan to save humanity and the environment from utter destruction (sustainable development) isn't sufficient.
He stated that his project could be even better than sustainable development, because "creating a new body for the human will change everything.
And with everything he means the infrastructure, as well as the way we think, act, and live our lives - because humans will live by a new concept of "life" that doesn't depend on physical bodies which die one day.
The first 2045 conference happened 2012 in Moscow, and dozens of scientists and robotics researchers took part in it.
“We will be able to travel just by transferring the consciousness to a new body. Look at Iron Man, look at his suit. I think bodies of the future will be able to travel like that. This body won’t need any shelter. The food will just be for memories, for pleasure, just for fun.”
Of course, the concept of immortality and transferring human consciousness to robot bodies also brings a lot of ethical questions.
Prolonging our lifetime would mean that we wouldn't have to suffer the fear of death anymore, that we could achieve so much more in our lifetime, and that big thinkers and scientists could continue developing their ideas.
But do we really want to be able to live forever? What would happen to the world's infrastructure and resources? How would we cope with the psychologial impact, and the stress on societal structures like marriage and parenthood?
What do you think about this concept - fascinating, unrealistic, or even dangerous?
© Sirwinchester