Meta: I need to reflect more on the massive amounts of media that I consume. My mom suggested I start writing "book reports" on the books that I finish, so I will. These posts will be more of the stream-of-consciousness type, so expect poor writing and half-formed thoughts.
[Warning: Chappie spoilers!]
Chappie is the epitome of a good movie ruined by a horrid ending. What started out like Real Steel ended up being a weird mix between I, Robot and A.I.
My immediate reaction is that the transfer of human consciousness from a human brain to a machine brain is ridiculous and idiotic and absurd - this will never happen….but could it? Let me consider the objections as to why it won’t happen:
1. The human brain is too complex to duplicate with machines.
At best, this objection is a temporal one, as we see the advancement of computing power. I have no idea what the computing equivalent of a human brain is, but I would guess that we are close to matching it (if we haven’t already) in the next decade.
2. Retrieving human consciousness isn’t possible.
The little helmet that Hugh Jackman developed (a neurotransmitter, they called it) seems probably the most futuristic invention in the entire film. As far as I know, we aren’t close to being able to read minds and actual human thoughts by mere brain wave extraction. I think that we’re able to read basic emotions and feelings, but actual thoughts….and the ability to “download” an entire human consciousness? Seems unlikely.
3. Human consciousness isn’t something we can transmit.
Assuming we could read the thoughts of humans through machines, retrieving the “full consciousness” (whatever that means) of a human seems impossible. This is where we run into the more annoying philosophical questions that I’m totally unqualified to talk about: What is it that forms human consciousness? Is human consciousness comprised merely of memories and experiences, or is there something else that governs it?
Let’s think about the Inside Out world. If I wanted to transfer the consciousness of Riley to another body, we would have to move over the mounds of long term memories, but that probably wouldn’t be enough, because Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger, who have been with the Riley from the beginning, would also need to be moved, not to mention the core memories and the islands that formed them.
All this said, even if consciousness was merely an amalgamation of memories, retrieving those memories by merely reading brain waves isn’t sufficient, as no individual can simply recall all the memories they have.
Now if we view the brain as simply a hard drive containing all relevant data and had some way of reading that data, then maybe it would be possible.
4. Worldview Issues
Needless to say, the idea that human personhood can be transferred is problematic for me. To me, the mind, body, and soul of a person are wound tightly together, and separation of these things only happens in death. But if as a Christian, I believe that consciousness continues in a new resurrected body, is it so absurd to believe that there could be consciousness in a new body while here on Earth? I don’t know.
It’s all so absurd. I feel like I just convinced myself that the transfer of human personhood is a possibility. I’m an idiot.
Chappie provides an interesting thought experiment, one that might prove relevant in the decades to come.
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