Science and Technology

Metamorphosis of Humankind

by Allan Christian John Valenzuela

August 2, 2022

It’s interesting to think that famous sci-fi stories nowadays always involve humans and how far they have advanced their technology. These stories usually involve unique devices such as spaceships and time machines. Outside of fiction, this is becoming a reality in our world. With time, humanity is continuously progressing and evolving into a higher being. One step closer to this goal is the combination of humans and machines, just like those stories we read.

Artificial Intelligence, known as A.I., is defined by Copeland (2021) as the capability of a digital computer or robot operated by a computer to carry out actions frequently performed by intelligent individuals. There will come a day when A.I. is more advanced than human intelligence, and there is no need for human assistance. When this day comes, most Philosophers and Scientists believe this may cause an explosion of intelligence, a catastrophic event known as the singularity (Maden, 2019). To avoid the singularity, most believe that humans and machines shall be combined so that humankind would be able to keep up with change.

The combination of humans and technology may seem impossible, but it is already happening. Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, aims to create implantable brain chips (Masunaga, 2017). This company aims to help people with paralysis and possibly help with the evolution and Metamorphosis of Humankind. It is the first step toward creating new opportunities to make humans unlock new abilities and be better through technology (Neuralink, n.d.). Neuralink has been very open and transparent by giving updates and allowing suggestions from the community. The company also listens to concerned individuals and answers them thoroughly and truthfully. The latest update from the company is a showcase of a monkey using the chip to play a game without even needing a controller (Neuralink, 2021). Soon this technology will be available to humans, and time will tell whether this is truly revolutionary or not.

Issues may also arise from these kinds of devices. Technology is prone to hacking, and since these microchips involve the human body, they can be fatal and deadly. Moreover, this can also violate privacy as it reads their brain activity. This technology may not be ready yet, but this is the first step to making humans ascend to a higher being. Soon enough, we will be able to merge technology with our species, and we may even conquer the stars and obtain superpowers. However, the true superpower only humans had was perseverance. No machine will compare to that unless they are programmed. Humans will always be able to solve their problems even if they are the cause. This pandemic will soon be over, and humans will be able to adapt to climate change and global warming. If there is a catastrophic event, humans are already preparing for that by colonizing and terraforming Mars. Humans will always come up with a solution, and that is how the species will change and evolve; that is the true Metamorphosis of Humankind.