Not as big a success as his The End of History (1989), nevertheless along with Marlyn Manson this book by Fukuyama helped propel the posthuman movement (1988) more into the mainstream discussion.

Review of Francis Fukuyama’s 2002 bestseller.

Not as big a success as his The End of History (1989), nevertheless along with Marilyn Manson this book by Fukuyama helped propel the posthuman movement (1988) more into the mainstream discussion. Nothing much dates as quickly as futurism, and looking at this volume today it is thin on the ground on A1, and a little bit preoccupied with ‘designer children’ pros and cons which maybe was a hot topic 22 years ago, but doesn’t get much current press. My pre-release copy (see photos) is titled “The Posthuman Future”, but overwise doesn’t much differ from first and subsequent editions. Other academics followed Fukuyama onto the bandwagon after this publication, all of them quite far from the 1988 posthumans and the transhuman/ radical futurist movement more generally. Anxieties about the future take over from optimism and inventiveness in this book, in which Fukuyama extensively references early eugenics and various dystopian future scenarios.

Here’s a new Forbes review by world leading futurist Tracey Follows on the book: Transhuman Citizen:

What does Transhumanism, Ayn Rand and the U.S. Presidential election have in common? They are the connecting themes in a new book by Ben Murnane entitled, “Transhuman Citizen”

The book tells the story of Zoltan Istvan, a one-time U.S. Presidential candidate, who drove a coffin-shaped bus around the U.S. attempting to persuade the public that death is not inevitable and that transhumanism is a political as much as a scientific solution to the troubles of the 21st Century.

The book deals with what lead up to that Presidential campaign, the campaign itself, and what has happened since.

It starts with an explanation of how the author came to settle on his subject of Zoltan Istvan Gyurko, and the radical changes he wants to see in society. It links the author’s interest to his own personal circumstances. Murnane has a rare genetic disease, Fanconi anaemia, and became the first person in Ireland to have a novel form of bone marrow transplant. Having benefited from advanced medical technologies, he went on to write a book about living with the illness. Murnane also has interest in Ayn Rand, having completed a PhD in Rand and Posthumanism.

The development of Transhumanism / Extropianism in the final two decades of the 20th century also set in motion the creation of digital cash, including the breakthrough killer app: Bitcoin.

The Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek wanted to denationalize money. David Chaum, an innovator in the field of cryptography and electronic cash, wanted to shield it from surveillance. Their goals were not the same, but they each inspired the same man.

Max O’Connor grew up in the British city of Bristol in the 1960s and ’70s. Telling his life story to Wired in 1994, he explained how he had always dreamed of a future where humanity expanded its potential in science-fictional ways, a world where people would possess X-ray vision, carry disintegrator guns, or walk straight through walls.

By his teenage years, O’Connor had acquired an interest in the occult. He thought the key to realizing superhuman potential could perhaps be found in the same domain as astral projection, dowsing rods, and reincarnation. But he began to realize there was no compelling evidence that any of these mystical practices actually worked. Human progress, he soon decided, was best served not by the supernatural but by science and logic.

Champion Transhumanism!

Growing misinformation and disinformation about transhumanism by its critics must be identified, addressed, and corrected. Distortions about transhumanism confuse the general public, scholars, and students alike about the central values that guide actions for bettering the conditions of every individual. These distortions spread fear about transhumanist technologies that, in fact, can unleash almost unimaged levels of prosperity, longer, healthier lives, and opportunities for flourishing in a bright future for all.

Interestingly enough, although Elon Musk’s Neuralink received a great deal of media attention, early in 2023, Synchron published results from its first-in-human study of four patients with severe paralysis who received its first-generation Stentrode neuroprosthesis implant. The implant allowed participants to create digital switches that controlled daily tasks like sending texts and emails, partaking in online banking, and communicating care needs. The study’s findings were published in a paper in JAMA Neurology in January 2023. Then, before September, the first six US patients had the Synchron BCI implanted. The study’s findings are expected by late 2024.

Let’s return to Upgrade. “One part The Six Million Dollar Man, one part Death Wish revenge fantasy” was how critics described the movie. While Death Wish is a 1974 American vigilante action-thriller movie that is partially based on Brian Garfield’s 1972 novel of the same name, the American sci-fi television series The Six Million Dollar Man from the 1970s, based on Martin Caidin’s 1972 novel Cyborg, could be considered a landmark in the context of human-AI symbiosis, although in fantasy’s domain. Oscar Goldman’s opening line in The Six Million Dollar Man was, “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man… Better than he was before. Better—stronger—faster.” The term “cyborg” is a portmanteau of the words “cybernetic” and “organism,” which was coined in 1960 by two scientists, Manfred Clynes and Nathan S Kline.

At the moment, “cyborg” doesn’t seem to be a narrative of a distant future, though. Rather, it’s very much a story of today. We are just inches away from becoming cyborgs, perhaps, thanks to the brain chip implants, although Elon Musk perceives that “we are already a cyborg to some degree,” and he may be right. Cyborgs, however, pose a threat, while the dystopian idea of being ruled by Big Brother also haunts. Around the world, chip implants have already sparked heated discussions on a variety of topics, including privacy, the law, technology, medicine, security, politics, and religion. USA Today published a piece headlined “You will get chipped—eventually” as early as August 2017. And an article published in The Atlantic in September 2018 discussed how (not only brain chips but) microchip implants, in general, are evolving from a tech-geek curiosity to a legitimate health utility and that there may not be as many reasons to say “no.” But numerous concerns about privacy and cybersecurity would keep us haunted. It would be extremely difficult for policymakers to formulate laws pertaining to such sensitive yet quickly developing technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFx_UNW9I1U&si=QxOgeE59dOkGDFck

This definitely is a Lifeboat post embodying what Lifeboat is about, and it’s only about AI. They did a really good job explaining the 10 stages.

This video explores the 10 stages of AI, including God-Like AI. Watch this next video about the Technological Singularity: • Technological Singularity: 15 Ways It…
5 Free ChatGPT Prompts To Become a Superhuman: https://bit.ly/3Oka9FM
AI for Business Leaders (Udacity Program): https://bit.ly/3Qjxkmu.
My Patreon: / futurebusinesstech.
Official Discord Server: / discord.

SOURCES:
• / whats-next-ai-10-stages-igor-van-gemert.
• The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology (Ray Kurzweil): https://amzn.to/3ftOhXI

Future Business Tech explores the future of technology and the world.

Examples of topics I cover include:
• Artificial Intelligence \& Robotics.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality.
• Brain-Computer Interfaces.
• Transhumanism.
• Genetic Engineering.

SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3geLDGO

Disclaimer:
Some links in this description are affiliate links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This video explores the 10 stages of AI. Other related terms: AI singularity, technological singularity, the singularity, ai, artificial intelligence, singularity, future business tech, future technology, future tech, future business technologies, future technologies, ray kurzweil, quantum, computer, artificial general intelligence, artificial superintelligence, superintelligence, nanotechnology, etc.

Along with climbing homelessness and other societal woes globally this is the time for transhuman ideals to emerge to save lives. We could automate all work and get universal basic income with AI to work for us.

About 61% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, an issue that impacts both low-wage and high-income families alike, according to new research from LendingClub.

Low-wage earners are most likely to live paycheck to paycheck, with almost 8 in 10 consumers earning less than $50,000 a year unable to cover their future bills until their next paycheck arrives. Yet even 4 in 10 high-income Americans, or those earning more than $100,000, say they’re in the same position, the research found.

Such a situation is viewed as financially risky because it means those households don’t have enough savings to tide them over in case of an emergency, indicating that they are unable to cover their upcoming bills until their next payday. The rate of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck is on the rise, up 2 percentage points from a year earlier, the analysis found.

This video explores 20 emerging technologies and their future. Watch this next video about the 10 stages of AI: • The 10 Stages of Artificial Intelligence.
5 Free ChatGPT Prompts To Become a Superhuman: https://bit.ly/3Oka9FM
AI for Business Leaders (Udacity Program): https://bit.ly/3Qjxkmu.
My Patreon: / futurebusinesstech.
Official Discord Server: / discord.

Future Business Tech explores the future of technology and the world.

Examples of topics I cover include:
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality.
• Brain-Computer Interfaces.
• Transhumanism.
• Genetic Engineering.

SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3geLDGO

Disclaimer:
Some links in this description are affiliate links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This video explores 20 emerging technologies and their future. Other related terms: ai, artificial intelligence, future business tech, future technology, future tech, future business technologies, future technologies, artificial general intelligence, artificial superintelligence, superintelligence, future city, radical life extension, crisp, quantum computer, neuralink, humanoid robot, generative ai, starlink, nanotechnology, smart cities, mixed reality, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, lab grown meat, smart home, fusion power, space tourism, artificial wombs, etc.

There’s a real life bionic woman, and a mindblowing technological advancement has made her life a lot better.

I’m excited to share my latest Opinion article on AI at The Hill, a top political site/paper read by the White House and Congress:

Regardless what politicians promise, this age of AI and robots will also affect the size and growth rates of the U.S. government. Federal and state government may not immediately take up with automation and AI to the extent the private sector does, but eventually the stark rationality of lower overhead expenses—and thus lower taxes for citizens—will prevail.

This is a good thing. A smaller, nimble, more efficient government will benefit the majority of people.

Zoltan Istvan writes and speaks on transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and the future. He is the author of “The Transhumanist Wager,” and is the subject of the forthcoming biography by Dr. Ben Murnane and Changemakers Books titled, “Transhuman Citizen: Zoltan Istvan’s Hunt for Immortality.”