Two statements from this year indicate that corporate offers of immortality are no longer that far off. With that in mind, a few words about consciousness uploading—whether for your own projects or within the framework of REITION.space.
The two statements mentioned are below (Elon Musk / Sam Altman)
If you’ve been following my project, you may remember that from the beginning I’ve said corporations won’t be able to carry you into the future. And not because of technological limitations—recent advancements in AI don’t change much in that regard. That’s why our simple data collection is still just as good as what the giants can do with all their capabilities.
CONSCIOUSNESS
What is consciousness? Looking at recent advances in brain research and the latest theories, one can confidently say that consciousness is something our brain is not capable of fully grasping, simply because its capabilities are too limited in proportion to the vastness of the topic. Our animal brain will never be able to understand all its connections and operations—especially since the data it operates on are representations of a complex external world. We’ll be able to model it, in collaboration with increasingly advanced machines. But we’ll never truly understand it. Even as increasingly complex theories continue to emerge.
For our practical purposes, we can assume that consciousness is a kind of algorithm that aims toward goals, trying to understand reality and the surrounding cloud of possibilities. An algorithm that selects the best means to achieve a goal, in both the short and long term. How are goals created? In simple machines, they’re basic—survive, persist. In humans, goals often arise from the accumulation of signals from social networks, layered on top of our instincts, filtered through our perception of limitations and opportunities. The algorithm—that is, a rather blurry part of our neural network, connected with everything physically possible, or with stimuli and expectations—tries to pursue goals while struggling against adversity. That’s us.
UPLOADING CONSCIOUSNESS
Yes, it’s simple. But REITION is for ordinary and modest people. So recording our “self” is even simpler. At least until a biotechnological/organic brain scanner is developed (I’m giving that a few more decades). The details of how to record yourself are on the project website: https://www.welcomeback.space, I just want to add that for now, we don’t need a complicated setup for constant reality capture. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt, but our memory isn’t a recorder. I’ve thought a bit about recording setups, but we still have the same issue—power. So, to constantly record reality, we still have to deal with plugging in cables or charging batteries. The batteries currently available that can fit into a small portable device are very weak. So the easiest and most practical solution is to carry a regular camera that fits in your hand, along with spare batteries. I personally use the Rollei 6s Plus, but you’ll find many models with similar specs.
When a memory surfaces—related to a place, an event, or a person—you can quickly pull the camera from your pocket and capture that fleeting flash of neurons, expressed in words. These moments matter because they tell us what’s important to us, what has survived in memory, and what triggered it. This will help reconstruct the map of our “self” in the future—our goals, obstacles, and the algorithm’s way of operating.
Of course, you can use this device to record longer events as well, but for that we also have less discreet smartphones. The problem is that with phones, someone can always get access to your data. With the camera, you take out the memory card, encrypt the files, wipe the memory, and forget about the data. And so, day by day, we build a map of ourselves. Our “self,” for the future.
Current AI, though useful, still can’t help us process this data. That’s why we collect it and preserve it in raw format.
Happy New Year!
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