Brain Transplants and Artificial Intelligence
One of the issues in the effort to create an artificially intelligent machine/robot is regarding our own intelligence and consciousness. For instance, here is a website that raises the issue of brain transplantation to a completely different body. Is the essence of a person to be identified with the brain? Is there a soul and would it transplant with the brain? If this is the case then what are the implications for efforts to develop artificial intelligences in machines and what ethical issues are raised? If the soul would not transplant with the brain, what would be the theological and ethical implications? Dennett in his writings and the video we will see in one of our sessions will tell you that 'who' he is can be stored eventually on back up storage by doing a 'brain' dump of all the information he has and memories he has stored and then later he could be 'restored' to some computer or possibly to another 'brain' and brought 'back to life.'
Is this something you think is possible? Why? Why not? If it is possible in your thinking even if it is not possible in reality does the fact that you think it is possible when it is not possible have some current influence on your self concept and who you are as a person? Why or why not?
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