At the crossroads: post-humanity and artificial intelligence

Between planned obsolescence and chosen evolution, what future for humanity?

For the first time in its history, the human species is about to evolve no longer by chance, but by choice. Faced with the emergence of ever more powerful artificial intelligence, some fear our obsolescence. And what if reality were more nuanced and more promising?

I was recently reading, under a LinkedIn post by Oussama Ammar, this comment: "Soon, the gap between humans and AI will be such that we will become their pets. The new lords will have robotic vassals, more reliable than us, who will have become obsolete."

To me, this comment reveals how many people think and what worries them: some have the impression of being only spectators watching the film, and worry about soon being relegated to the rank of mere pets for AI. Behind this fear of the unknown, so human, there is a more ambitious question: what will become of humanity in a world dominated by AI?

The scenario described above, like any good science-fiction dystopia, remains possible, certainly, but unlikely and in any case very far from being inevitable. Let me explain what I mean.

This dystopian vision rests on the assumption that humans are not going to evolve and will stay as they are, like relics frozen in the past. I think exactly the opposite.

Human enhancements, whether biological, cognitive, technical or genetic, are already propelling us toward other levels of evolution. AI is progressing very fast, yes. But enhanced humans are too. And faster and faster… thanks to AI!

A new era is approaching in which each person will be able to evolve in their own direction: some will perhaps choose to "become cats", others will prefer symbiosis with the machine, or something else entirely.

But the thing to remember is that, fundamentally, these evolutionary changes are not so different from earlier ones that led us from the stage of unicellular beings to what we have become today.

The difference is that this time, it will not take several million years: it is going to happen much faster, and, for the first time, be driven more by individual will than by random mutations.

The question today is not whether this evolution will take place, but choosing how to take part in it.

This is the first time the human species has had this incredible opportunity to determine, individually, the direction of its evolution… and it is an experience we absolutely must live through!

I invite you to give your opinion or ask your questions below: I read all the comments!

In the meantime, whether you choose to become cats, cyborgs or something else, take care of yourselves ;)

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Christophe Casalegno
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