Who is the “you” in this famous passage of Psalm 139? Why, Apple computer, of course! No? Maybe it’s Google? Microsoft? OK, maybe the more appropriate question is who is “me”?
Perhaps you’ve seen the announcement that Apple is coming out with a new line of wearable electronics? Google has its Google Glasses, and Microsoft has shown similar intentions, as have other companies. But then, wearable electronics are really nothing new. Athletes have already been using devices that attach to their bodies to monitor everything from heart rate to REM sleep patterns. And actually, if you take a step back, we’ve been gradually integrating technology more and more into our lives with each successive generation.
So where will we draw the line? I mean, with the advent of artificial hearts, knee replacements, and even entire robotic limbs, it’s not too difficult to see where machinery will replace more and more of our human tissue. In the movie “Terminator Salvation” Marcus Write is a cyborg, with even a partially artificial brain, but who still has human memories. Is he machine? Is he human? And if you think this is just Hollywood, Dmitry Itskov is a Russia multimillionaire already working on an avatar where he can upload the contents of his brain, such as consciousness and personality. He hopes to have a mass-produced product by the year 2045. Yes, you too can live forever inside an appliance!
Most religions have a concept of humanity being made in the image of God. But does that apply to robots with human consciousness? If Itskov succeeds, will he still be made in the image of God? And will it have a soul?
