Human By Design -- A Conference on Augmentation

Expanding on the issues raised in the game the Human By Design conference focused on a more detailed appraisal of augmentation The moral questions behind it the possibilities pitfalls legalities and current and future global and individual applications What we have historically thought of as augmentation is shifting With advancing technology augmentation is more than what porn stars may do to enhance their appearance Augmentation now includes all forms of technology and biogenics ranging from chips medical devices and bionics to genetic modification and moreWhat is AugmentationSome define augmentation as improving what is already good and healthy in our bodies quotWearing eyeglasses to improve your vision is reparativequot explained Dr Arthur Caplan Director of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine quotAugmentation adds capabilities to currently wellfunctioning areas like Lasik surgery that improves one39s eyesight to 2010 amp160beyond the normal rangequotBut others disagree on that fine distinction quotAugmentation is catapulting us into a new era of humanityquot assertedamp160Erica Orange Executiveamp160Vice President and COO Future Huntersamp160quotIt is giving us superhero powers making us stronger andamp160faster or givingamp160us a pill to extend our lifespan We have already been living augmented lives with prosthetics for example And it has accelerated in recent years with programmable microbes and symbiosisquotEthics of AugmentationIt is staggering to think about how augmentation can and will impact our lives amp8230 and how quickly it will happen We are only limited by our imagination and we are currently experiencing an exponential rate of change that is outpacing our human understanding of it According to Orange quotWe now have modular biology self defined manufactured and unique amp160where we will be able to mix and match our own biology There will be plantable memories the restarting of active memory transplantation organic and genetic transplants andamp160synthetic DNA We will see a head transplant in 2017 mind controlled skeletons age reversal pills virtual immortalityquotBut there are privacy ethical and moral implicationsquot she warnedWhat are the moral implications of augmentation One might argue that genetically modifying a person is against nature But what if we are able to modify genes to prevent ALS or other deadly diseases We are finding ways to extend life but just because we can should we Will we become a society of haves and have nots as the costs for augmentation may be too high for many deserving peopleamp160Will some of this augmentation be used for nefarious or malicious purposes What happens when it gets into the wrong hands There was a consensus that it was important to create a meaningful dialogue around these issuesThe issue of individual vs societal rights can become cloudy when it comes to augmentation quotIn one sense we shouldn39t abridge individual rights but there are no truly individualistic decisionsquot positedamp160E Christian Brugger Cardinal Stafford Professor of Christian Ethics at John Vianney Major Seminary quotOur decisions impact others as members of a community They have social implications However there is not a lot of controversy in therapeutic aspects of augmentationquotOf courseamp160therapeutic aspects of augmentation have their detractors including those opposed to stem cell researchApplications for MediaOne of the highlights of the conference was the impact that media can have on the acceptance and adoption of augmentation for consumers For example gaming that includes characters with bionic features creates a quotcool factorquot for young people who may need prosthetics Jonathan JacquesBelletete Executive Art Director for the gameamp160Deus Ex creates prosthetics for his characters that look like art These designs are then adapted for actual use at Open Bionics a company that builds prosthetics to manufacture actual prosthetics from these gaming designsCatherine Disney a college student born with a congenital amputation faced a lifetime of poorly designed prosthetics like hooks that were not only difficult to use but also unsightly She is now the first woman to wear the bionic Titan arm which was created by EidosMontreal and Open Bionics quotIt is like a piece of art and it is very easy to usequot she explained quotI like to show it offquotI believe that augmentation may even offer a possible opportunity for the industry through the Internet of Things Our cars and home appliances will be all connected so why not some types of augmentation Some may offer unique data streams that can be captured and added to our growing knowledge of consumer behavior How scary is thatThe conference which was livestreamed on the gaming community Twitch will live on as added content for Courageous if you are interested in learning more As stated in the opening video at the conference quotAugmentation is about looking to the future and it is not a question of should we or shouldn39t we It is comingquot IndeedThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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Human By Design -- A Conference on Augmentation

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Charlene Weisler

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