Is transhumanism a death cult? | Àlex Gómez-Marín, Zoltan Istvan, Susan Schneider, Adam Goldstein

Quick Overview

The panel ultimately concludes that technology, including Artificial Intelligence, does possess the power to change human nature and consciousness, but the transhumanist pursuit of radical life extension and uploading souls is considered a potentially dangerous, philosophically confused, and dualistic idea, with Zoltan Istvan arguing that avoiding death is a core tenet of transhumanism while others express skepticism about the feasibility and desirability of such goals.

Key Points: Zoltan Istvan, a transhumanist, argues that eliminating death and biological aging through science and technology is an inevitable and humanitarian goal, stating that transhumanism is not a death cult. Alex Gómez-Marín strongly disagrees, calling transhumanism a death cult rooted in confused, pseudo-scientific, and dualistic thinking, asserting that it seeks to "extinct the human condition." Susan Schneider points out that the philosophical ideas underpinning transhumanism, such as uploading the brain, are philosophically incorrect and that technology should instead promote human flourishing safely. Adam Goldstein suggests that while various technological futures are possible, the focus should be on constructively building the future we want, rather than assuming a negative outcome from AI. The panel theme centers on the question: "Does technology have the power to change human nature and consciousness?" Istvan claims that the transhumanist goal is to avoid suffering associated with death and aging, which he views as a core tenet of their philosophy.

Context: This video captures a panel discussion hosted by the Institute of Art and Ideas (IAI) featuring five speakers: Zoltan Istvan (Transhumanist and former US presidential candidate), Alex Gómez-Marín (Theoretical physicist and neuroscientist), Susan Schneider (Philosopher and AI researcher), Adam Goldstein (AI researcher), and an unnamed moderator/fifth panelist. The central topic revolves around the philosophical and practical implications of transhumanism, particularly whether technology can and should fundamentally alter human nature and consciousness.