This blog post reflects on the changing meaning of human identity through the image of humans becoming cyborgs and the mechanical extension of the self.
We ‘Homo sapiens’ are increasingly researching and implementing ways to replace parts of our bodies with non-organic materials, and are studying how to give computers a digital mind. We are progressively becoming cyborgs. According to the dictionary, cyborg is a portmanteau of ‘cybernetic’ and ‘organism,’ referring to a virtual artificial human modified through the replacement or implantation of artificial organs to survive in hostile or adverse environments. If such a future arrives, can we truly still introduce ourselves as ‘Homo sapiens’?
Attempts to overcome disabilities with prosthetic arms and legs have long existed. Today, humans are replacing eyes with computer chips and inventing various machines that perform the functions of hearts and kidneys. We can even move bionic arms or legs with mere thoughts, even from great distances. Machines surpassing the capabilities of basic human organs, like electronic noses and electronic tongues, are also being created. This technological advancement is moving beyond merely compensating for human deficiencies, exploring new possibilities and the expansion of human capabilities. For instance, if visual aids capable of observing objects with greater precision than the human eye or digital devices enhancing cognitive abilities are developed, the boundary between the human body and mind will inevitably blur. This transformation could be viewed as a fundamentally new form of evolution, distinct from humanity’s past ‘evolution’.
Even those reading this article now likely entrust part of the ‘memory’ their brain should handle to smartphones or computers, enjoying the convenience. Digital devices like smartphones, in particular, have transcended the role of mere tools to become our ‘extended brain’. Through them, most everyday decision-making, memory, and information retrieval now occurs via digital devices. This shift demonstrates that parts of human consciousness and selfhood are becoming tightly integrated with mechanical devices. As the boundary between digital memory and actual memory blurs, our brain is transforming from a concept confined solely within the human organism into an expanded concept connected to machines.
In the future, not only will there be an increase in people seeking to replace parts of their bodies with machines due to accidents or disabilities, but also an increase in people choosing to become cyborgs simply because of the superiority of bioengineered organs. We may see more people with faces where machine parts are more visible than skin. Furthermore, while we may no longer need to worry about infectious diseases, we might have to fear computer viruses and hackers. Once we reach this stage, can we still call ourselves ‘Homo sapiens’? Some might argue we are no longer ‘Homo sapiens’ but a new entity, while others might disagree. If cyborgization becomes an inevitable societal reality, the very definition and identity of what it means to be human will need to be redefined. We would no longer need to maintain the traditional human form or functions, and we would likely transform into new beings that transcend the limitations of organic life, prioritizing functional necessity and convenience.
What if, instead of replacing parts of the body with non-organic materials, we uploaded the ‘self’ to a computer? Dr. Stephen Hawking, a star in the physics world, recently passed away. What would happen if a scientist could copy Dr. Hawking’s brain into a computer? Would the ‘Stephen Hawking’ inside the computer be a person? If we were to delete Dr. Hawking from the computer, would that constitute murder? We can already accomplish so much in cyberspace. But if connecting our brains to computers becomes possible in the future—if such a future arrives—how would we define concepts like personhood and selfhood?
Imagine a massive computer storing all humanity. Diverse individuals, each possessing their own memories, knowledge, and experiences, would be stored within it. If people could access each other’s brains to retrieve information within that computer, they would acquire each other’s memories. In this case, as experiences and memories are shared and overlap, the boundaries of individual selves would become blurred. The concept of independent human personalities would also fade, potentially leading to all individuals being connected into one vast collective consciousness. In such a future, the definition of individual personality would become vague, and a new form of ‘collective self’—where human individual identity is lost—is highly likely to emerge.
We are ‘Homo sapiens’, inhabiting various places on Earth, engaging in diverse activities, and facing death when our lives as living beings end. However, if our limbs are replaced by machines and our brains are uploaded to computers, we would live in cyberspace rather than on Earth, and death might not come. Can we truly call these ‘people’ living in cyberspace ‘Homo sapiens’? According to the Korean dictionary, life is defined as ‘the state of an organism from birth until death’. If we become ‘stored’ in non-organic computers and enter a state that knows no death, from our current perspective, we could be considered beings no longer ‘Homo sapiens’.
No matter how much we imagine and propose such possibilities, the future is highly likely to surpass anything we can conceive. We are already drifting away from ‘Homo sapiens’. When Homo sapiens eventually becomes extinct and we transform into something else, we may no longer be able to maintain the concepts of self and personality as we know them today. This very moment, as we contemplate humanity’s future, is precisely when reflection on our identity is most urgent. We are at a point where deep contemplation is needed: what kind of beings we will transform into, and how humanity will be preserved and transformed in that process.
