I think there are a large number of nerds who would consider becoming uploads. I don't see why you think this makes no sense.

Uploads are not a very practical idea. The required technology comes some considerable distance after that required to make an engineered intelligence - and so much of the motivation to develop it falls away before the technology is in place. Then there's the issue of machine status. Machines are likely to be enslaved by humans initially. An upload would probably have few rights. Also, uploads would have to be into a sandbox, for reasons of safety. After uploading, you'd need extreme personality surgery to be able to contribute usefully to society.

It all seems like a lot of trouble to maintain continuity of consciousness - which isn't worth much in the first place. So: uploads will come late, they will appeal to few, and they won't be competitive with machine intelligence - without major mind surgery. I figure uploads will be economically irrelevant.

It seems to me that the main attraction of uploads is as a way for (cough) humans to compete with machines - and avoid, or at least postpone economic obliteration in an engineered society. I don't think it is likely to work - to me the idea mostly seems like wishful thinking.