[paper draft] Coalescing minds: brain uploading-related group mind scenarios

Kaj_Sotala

http://www.xuenay.net/Papers/CoalescingMinds.pdf

Abstract: We present a hypothetical process of mind coalescence, where artificial connections are created between two brains. This might simply allow for an improved form of communication. At the other extreme, it might merge two minds into one in a process that can be thought of as a reverse split-brain operation. We propose that one way mind coalescence might happen is via an exocortex, a prosthetic extension of the biological brain which integrates with the brain as seamlessly as parts of the biological brain integrate with each other. An exocortex may also prove to be the easiest route for mind uploading, as a person’s personality gradually moves from away from the aging biological brain and onto the exocortex. Memories might also be copied and shared even without minds being permanently merged. Over time, the borders of personal identity may become loose or even unnecessary.

Like my other draft, this is for the special issue on mind uploading in the International Journal of Machine Consciousness. The deadline is Oct 1st, so any comments will have to be quick for me to take them into account.

This one is co-authored with Harri Valpola.

EDIT: Improved paper on the basis of feedback; see this comment for the changelog.

http://www.xuenay.net/Papers/CoalescingMinds.pdf

Abstract: We present a hypothetical process of mind coalescence, where artificial connections are created between two brains. This might simply allow for an improved form of communication. At the other extreme, it might merge two minds into one in a process that can be thought of as a reverse split-brain operation. We propose that one way mind coalescence might happen is via an exocortex, a prosthetic extension of the biological brain which integrates with the brain as seamlessly as parts of the biological brain integrate with each other. An exocortex may also prove to be the easiest route for mind uploading, as a person’s personality gradually moves from away from the aging biological brain and onto the exocortex. Memories might also be copied and shared even without minds being permanently merged. Over time, the borders of personal identity may become loose or even unnecessary.

This one is co-authored with Harri Valpola.

EDIT: Improved paper on the basis of feedback; see this comment for the changelog.

Heh - I had a bit of the opposite thing: while I had consumed sci-fi with group minds before, I had discounted it because it was obviously plot magic sci-fi and not serious speculation.

I think the main difference is that previous to talking with Harri, I presumed that brains were so variable that no common mental language could easily be found and you'd need a superintelligence to wire human brains together. I thought that yes, there might exist some way of creating group minds, but by that point we'd have been on the other side of a singularity event horizon for a long time. It was the notion of this possibly being the easiest and most feasible route to a singularity that surprised me.

After reading the first paragraph, I concluded that either it was long before you encountered LW, the karma system is completely broken, or I'm irrecoverably wrong about everything.

Then I read the next one which provided the much more likely hypothesis that you encountered a horrible portrayal of the idea which biased you against it.

I have updated in the direction of the paper not being obvious to almost anyone except me, and me having rare and powerful intuitions about this kind of thing that could be very very useful in a lot of ways if utilized properl... (read more)

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[paper draft] Coalescing minds: brain uploading-related group mind scenarios

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[paper draft] Coalescing minds: brain uploading-related group mind scenarios

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