It does seem like there are all sorts of experiments you could do with a brain in a computer that would get you closer to AI, and they would also be the researchers. Are there any counterbalancing factors that could lead to brains in computers making AGI development less likely? The only ones I can think of would be tiny.
At the FHI, we are currently working on a project around whole brain emulations (WBE), or uploads. One important question is if getting to whole brain emulations first would make subsequent AGI creation
If you have any opinions or ideas on this, please submit them here. No need to present an organised overall argument; we'll be doing that. What would help most is any unusual suggestion, that we might not have thought of, for how WBE would affect AGI.
EDIT: Many thanks to everyone who suggested ideas here, they've been taken under consideration.