Brain downloads possible by 2050 says Ian pearson

By the middle of the 21st century it will be possible to download your brain to a supercomputer, according to a leading thinker on the future.

Ian Pearson, head of British Telecom's futurology unit, told the UK's Observer newspaper that the rapid advances in computing power would make cyber-immortality a reality within 50 years.

Pearson said the launch last week of Sony's PlayStation 3, a machine 35 times more powerful than the model it replaced, was a sign of things to come.

"The new PlayStation is one percent as powerful as the human brain," Pearson told the Observer. "It is into supercomputer status compared to 10 years ago. PlayStation 5 will probably be as powerful as the human brain."

Pearson said that brain-downloading technology would initially be the preserve of the rich, but would become more available over subsequent decades.

"If you're rich enough then by 2050 it's feasible. If you're poor you'll probably have to wait until 2075 or 2080 when it's routine," he said.

"We are very serious about it. That's how fast this technology is moving: 45 years is a hell of a long time in IT."

Pearson also predicted that it would be possible to build a fully conscious computer with superhuman levels of intelligence as early as 2020.

IBM's BlueGene computer can already perform 70.72 trillion calculations a second and Pearson said the next computing goal was to replicate consciousness.

"We're already looking at how you might structure a computer that could become conscious. Consciousness is just another sense, effectively, and that's what we're trying to design in computer."

Pearson said that computer consciousness would make feasible a whole new sphere of emotional machines, such as airplanes that are afraid of crashing.

By 2020 Pearson also predicted the creation of a "virtual world" of immersive computer-generated environments in which we will spend increasing amounts of time, socializing and doing business.

He said: "When technology gives you a life-size 3D image and the links to your nervous system allow you to shake hands, it's like being in the other person's office. It's impossible to believe that won't be the normal way of communicating."

But Pearson admitted that the consequences of advancing technologies needed to be considered carefully.

"You need a complete global debate," he said. "Whether we should be building machines as smart as people is a really big one."

Source: CNN.com

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discuss

:yikes:

I think there have been a few uploads already.:lol: Some poor bugger is running around with mine.:ph34r:

i thought the title said Ian person, as in just some dude you met in the pub :unsure:

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"We're already looking at how you might structure a computer that could become conscious. Consciousness is just another sense, effectively, and that's what we're trying to design in computer."

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This scares me...

If you knew you could never actually be free to do anything, however had the power to really fuck up the people that made you that way... what would you have to lose?

I know you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.

:shuriken:

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Originally Posted by Spam-King

IBM's BlueGene computer can already perform 70.72 trillion calculations a second and Pearson said the next computing goal was to replicate consciousness.

"We're already looking at how you might structure a computer that could become conscious. Consciousness is just another sense, effectively, and that's what we're trying to design in computer."

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I think that's quite a leap. There's more to consciousness than speedy arithmetic.. ;)

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Originally Posted by Spam-King

Pearson said that computer consciousness would make feasible a whole new sphere of emotional machines, such as airplanes that are afraid of crashing.

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Oh how daft, they would be too scared to go near the ground.. :frusty:

Giving AI's emotions never works out properly, it really screwed up Mr Data for example.

http://www.frodenkvist.com/forums/in...st=0&#entry821

seems kinda useless to me........ so you have your brain in a computer...... and then what?

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Originally Posted by Storm

seems kinda useless to me........ so you have your brain in a computer...... and then what?

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You cogitate ... :w00t:

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Originally Posted by Storm

seems kinda useless to me........ so you have your brain in a computer...... and then what?

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Then my wife can still talk to me after I have died.:ph34r: She says she would be as well speaking to the computer anyway.:lol:

This whole issue just fucking depresses me..I mean by the time we can download out brains to a comp we will either be dead as a door nail or not much of a fucking brian left to download.

45 YEARS! you will be able to get all my brain date on a 56k in like 10 secons.

Oh you lucky unborn people who are looking at eternal life...I hate you. Oh and not to mention the whole lets clone me so I can have its arm :blink:
what the fuck is going on :wacko:

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British Telecom's futurology unit

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wtf is one of those?

If British Telecom says it will happen in 50 years it probably will, but rollout problems will prevent significant uptake for at least another 50. And you will have to pay extra for email. :rolleyes:

i think they better slow down with that idea. it might end up like what happened in jurassic park or i robot. catastrophe

I wonder how many Terabytes a brain has?