Among the ancestral fantasies that have haunted civilizations for centuries, none is as dizzying as that of human immortality, even rivaling that of the quest for our origins. The Immortal Man, a concept that could finally come to fruition thanks to the prodigious technological advances of our era. Raymond Kurzweil, author and director of engineering since 2012 at Google, explained in his recent book The Singularity is Nearer a more than daring theory: nanorobots could be the key to stopping the human aging process, allowing us to achieve millennial longevity.
Nanorobots: guardians of our youth?
Kurzweil, both in his book and in a publication in Wired, postulates that the symbiosis between nanotechnology and artificial intelligence conceals the secret of this longevity. Human aging lies in the gradual accumulation of errors in cells each time they divide. If current anti-aging therapies aim to attenuate these errors to optimize bodily regeneration, Kurzweil aims to “ cure aging itself », a design that he considers achievable thanks to nanotechnological breakthroughs.
In his vision, he foresees the implantation of several hundred billion nanorobots in each human body, who would work tirelessly to repair and improve failing organs. Although these projections may seem fanciful, Kurzweil remains convinced that these tiny medical automatons will soon allow us to transcend current biological limits.
A contested futuristic vision
Naturally, this prospect of a multi-millennial life thanks to nanorobots raises its share of questions and controversies. The ethical and societal implications of such immortality are disproportionate. We might worry about the impact of increased longevity on global demographics, natural resources and social structures. We could also question the very acceptability of this technology. Hosting hundreds of billions of robots in his body. What’s the point ?
Despite the dazzling progress of artificial intelligence, we are well within our rights to question the feasibility and usefulness of such a project. Death is an integral part of the human experience, giving it up could, for some, prove nightmarish. Reality or engineering fantasy? Remember that Kurzweil also participates in theArmy Science Advisory Board, an American federal committee where it advises the army in the fields of nanotechnologies. The latter seems convinced that they seem to be a cure for all illseven to climate change.
- Raymond Kurzweil has written a new work: The Singularity is Nearer.
- He sets out his point of view, ensuring that nanotechnologies will be a cure for human aging.
- His vision necessarily raises ethical and societal controversies.
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