Whole Brain Emulation or WBE is a proposed technique which involves transferring the information contained within a brain onto a computing substrate. The brain can then be simulated, creating a machine intelligence. The concept is often discussed in context of scanning the brain of a person, known as mind uploadingMind Uploading.
The exact level of detail required for an accurate simulation of a brain's mind is presently uncertain, and will determine the difficulty of creating WBE. The feasibility of such a project has been examined in detail in Future of Humanity Institute'Institute'sWhole Brain EmulationEmulation: A Roadmap1. The Roadmap concluded that a human brain emulation would be possible before mid-century, providing that current technology trends kept up and providing that there would be sufficient investments.
A digitally emulated brain could have several advantages over a biological one65. It might be able to run faster than biological brains, copy itself, and take advantage of backups while experimenting with self-modification.
Whole brain emulation will also create a number of ethical challenges relating to the nature of personhood, rights, and social inequality. Robin Hanson proposes that an uploaded mind might copy itself to work until the cost of running a copy was that of its labour, vastly increasing the amount of wealth in the world but also causing mass unemployment76. The ability to copy uploads could also lead to drastic changes in society's values, with the values of the uploads that got copied the most coming to dominate.
An emulated-brain populated world could hold severe negative consequences, such as:
The exact level of detail required for an accurate simulation of a brain's mind is presently uncertain, and will determine the difficulty of creating WBE. Brain-computer interfaces may permit WBE, by slowly replacing portions of the brain with computers and allowing the mind to grow onto a computing substrate. The feasibility of such a project has been examined in detail by thein Future of Humanity InstituteInstitute's whichWhole Brain Emulation Roadmap1. The Roadmap concluded that a human brain emulation would be possible before mid-century, providing that current technology trends kept up and providing that there would be sufficient investments.
Several approaches for WBE have been suggested:
A digitally emulated brain willcould have several advantages over a biological one.one6. It might be able to run faster than biological brains, copy itself, and take advantage of backups while experimenting with self-modification.
Whole brain emulation will also create a number of ethical challenges relating to the nature of personhood, rights, and social inequality. Robin Hanson proposes that an uploaded mind might copy itself to work until the cost of running a copy was that of its labour, vastly increasing the amount of wealth in the world but also causing mass unemployment.unemployment7. The ability to copy uploads could also lead to drastic changes in society's values, with the values of the uploads that got copied the most coming to dominate.
A digitally emulated brain will have several huge advantages over a biological one. It willmight be able to directly modify the algorithms comprising it, add additional modules to itself, directly modify its goals, preferences, biases, and in general change anything it doesn't like about itself. A emulated brain will also be able torun faster than biological brains, copy itself, communicate and cooperatetake advantage of backups while experimenting with others perfectly, and have an indefinite life span.self-modification. Whole brain emulation will also create a number of ethical challenges relating to the nature of personhood, rights, and social inequality. Robin Hanson proposes that an uploaded mind might copy itself to work until the cost of running a copy was that of its labour, making unemployed vast amountsvastly increasing the amount of people.wealth in the world but also causing mass unemployment. The ability to copy uploads could also lead to drastic changes in society's values, with the values of the uploads that got copied the most coming to dominate.
Whole Brain Emulation or WBE is a proposed technique which involves transferring the information contained within a brain onto a computing substrate. The brain can then be simulated, creating a machine intelligence. The concept is often discussed in context of scanning the brain of a person, known as Mindmind uploading. WBE is sometimes seen as an easy way to creating intelligent computers, as the only innovations necessary are greatly increased processor speed and scanning resolution. Advocates of Whole Brain EmulationWBE claim technological improvement rates such as Moore's law will make WBE inevitable.
The exact level of detail required for an accurate simulation of a brain's mind is presently uncertain, and will determine the difficulty of creating WBE. A possible means of brain scanning could be brain-Brain-computer interfaces, if parts may permit WBE, by slowly replacing portions of one'sthe brain with computers and allowing the mind were already digital or the equipment, in communicating with the brain, could be continuously scanning it.to grow onto a computing substrate. The feasibility of such a project has been examined in detail by the Future of Humanity Institute which concluded that a human brain emulation would be possible before the mid-century providing investment and computing power continued to grow. The Singularity Institute believes that an uploaded mind could also pose an existential risk.