We could be able to upload a person’s consciousness to a computer by the end of the year
Topics: Technology, Artificial Intelligence
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros. Yulia Koltyrina / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Technology, Artificial Intelligence
A scientist believes we could be able to upload a person's consciousness by the end of the year.
However, this comes with a massive caveat.
Dr Pratik Desai says the way artificial intelligence is going at the moment, we could see the technology manage to recreate someone's personality.
With enough input data, AI could fill in the gaps and talk or act like a dead loved one.
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There's no telling how much digital information would be needed to fully reimagine a person in a digital landscape and that's why Dr Desai says you should collect data now.
He wrote on Twitter: "Start regularly recording your parents, elders and loved ones.
"With enough transcript data, new voice synthesis and video models, there is a 100% chance that they will live with you forever after leaving physical body.
"This should be even possible by end of the year."
This type of technology was explored in Black Mirror, where a grieving woman decides to send videos, texts and social media posts of her late partner to a company.
In the 'Be Right Back' episode, they manage to create an incredibly lifelike robot of Ash and Martha struggles to grapple with seeing him again.
While many of us probably watched that episode and thought we would never see the time when that was possible, it seems like it could just be around the corner.
At least that's what Dr Desai believes.
However, after he made his suggestion on Twitter, many people urged him to watch the Black Mirror episode.
He said: "I get it now. It’s very personal issue and I sincerely apologize for hurting anyone’s feeling."
The scientist added: "Sometimes when you see technology making it possible in your grief process and you think it is possible, you may go out of character and say something without a thinking seriously.
"I’m not a ghoul not I have desire to make any product like this."
While he might not, there's no telling who might take advantage of the current technology and try to implement something similar to 'Be Right Back'.
In the episode, Martha starts with an AI-generated instant messenger and video calls with her digital late boyfriend before getting the physical android version.
That seems way more likely considering robots are still in their early development era.
So maybe start recording your loved ones and see what advancements in technology come in the next few months or years.