Transhumanism
In a future shaped by the relentless demands of hustle culture, the Philippines finds itself at the forefront of a transhumanist movement, where the pursuit of technological enhancements blurs the line between humanity and machine.
As the pressure to compete intensifies, Filipinos are driven to embrace transhumanist technologies in pursuit of enhanced productivity, longevity, and aesthetics. Cybernetic enhancements, once reserved for medical necessity, become a symbol of status and competitiveness, with some individuals opting for full-conversion cyborg modifications to gain an edge in the cutthroat race for success.
The quest for eternal youth and vitality leads to the adoption of radical biohacking techniques, including genetic editing and biohacking regimens. For instance, Filipinos are allured by the promise of reverse aging through a cocktail of superfoods, supplements, and biomarker measurements, blurring the lines between science and science fiction. And even death is not the end, as advances in generative AI enable the digital resurrection of the deceased. Controversial figures from history, once consigned to the annals of the past, are brought back to life as digital clones, raising profound ethical and philosophical questions about the nature of identity and existence.
As Filipinos embrace transhumanist ideals, they grapple with the ethical implications of pursuing immortality and eternal youth at any cost. The pursuit of technological enhancement threatens to undermine the very essence of humanity, leaving a society disillusioned and morally adrift.
In Greenhills, you can find deals for all the latest technologies: not just state-of-the-art smartphones, but also contemporary cyborg enhancements. Whatever body part you need place, whether it's your limbs or your eyes, you can probably find the upgrade you need at a bazaar stall. Need to bypass system-set limitations? For a small fee, you can avail the jailbreaking service for your enhancement.
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As his lack of experience weighs heavily upon him, Alexandro Martinez, the newest president of the Philippines, finds himself unready for his upcoming press interview. For guidance, he turns to a digital clone of his late father, Fernando Martinez, a former president during his time. As the holographic projection of his father materializes before him, the room is filled with a sense of reverence and nostalgia. With wisdom gleaned from years of leadership, the digital Fernando offers counsel and insight, providing Alexandro with the confidence he needs.
Inspired by mammals like dolphins, cyborgs undergo unihemispheric slow-wave sleep; herem, one hemisphere of the brain goes to sleep while the other remains alert. This allows cyborgs to go on "autopilot" mode, wherein they are able to accomplish simple tasks (e.g. data encoding) while resting, making them more productive overall. It is also easy to wake up from "autopilot" whenever there is an urgent matter that needs full brainpower.
Selected Quotes
[What I think would happen in a pessimistic future]...cybernetics who like making [parts of themselves] into tech parts, [like] cyber punk. Yeah...I consider that [an example of] health and wellness, because imagine if people [can] just get metal legs to help them jump higher...[It can be] good for [some] people, right? Like, especially if you're amputated...or if you need it. But some people, I can foresee a lot of people doing it for vanity or people doing it...just because it's the in thing right now...I don't know, I guess, like being raised in a Catholic background, our bodies are sacred to me...But anyway, my point is I feel like people will abuse it, if that tech is available. [Sure], it's good...like right now, it's good; you see...[amputees] with new legs, right? [The tech can be] good. But if it evolves in a way that...it [becomes] really, really good, people will just abuse it and turn themselves into robots. I don't know, some people will do that; I'm pretty sure.
Maybe what could be scary is the revival or simulation of dead people. I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I don't want to simulate Ferdinand Marcos or Hitler. God no, just leave them dead, leave them alone; like sure, we [have to] respect the dead, but those [two were] crazy.
And I also see [in this pessimistic future]...resurrecting, or increasing life spans...like immortality, like getting young. I think there [is] research is now about it, like how to not age, and finding the Fountain of Youth. I feel like...that's so sketchy. There's something about them [that] doesn't feel right. And philosophically...it's not good that we're always trying to look young, to always be presentable, and always wanting to live forever. We should accept that we're just mortals.
[How could AI help with figuring out immortality?] It's because the human physiology...there's no real reason why we get old...There's a particular gene that does it...I'm sorry, I've forgotten the science on this. But the point is, in theory, if you can turn off that one gene, you don't get older. Because if you think about it, if you continue to feed and nourish the human body, what reason is there for us to get older and older?...Your cells could continue to grow, right? So why do we get older over time? And it's this one particular gene that does it. So the idea is that if we can figure out how to edit our genome to either turn it off or...scale it back, the impact of that one gene, we can slow down aging to the point that we're basically immortal. And the problem with the human genome is that it's so massive that we can't...find the gene, right? So that's it...I guess that's where AI can help, because they throw like massive amounts of data out there, and can find the thing...There's this millionaire on Youtube...His goal, basically, is to figure out how to stop aging...Brian Johnson is the name of the guy. So if you look him up on Youtube, [you'll see that] he's already been doing this for several years. He's basically spent all his money trying to stop aging. This is pretty cool, right? The dude is ripped, basically because he's so rich that all he has to do is...he eats perfectly...exercises all day, meditates...he basically has no stress, right? So it's kind of unfair. But it's great that you've got this one rich dude that is so obsessed with this stuff, because eventually...if he can crack the problem, then he can productize it. Eventually, it'll trickle down to the rest of humanity, right? So that's pretty fun, assuming this is possible...Hopefully, he'll get there before AGI happens...
