Redefining What it Means to be Human Through Technological Advancements

By Michael Megarit

Today’s society poses many questions about what it means to be human, with potential solutions including biological engineering, human-machine engineering and engineering of non-organic entities.

Biological engineering recognizes that we have yet to realize the full potential of our organic bodies, while bionic engineering takes it one step further by augmenting them with non-organic devices like bionic hands or artificial eyes, or millions of nanorobots which navigate bloodstreams to diagnose problems or repair damage; such bionic enhancements could grant capabilities far exceeding those found within an organic body.

At present, humans enhance machines; in the future though, machines could potentially outstrip us at improving themselves at an unprecedented pace – an idea known as singularity that both fascinates and confounds many.

What it means to be human today is an increasingly complicated question. With rapid technological development, our understanding of humanity continues to shift as its boundaries expand and contract. Bioengineering, human-machine engineering and non-organic being engineering represent three routes toward upgrading human capabilities – with more to follow as this journey unfolds.

Biological engineering and bionic enhancements have already proven themselves invaluable to medicine, providing better quality of life for people living with disabilities or chronic illnesses. But their potential extends far beyond physical improvements, offering potential to bolster cognitive capacities such as memory or attention – perhaps even emotional intelligence – further improving quality of life for these vulnerable groups.

Human-machine engineering fuses humans and machines in new and unexpected ways. From neural-signal-controlled prosthetics to brain-computer interfaces that facilitate direct brain-machine communication, human-machine integration has never been closer.

Engineering non-organic beings such as robots and artificial intelligence raises fundamental questions about what it means to be alive and conscious. As we create machines capable of performing tasks once thought exclusive to humans, we must grapple with its effects both on society and on ourselves.

Indeed, our understanding of what it means to be human in today’s society is ever evolving. With technology’s advent comes its potential benefits but also ethical and societal ramifications as we push back the limits of humanity further and further.