Antony West (Author)

The concept of mind-uploading—transferring a human consciousness to a digital substrate—is a tantalising vision of immortality. Imagine living forever, free from the constraints of a perishable body, in a virtual paradise or as an all-knowing AI. But philosophical dilemmas abound. Would the “uploaded” consciousness truly be you, or merely a perfect, digital copy? If the original biological brain continued to exist, would there now be two of you? The continuity of consciousness, the very essence of identity, is called into question. This technology forces us to confront fundamental questions about what constitutes a person, the nature of consciousness, and whether an exact replica truly equates to eternal life for the individual. If you could upload your mind, would you? Why or why not?