Burnett argues that the convergence of biology and technology means that conventional notions of human identity and subjectivity will undergo profound changes. What does he mean by this? What examples does Burnett offer throughout the chapter, both in terms of subjectivity and human identity. What are real world examples of the integration between human and computer technology?
This chapter is primarily concerned with how the increased presence of technology in our life will shape the way we understand consciousness. Namely, he believes that as we begin to bridge the gap between our own capabilities and the capabilities of our machines, perhaps even augmenting our own abilities through machines, we will begin to understand the processes of biology and technology as parts of the same system. In order to illustrate the ramifications of this idea, he uses his classic example of brain scanning. He argues that as we try to monitor and understand ourselves through machines, we project facets of the machine’s processes onto ourselves and consequently perceive ourselves as closer to the machine than we might otherwise. Particularly in the case of consciousness, a quality so integral to our understanding of what it means to be human, this compromises our identity as we see our minds as a series of binary electrical signals that are not unlike the computers that model it. He then takes a step further, saying that when we begin to understand ourselves through the limited scope of machines we lose objectivity in understanding the technology as only a model for the biology it represents.
This chapter reminded me of David Eagleman’s book Incognito. The book is about the subconscious workings of the human mind and in it he argues that we have begun a profound change in which we are now using technology as a means of outsourcing our memory. This is really interesting because it is precisely the subliminal dependency that Burnett believes is developing between humans and technology. In order to understand human consciousness, we now have to consider the forms of social media, and the lenses they provide, that contribute to our awareness and understanding of ourselves and the world around us.