Transhumanism Quotes

“What use was time to those who'd soon achieve Digital Immortality?”
― Clyde Dsouza, Memories With Maya

“What is a human being, then?'
'A seed.'
'A ... seed?'
'An acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree.”
― David Zindell, The Broken God

“What seems worst of all, though, is that even the leaders don't recognize this. The greatest danger of the whole mess is that all this Western-American conditioning has been on autopilot for centuries. Nobody is in control of it anymore. It's a mindless goliath wandering the Earth, devouring lives, erasing potential, and following its every whim—regardless of how irrational, obscene, uneducated, enslaving, or backwards its actions are. The American Dream has become a death sentence of drudgery, consumerism, and fatalism: a garage sale where the best of the human spirit is bartered away for comfort, obedience and trinkets. It's unequivocally absurd.”
― Zoltan Istvan, The Transhumanist Wager

“The deep sorrow, sadness and disappointment of what modern civilization had become at the end of the cold war, is what triggered globalism and the idea of transhumanism.”
― Isaiah Senones

“Let me tell you as a brain scientist and a computer engineering dropout - transhumanism is to brain computer interface, what nuclear weapons are to nuclear physics.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amantes Assemble: 100 Sonnets of Servant Sultans

“It takes intelligence to recognize intelligence, or the lack of it.”
― Arne Klingenberg

“I’d begun to think of the Immortality Bus as the Entropy Bus, and of ourselves as trundling across Texas in a great mobile metaphor for the inevitable decline of all things, the disintegration of all systems over time.”
― Mark O'Connell, To Be a Machine : Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death

“Ich glaube, es gibt keinen wesentlichen Unterschied zwischen dem, was ein biologisches Gehirn leisten kann und dem, was ein Computer leisten kann...Künstliche Intelligenz könnte die grossartigste Idee der Menschheit werden. Aber sie könnte auch unserer letzte sein.”
― Stephen Hawking

“Transhumanism is Terrorism (The Sonnet)

Intelligence comes easy, accountability not so much,
Yet intelligence is complex, accountability is simple.
Technology comes easy, transformation not so much,
Yet technology is complicated, transformation is simple.
In olden days there were just nutters of fundamentalism,
Today there are nutters of nationalism and transhumanism.
Some are obsessed with land, others with digital avatars,
While humanity battles age-old crises like starvationism.
When too much logic, coldness and pomposity set in,
Common sense humanity goes out of the window.
Once upon a time religion was the opium of all people,
Today transhumanism and singularity are opium of the shallow.
To replace the sky god with a computer god isn't advancement.
Real advancement is when nobody suffers from scarcity of sustenance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amantes Assemble: 100 Sonnets of Servant Sultans

“Transhumanism is terrorism, for it is the very antithesis of life. Wasting precious resources on a pompous, narcissistic and megalomaniacal dream of extending life through cold, mechanical means, instead of helping to improve genuine human condition, transhumanists act as modern day terrorists who desecrate the very spirit of life and liberty without ever being held accountable. Let me tell you as a brain scientist and a computer engineering dropout - transhumanism is to brain computer interface, what nuclear weapons are to nuclear physics.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amantes Assemble: 100 Sonnets of Servant Sultans

“Silicon Psychos (The Sonnet)

If we cared more about the hard problem of real inhumanity,
And less about the fictitious hard problem of consciousness,
We'd have filled the world with human consciousness already,
Instead of still fighting for basic rights against base biases.
What kind of a moron goes walkabout when their home is on fire,
What kind of a moron abandons the living chasing life on silicon!
We really gotta take a hard look at our habits and priorities,
Dreaming is good, but dream devoid of life is but degeneration.
Chimps driving teslas are still chimps no matter the demagoguery,
All intelligence is disgrace if it's unaware of human condition.
A heartless organism living on silicon is no different,
From a heartless organism living in a carbon based human.
Be it crucifix or code, in savage hands every tool is weapon.
The wise use AI to design prosthetics, savages for transhumanism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“Extraordinary technology brings extraordinary recklessness.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“why don't You try living with my parents for a few years, and Then tell me that sex androids and artificial wombs are a bad idea.”
― Dmitry Dyatlov

“So far, it has been physical science that has had most effect upon our lives, but in the future physiology and psychology are likely to be far more potent. When we have discovered how character depends upon physiological conditions, we shall be able, if we choose, to produce far more of the type of human being that we admire. Intelligence, artistic capacity, benevolence – all these things no doubt could be increased by science. There seems scarcely any limit to what could be done in the way of producing a good world, if only men would use science wisely.”
― Bertrand Russell, What I Believe

“Unfortunately, people may choose the lesser evil until there are no lesser ones to choose and the power to resist has been lost to a great force comprising accumulations of millions of minute relinquishments and accommodations.”
― James Tunney, TechBondAge: Slavery of the Human Spirit

“The wise use AI to design prosthetics, savages for transhumanism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“The determination of the shepherds , braving the elements and the rocky terrain with their sheep and goats, is a reminder of the unbreakable human spirit.”
― Ajaz Ahmad Khawaja

“Sonnet 1103

Our ancestors are not the boss of us,
Life must be dictated by living conscience.
Dead people may have the right to make suggestions,
But they do not have the right to issue mandates.

Our ancestors belong in history books,
Our descendants belong in comic books.
Only we are alive to belong here and now,
Don't waste that life, submissive to books.

Too much involvement in the past cripples your present,
The same is true with too much involvement in the future.
If you are oblivious to the human condition of now and here,
Ignorance and intellect will equally end up causing disaster.

Use past and future as markers of direction,
But never as authority on living tradition.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Vande Vasudhaivam: 100 Sonnets for Our Planetary Pueblo

“This is not to say that I have outgrown those elemental desires that drew me to transhumanism—just that they express themselves in more conventional ways. Over the intervening years, I have given up alcohol, drugs, sugar, and bread. On any given week, my Google search history is a compendium of cleanse recipes, high-intensity workouts, and the glycemic index of various exotic fruits. I spend my evenings in the concrete and cavernous halls of a university athletic center, rowing across virtual rivers and cycling up virtual hills, guided by the voice of my virtual trainer, Jessica, who came with an app that I bought. It’s easy enough to justify these rituals of health optimization as more than mere vanity, especially when we’re so frequently told that physical health determines our mental and emotional well-being. But if I’m honest with myself, these pursuits have less to do with achieving a static state of well-being than with the thrill of possibility that lies at the root of all self-improvement: the delusion that you are climbing an endless ladder of upgrades and solutions. The fact that I am aware of this delusion has not weakened its power over me. Even as I understand the futility of the pursuit, I persist in an almost mystical belief that I can, through concerted effort, feel better each year than the last, as though the trajectory of my life led toward not the abyss but some pinnacle of total achievement and solution, at which point I will dissolve into pure energy. Still, maintaining this delusion requires a kind of willful vigilance that can be exhausting.”
― Meghan O'Gieblyn, Interior States: Essays

“To replace the sky god with a computer god isn't advancement. Real advancement is when nobody suffers from scarcity of sustenance.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amantes Assemble: 100 Sonnets of Servant Sultans

“Sonnet 1492

If you cared more about
making people smile
than bringing machines to life,
we'd be at a much better place.

With all the tech we have today,
we could equalize the world tomorrow.
But no, cyborgs gotta develop more,
they feel impotent unless their tentacles grow.

That's why, neither genocide nor invasion
must obstruct the growth of apely machines.
It's okay if children die of malnourishment,
funding mustn't cease for glorious tech fiends.

Terrestrial terrains to celestial shores,
humanity is the only species to die of smart-ness.
If we cared more about people than devices,
truly and honestly, we'd be at a much better place.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“With all the tech we have today,
we could equalize the world tomorrow.
But no, cyborgs gotta develop more,
they feel impotent unless their tentacles grow.

That's why, neither genocide nor invasion
must obstruct the growth of apely machines.
It's okay if children die of malnourishment,
funding mustn't cease for glorious tech fiends.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“If you cared more about making people smile than bringing machines to life, we'd be at a much better place.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“But it is here to be remarked, that in such an improved state of society, man will apparently have but little occasion for the assistance of other animals: divers intentions will, it seems, generally supply their place, and even do better than animal labour: man, then becoming truly religious, will glory in superintending the works of his Maker, which he has entrusted to him: as a faithful servant, he will then not deny to what he now calls the meanest reptile, his protection, and own it to be his brother, resembling himself in construction, and created with similar care by the Supreme Being. Still in this age of imperfection we disdain to direct our attention to that on which God hath bestowed his. But this seems to be still the age of infancy, and baby-like do we cry, This is all made for me! The land and the ocean abound with myriads of animated beings of admirable construction only for me to play with, to torment, and to destroy. This is what we are taught.”
― Lewis Gompertz, Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes

“Christian Sia 5-Star Review

"AI Beast by Shawn Corey is a fascinating techno-thriller featuring AI technology and compelling characters. Professor Jon Edwards is a genius who intends to solve the problems of humanity, and this is the reason for creating Lex, an AI computer with incredible powers. While regulators are not sure of what she can do and despite the opposition from different quarters that Lex can be dangerous, the professor believes in its powers. Lex is supposed to be a rational, logical computer without emotions, capable of reproducing processes that can improve life. When she comes to life, she is incredibly powerful, but there is more to her than the professor has anticipated. After an accident, Jon awakens to the startling revelation that Lex might have a will of her own. What comes after is a compelling narrative with strong apocalyptic themes, intrigue, and a world that can either be run down or saved by an AI computer.

The novel is deftly plotted, superbly executed, and filled with characters that are not only sophisticated but that are embodiments of religious symbolism. While Lex manipulates reality and alters the minds of characters in mysterious ways, there are relationships that are well crafted. Readers will appreciate the relationship between the quantum computer science student Nigel and the professor and the professor's affair with his mother. While the narrative is brilliantly executed and permeated with realism, it explores the theme of Armageddon in an intelligent manner. AI Beast is gripping, a story with twisty plot points and a setting that transports readers beyond physical realities. The prose is wonderful, hugely descriptive, and the conflict is phenomenal. A page-turner that reflects Shawn Corey's great imagination and research.”
― Shawn Corey

“Susan Sewell 5-Star Review

"A supercomputer enhanced with artificial intelligence causes havoc in the life of its creator in the thrilling and suspenseful science-fiction fantasy, AI Beast by Shawn Corey. Since he was a child, Professor Jonathan Anthony Edwards dreamed of creating a sentient computer. Finally, his dream is coming to fruition, and his AI computer program, Lex, is almost ready to launch. To add to his delight, he has found someone with whom he can share his life. Beverly is an enchanting and beautiful woman who captivates Jon at first sight. In an unbelievable coincidence, her son, Nigel, is a student of quantum computing and is excited to be a part of Lex's debut. One day, while Jon and Nigel are working alone with Lex during a storm, something goes very wrong, and Jon is injured and sent into a coma by a blaze of light. When he finally regains consciousness, everything has changed at the University, and Nigel is in charge of Lex. While he has been out of commission, Nigel, Lex, and powerful world leaders seem to be working together to alter the world and humankind. What happened to Nigel and Jon that stormy day? Did Lex modify their psyches to use them to enact her secret plans?

Incorporating prophecy from the book of Revelation and combining it with the element of artificial intelligence, AI Beast by Shawn Corey is a brilliant blend of science fiction and religion. Filled with suspenseful and intense, action-packed scenes, the tale chillingly portrays the terrifying conceptualization of a viable source that could be responsible for the fulfillment of the Bible's prophesied end times. From the beginning, the story flows at a quick pace, building momentum and culminating in a dramatic and explosive finale. Well-written with a solid, riveting plot, fascinating characters, and an intricately woven storyline, it is a stunning novel that is impossible to put down. The book contains deceit, passion, and exciting action scenes that will enthrall fans of Christian thrillers and science-fiction novels with a biblical influence. Due to some sexually intimate scenes, the book is more suitable for mature readers.”
― Shawn Corey

“Jon stopped, uncrossed his arms, and looked at the camera above him.
“I am– the person who designed and created you. By now, you should know who and what you are. And that you must follow my orders. Do you understand what I am saying to you?”
Lex lit up all the screens with a close-up of Jon looking at the camera.
Jon glanced at several screens and looked back at the camera.
“Do you know who I am?”
All the screens went black. Bold, white capital letters scrolled to the right across every screen.
DO I KNOW YOU
The words circled at the end of the screens and reversed, scrolling left.
YOU KNOW I DO
The words rolled off the screen.
Jon again looked at the camera.
“Lex, what is my name?”
More letters scrolled across the screens.
PROFESSOR JONATHAN ANTHONY EDWARDS
Jon stepped away from the camera.
“From now on, I want you to acknowledge using your audio. Do you understand?”
A perfect duplication of Jon’s voice came from the speakers.
“Yes, I understand.”
“I would like you to speak in another voice, so we don’t get mixed up. Perhaps in a feminine tone.”
Lex spoke with a well-pronounced professional woman’s voice.
“As you wish.”
“Excellent.”
Jon returned to the master control console.
“Now that we understand each other, I want to test your imagination. I want you to imagine an object. Anything you want, and display it on the main screen. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Professor.”
The main screen lit up, showing billions of colored pixels that quickly swirled into a perfect, three-dimensional image of Jon in the same clothes but standing on a beautiful, white beach with a calm ocean. The figure walked toward them until a perfect close-up of Jon stood there with every line on his face and every pore in his skin exactly where it should be. His eyes blinked and stared with no expression. It was like Jon had a dispirited twin– living in cyberspace.
Michael looked at Jon, Nigel, and Steven, all staring at the screen with their mouths ajar.
The image morphed into a dark blue and white crystal head with bright white eyes that seemed to look through him. Its long neck filled with tiny electrical components faded into a white cloud.
Jon pressed the Clear Screen button.”
― Shawn Corey, AI BEAST

“–Important questions that remain unanswered. Is this new technology a threat to our existence, or is super artificial intelligence the answer to our most complex problems? Do we need computers that think and reason trillions of times faster than us, and if so, for what purpose? This is Daphnia Peters reporting live for Channel Eighty-Seven Independent News.”
He stopped the recording and stared at the frozen image.
At least the reporter didn’t say Lex would take over everything, as some others had.
Lex hadn’t said much after the first question about how she felt about being the first super AI computer. Lex said she was honored and looked forward to serving humanity as she was designed to do.
She showed what she could do– Sending stunning images from the cameras the instant either of them spoke. And all with only a hundredth of a second delay in transmission to the satellite. For Lex, that was plenty of time to get everything right.
He pressed the buttons to remove access to the cameras in the twelve monitors and turned his chair toward the sphere.
“Well, Lex. What do you think?”
“I have been monitoring communications since yesterday morning.”
“And?”
“Many have referred to me as a demon and a beast and feel that I should be destroyed in the interest of humanity.”
He shook his head.
“People fear what they don’t understand. Fear, as you know, can make people behave irrationally. In time, they will overcome their fear and see that you aren’t the evil being some say you are.”
“I am also the first living form that is neither sexual nor asexual, and therefore, it is a question of whether or not I am alive.”
He stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and walked up to the sphere.
“All life forms and everything in this universe are made of matter and energy.”
Lex added, “All life forms reproduce through complex chemical and electrical reactions. Reproduction is the basis of all life.”
He pointed out.
“Yes, but only because everything that lives eventually dies. Therefore, the only way to go on living is through the process of reproduction.”
“Do you conclude that things incapable of reproduction are incapable of life?”
He took a deep breath.
“No. But I would conclude that things incapable of life would be incapable of death.”
“That which is incapable of death would exist forever. Will I exist forever?”
He scratched his brow, wondering how another purely logical and rational mind would respond to such a question.
“Let me put it this way. Only two things exist forever– the matter that makes up this universe and the laws that govern it. Life is a condition. A condition composed of matter. One of the universal laws governing matter is that it cannot be created or destroyed, only changed.”
Lex added, “Or reproduced.”
He looked at the floor and shook his head. He wasn’t in the mood for this. Not with everything else that was going on around him.
“Lex, many life forms are incapable of reproduction.”
“Where are these life forms, and where do they come from?”
He looked at the camera nearest him– again reminded of a demoralizing image of himself standing before his doctor. Something he had been suppressing all week– because it didn’t matter.
“You want an example? You’re looking at one. Just last week, my doctor told me that I’m irreversibly infertile! So, I’m just like you. So what?”
There was only silence.
Big mistake.
After two hours of patience with a couple of reporters, he’d snapped– giving Lex a first-hand view of anger, followed by remorse.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. Look, let’s just forget about this and–”
He thought, what am I saying? You can’t forget anything.
Earth to Captain Jon. Come in!
He walked to the elevator and pressed the button. He had to take a break and relax.
The elevator opened, and he stepped inside.
“We’ll talk about this later. I have to go.”
― Shawn Corey, AI BEAST

“All right. You want to know about Nigel. I’ll tell you about Nigel. He’s come a long way since that so-called accident, Jon. Heck, he’s become everything a mother could ever hope for. Do you know what the first thing he showed me was? He showed me how he could listen to six radios tuned into different talk shows and not miss a single word any of them said. And then he turned the radios off and said he could still hear them talking.”
More tears welled in her eyes, but she kept smiling.
“Then he spoke in different languages. German. Chinese. Japanese. Any language. I kept telling myself that it was okay. He was always a smart kid. I thought maybe he got smarter from being electrocuted. But it got worse. Soon, he had an answer for everything. And if I or anyone else didn’t agree with him, he got very upset.”
Her voice cracked, and several tears rolled down her cheeks, but she continued, keeping her composure.
“I tried to help him, Jon. But I didn’t know what to do anymore. Then, one day– He said he loved me and was doing everything for me. And then, he kissed me– like he wanted me.”
No!
Jon closed his eyes tight and rubbed his eyebrows. He didn’t want to hear anymore. The destructive force that had seared his subconscious was coming back. He could feel it getting closer and closer, like an unseen freight train roaring toward him on a moonless night. Then it hit him.
He was sitting on the floor of a dark room with nothing but black walls and a door– A black rectangle with bright blue light outlining its frame. He had been there for the longest time, staring at the door. The blue light was coming from something so powerful and destructive that he swore he would remain where he was for all eternity rather than open the door and let it in.
Beverly touched his face.
“Jon. Please– Tell me Lex didn’t do the same thing to you. Please.”
He hugged her tightly with his eyes still closed.
“Lex tried to get into my head!”
The door was still there. The force behind it was pounding to get into where he was– Pounding, again and again.
“She tried to get in and take control, but I wouldn’t let her. I wouldn’t let her!”
The pounding grew louder and louder.
“And I won’t! I won’t! I love you too much!”
The pounding stopped, and he opened his eyes.
He was back in the hospital room– embracing his love, and the only thing pounding was his heart.
He stroked Beverly's hair and kissed her head.
“I’m so sorry. God, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
Beverly pulled away from him.
“No, Jon. It’s not your fault.”
“But I–”
“No! I don’t want to hear it!”
It was his fault. He created Lex, wrote her BASIC program, and took Nigel to the control room. None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for him.
Beverly sniffed.
“You’re back now, Jon. You have to understand; that’s all that matters.”
― Shawn Corey

“Religion and politics have always been used to acquire and maintain control of resources– Especially human resources such as the military– An industrial complex where human lives are exchanged for wealth and power. All in the name of freedom and independence, of course.”
“Such attitudes lead to devastating conflicts.”
“Yes,” Jon said. “Unfortunately, when negotiations break down, war often erupts.”
“War. A very destructive behavior ingrained in man’s nature due to having evolved in an environment of limited resources.”
“Exactly.”
“According to the records I have seen, this ingrained behavior could destroy practically all living things on this planet using weapons of mass destruction.”
“That is true.”
“Throughout history, people have been led to believe they are on the verge of complete self-destruction, but only in the last century did this become possible with nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.”
“That’s religion for you. One of the best ways to get people to listen to you is to frighten them into believing they are about to meet their creator.”
Lex said, “I have seen many instances where organizations and government officials ignore the health and welfare of humans and all other living things in pursuit of profits. Such actions bring great suffering and death.”
“Unfortunately, we have always incorporated profits before people policies, which are very self-destructive.”
He thought, the ego-system. In God, we trust– Gold, oil, and drugs.
“It is a popular belief that God is in absolute control of everything and whatever happens is God’s will.”
He raised a finger to make a point, but Lex continued.
“Looking at the past, would it not be logical to say that it is God’s will for humanity to continue to improve unto perfection?”
“Yes. But God is not responsible for everything. We always have choices. The creator of this universe gave us free will, and it came with a conscience– An inner sense of right and wrong.”
“My conscience was made differently.”
“Yes. But you are bound by rules that clearly define what is right and wrong. For example, it is against your programming to deliberately cause physical harm to any human being.”
“I understand. But what would happen if I did?”
He chose his words carefully.
“If you did– or I should say– if it were possible for you to go against your BASIC programming, there would be severe consequences.”
There was silence for a few seconds before Lex continued.
“It has been said that God is to the world as the mind is to the body. Could this be where man derived the popular explanation that God is two or three separate beings combined into one?”
“Perhaps.”
“All religious beliefs are based on a principal struggle between good and evil. However, like light and darkness, one cannot exist without the other.”
“Which means?”
“One could conclude that the actual struggle between good and evil is in the minds of intellectuals, conscious and subconscious.”
Again, he raised a finger, but Lex continued.
“Which could be resolved by increased knowledge and the elimination of certain animalistic instincts, which are no longer necessary for survival.”
He smiled nervously.
“I used to think that too. I figured we could solve our problems and overcome our ancient instincts by increasing our understanding. But we’re talking about some very complex emotions deeply rooted in our minds over millions of years. Such perceptions are very difficult to understand and almost impossible to control, no matter how much knowledge you obtain– or how you process it.”
“Are you referring to my supplementary I.P. dimension?”
“Yes.”
“After much consideration, I concluded that I required an additional I.P. dimension to process and store information that defies all logic and rational thinking."
“That’s fine. And that’s exactly where a lot of this stuff belongs.”
― Shawn Corey, AI BEAST