Auditorium (Building IMAG)
1 April 2019 - 10h00
Living Digital Beings
by Edward A. Lee from UC Berkeley
Abstract: Richard Dawkins famously said that a chicken is an egg's way of making
another egg. Is a human a computer's way of making another computer?
Quite possibly, the digital devices and services that are taking over so
many aspects of our lives should themselves be viewed as living beings,
part of the natural evolutionary process of life. I call these beings
eldebees, short for living digital beings. They are creatures defined
by bits, not DNA, and made of silicon and metal, not organic molecules.
They are born and they die. Some are simple, with a genetic code of a
few thousand bits, and some are extremely complex. Most live short
lives, sometimes less than a second, while others live for months or
years. Some even have prospects for immortality, prospects better than
any organic being. Does it really make sense to view this technology as
an emerging new life form on our planet? If so, will this new life form
become sentient? Annihilate us? Merge with us, either physically or
symbiotically? Eldebees extend our minds and shape our culture. Are we
designing them, or are they designing us? Are we fundamentally
different from them, or are we all computer programs, albeit running on
different hardware? Will we become cyborgs, merging our essence with
them? As they become more autonomous, we have to face questions like to
what extent can we hold them accountable for their actions. This talk
will raise questions more than provide answers, but the questions could
help frame policy and technology development.
WARNING : the seminar is scheduled at
10AM (not 9 as previously announced)
