Future Human Evolution and Views of the Future Human

Abstract

Change is accelerating, with rapid and continuing advances in technology being among the leading forces shaping human evolution today. This article examines eight distinct technologies impacting future human evolution and views of the future human, noting possible advantages and concerns related to each. Although other non-technological factors are equally crucial to any serious evaluation of humanity’s potential for evolution (discussed in other writings), this article focuses on infotech- and biotech-based transhumanist views, robotics and artificial intelligence, cybernetic enhancement, genetic engineering, the Internet as an externalized global brain, and the evolutionary consequences of space exploration and settlement—which all merit careful consideration.