[ExI] Technical Uploading Difficulties

[Lee Corbin]

Alex and I accidently took our discussion off-list, and there are
some interesting points that still pertain to the general discussion.

Alex wrote

> It does appear to be taken completely for granted that our
> uploaded selves would be able to function as per the wetware,
> with all the usual thoughts, feelings and intelligence.

Yes, it is assumed that all the "technical difficulties" of emulating
a human being have been overcome, in the case of uploading.
Otherwise, the upload is deemed to not having been a success.

> I must say that I am fully in favour of uploading and will be
> among the first in the queue for any upgrades. With the final
> goal of being uploaded. I just want to make sure that it does
> what it says on the tin.
>  
> I would class myself as a functionalist, so I think it just comes
> down to a nuts and bolts argument of how we will achieve it
> and what we need to remember as being important.
> Or rather what we cannot forget to do. 

Clearly, that's important.

> Just as a quick reminder of the importance of the chemistry
> and subsequently any simulation we make of it. I would say
> that many if not the majority of socially destructive traits of
> humans are due to chemical imbalance of some kind or another.
> Psychosis, Autism +Asbergers, Schizophrenia, Depression,
> addiction, etc. Many of these illnesses create unbalanced
> illogical and destructive minds. And most are caused by
> sometimes small imbalances which we do not yet fully
> understand...
> 
> Those aside for now. But until we understand both the chemistry
> and the wetware, I think it would be safe to reason that any
> uploads would be no where near as 'human' as we would like.

Yes, the schemes of achieving uploading *before* the advent of
AGI mostly depend upon "copying" or simulating a human brain
neuron by neuron. Your concerns are very appropriate, IMO.

But the question is not whether it could be done, because either
we or our mind children will be perfectly capable of doing it
at some point.

Lee

> Feel free to take this back on-list if you would prefer to see some
> other inputs and open up the debate.
> Alex