[ExI] Mind Uploading: is it still me?

[Adrian Tymes]

On Wed, Dec 24, 2025 at 3:48 PM Keith Henson via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> I think there should be a restriction or
> custom of one at a time.  You can either be an active meat body or an
> upload, but not both at the same time.  And copies are not permitted.
> Otherwise, the population gets entirely out of hand.  Robin Hanson and
> I differ on this point.  He thinks uploaded copies will be made in
> large numbers, driving the value of each one to near zero.  Lots of
> scope for dystopian SF.

There's an easy solution for most - though not all - cases, assuming
this tech would be introduced to people who are about as materialistic
("greedy", if you prefer) as most modern humans:

"Two of yourself at once?  That's called a 'fork'.  Sure, it's
physically possible, but...legally, that makes two people who share
your background.  You and that other you would have to divide up your
resources.  If you think you can just keep all of what you own to
yourself and leave your copy with nothing, forget it: you've got half
a chance - more, if you want three or more of you at once - of
becoming that 'copy' who you want to give nothing to.  All legit
facilities that can fork are legally required to ask if that's the
plan, and deny service if it is on the grounds that the would-be
forker wants to create a slave.  Slavery is, as you know, illegal,
even wink-and-nod type.  Sure, illegal services exist, but it ends
badly when the one version won't accept - as they never do - being
broke and a slave while the 'copy' - from their point of view, they're
the original - tries to keep everything.  Most often - when that
happens, given the sort of folks who can and do actually go black
market for this - only one makes it out alive and they're poorer for
the trouble.  The only equitable split is if some rich bloke can get
along with a more or less even split of wealth, has interests they're
willing to let completely go, and the version that follows them's
willing to let their 'main' life go.  That's rare enough that it's got
basically no impact on the overall population."