Are Humans About To Evolve?

22.9.23
What Happens Next?
Are Humans About to Evolve? | 86

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The latest episode of “What Happens Next?” takes you along for a ride through the fascinating – and frightening – world of transhumanism, a concept in which technology is harnessed to augment human abilities.

Monash alumna Tan Le, the founder and CEO of bioinformatics company EMOTIV, kicks off the conversation by providing host Dr Susan Carland with an insightful perspective on transhumanism. She defines it as an evolution of humanity itself, where we continuously explore new avenues of augmentation beyond historical methods.

Associate Professor Leah Heiss, from Monash University’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, discusses our natural drive to create technologies that help us push beyond our biological limits.

Monash Law’s Associate Professor Karinne Ludlow considers the critical question of where to draw the line between medical assistance and enhancement, raising thought-provoking ethical dilemmas, such as the implications of gene editing and heritable genetic changes.

As human-enhancing technologies emerge, issues of access become another pressing ethical concern. Associate Professor Shaun Gregory, a cardiovascular engineer working out of the Victorian Heart Hospital, highlights the existing disparities in healthcare access, emphasising the need for a fairer distribution of life-altering tech.

Bioethicist Dr Julian Koplin helps listeners navigate the ethical minefield of transhumanism by discussing the importance of individual moral reflection, government regulation and the possibility of intellectual inertia.

A full transcript of this episode is available on Monash Lens.

Learn more:

• Staying ahead of the artificial intelligence revolution – Monash Lens
• What Happens Next? podcast: Bias in AI, part 1
• Tailoring university assessment in the age of ChatGPT - Monash Lens
• EMOTIV's Tan Le: opportunity never wasted

“What Happens Next?” will be back next week with part two of this series, ‘Can Tech Unlock Humans’ Full Potential?’.

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