The next step in evolution?

By now you have probably seen more than one article claiming that the next step in human evolution will be a kind of merge between humans and technology. Andy Clark's recent article "We are merging with robots. That's a good thing" (found here) is just one example. One of the interesting things about this claim is that it ignores one principle tenet of (Darwinian) evolution. Up to this point, most naturalists have assumed that evolution has been unguided. But, whatever will happen with humans as we become ever more immersed within and potentially merge with technology, it is certain that it need not be unguided. In fact, if we are thinking aright about these things, we will guide it as best we can.

I have no doubt that we, as humans with knowledge and skill, will do whatever we discover that we can do (see here). So, I have no doubt that as we learn more and develop more technology we will use it. But, the way we use it is not left to chance or to some unguided force. We can be very deliberate about how we use the forthcoming technologies. But, we won't.

One of the interesting things about Clark's article is that he assumes there will be negative outcomes to the future uses of technology.

"Ethically speaking, we need to ask what new costs and inequalities the freedoms and augmentations of some may mean for others. We need to ask if we are willing to tolerate some inequality as part of the rollout process for a more fluid and interconnected world."

I don't think his questions here are as forthcoming as should be. The precedent has been set. We don't ask and then act. We act and then ask. It's more likely that the "costs and inequalities" will only be addressed in hindsight, if they are addressed at all. At best, what we can try to do is anticipate what those costs and inequalities will be. But, the idea that we will sit down and think these things through before plowing forward is a bit of a stretch.

One thing we should do is quit talking about the future uses of technology as some kind of evolution. Technology is not an unguided process. Obviously, if we do as we usually do and keep plowing forward at the quickest clip we can muster with no regard to outcomes, then okay. In hindsight, we can admit it was unguided because we were irresponsible. But, that will not absolve us of the responsibility we should have taken.

Our future uses of technologies are not some kind of evolution. They will be a direct outcome of choices we have deliberately made. We are the intelligence behind the design.