Sunnyvale CA, April 2, 2016Slides: http://slideshare.net/LaBlogga
Blockchain CloudmindsHuman-Machine Pooled-Mind DACs
Melanie SwanBlockchain Theorist
Philosophy & Economic TheoryNew School for Social Research, NY NY
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds 2
Melanie Swan Blockchain Theorist, Philosophy and Economic
Theory, New School for Social Research, NY Founder, Institute for Blockchain Studies Instructor, Singularity University; Affiliate Scholar,
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technology (IEET); Contributor, EDGE
Traditional Markets Background Economic Theory Leadership
http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
Book: Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
‘Fermi’s Crypto Paradox’First contact attempted via blockchain confirmation but…
Earth using hierarchical not decentralized power models Backward crypto (SHA 3 vs SHA 78) Object-oriented not state-change programming models;
immature category theory, no general typing or Haskell Smart contract DAC oracle found no lookup on Earth No consensus-based algorithmic trust to validate the
incoming message, lack of digital smartnetworks Periphery node could not join the decentralized
computing network; no asynchronous BFT1 truth-state updating in distributed computing network
Human (physical) time not integrated with compute time paradigms and so missed the blocktime confirm
31BFT: Byzantine Fault Tolerance
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Contemporary Challenge
4http://www.robotandhwang.com/attorneys/
How to develop empowering human-
machine collaborations?
San Francisco CA law firm
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Thesis StatementCrypto Abundance Theory of Flourishing
5
Blockchains might be an important singularity-class technology (e.g.; one that is globally robust with checks
and balances) for producing an empowering relation with technology, for example through the safe adoption of
BCI cloudminds
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Blockchain Cloudminds Agenda
Introduction BCIs (Brain-computer Interfaces) Cloudminds
Applications: health, info-entertainment, subjectivation Adoption Risks
Expected: privacy, security, etc. Credit-assignation via blockchain administration Fear of personal identity loss
Concluding Vision: Theory of Crypto Flourishing
6
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Modern Relations with Technology
7
The Prosthetic Relation The Drone Relation
L’Intrus (The Intruder) – Jean-Luc Nancy Théorie du drone (Drone Theory) – Gregoire Chamayou
Impoverished relation:roving invisible Panopticon, never
safe from unseen eyes
Intimate relation: Accepting the foreign into our own body
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
The Data Relation Cloud, background, crunching away,
silent tracking, continuous uploading Algorithms predicting and defining our
preferences What is our relation? Impoverished:
neither side has full mental model of the other (the very basis for conducive interaction with another) Data models humans as a sketch:
purchasing agent not aspirational being Humans have no way see, grasp or act
on big data, it acts on us (drone relation)
8
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds 9
Think through the problem of human-machine collaboration in one of the most vulnerable cases:
opening our brains up to big data in BCI Cloudminds
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
What is a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)? A brain-computer interface (BCI), brain-
machine interface (BMI), or neural prosthesis is any technology linking the human brain to a computer A computational system implanted in the brain
that allows a person to control a computer using only brainwaves; for example reading the electrical signals from the brain as a person focuses on a computer screen
Used to repair human cognitive and sensory-motor function Over 219,000 worldwide cochlear implants
10Source: http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Cochlear-Implant-Frequently-Asked-Questions/
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Future Applications of BCIs 24-7 connectivity to the Internet and other minds
Pathology resolution; cognitive enhancement; platform for human-machine collaboration
The BCI functionality of typing on a keyboard with the mind suggests the possibility of having an always-on brain-Internet connection Cell phones connected every individual, BCIs connect
every brain? (cloudmind, telepathic noosphere) Ubiquitous BCIs, on-board smartphones (‘better
horse’); new possibilities like cloudminds (‘car’) Key functionality: 24-7 connectivity
Human cognitive processing continuously linked to the Internet and other minds in cloudminds via BCI, VR headset, QS wearables, smart contact lenses, etc.
11Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Blockchain Cloudminds Agenda
Introduction BCIs (Brain-computer Interfaces) Cloudminds
Applications: health, info-entertainment, subjectivation Adoption Risks
Expected: privacy, security, etc. Credit-assignation via blockchain administration Fear of personal identity loss
Concluding Vision: Theory of Crypto Flourishing
12
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds 13
A Cloudmind is a cloud-based thinker, a mind based in the Internet cloud; some sort of virtual
processing or thinking capability (‘a mind’), located in Internet databanks without physical incorporeality
‘Mind’ is generally denoting an entity with some capacity for processing, not the volitionary action and
free will of a consciousness agent
What is a Cloudmind?
Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Different types of Cloudminds Machine minds
Deep-learners, big data analytics, algorithms crunching in the background, IoT ecosystems
Human minds Backups, sims, digital selves
Human-human minds Human-machine minds
A person plus a cloud-based personal assistant ‘thinker helper’ such as Siri or Her
Mind-pools Multi-agent minds operating together, multiple
entities pooled together, human minds, human-machine minds, or machine minds
14Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Prototypical Cloudminds Functionality already exists: automated cloud-
based coordination of processing activity by multiple agents
Mechanical Turk Orchestrated tasks requiring human intelligence
Crowdsourced eLabor marketplaces Topcoder, Elance, Upwork (formerly Odesk), etc.
Humans as a community computing network Each person a computing node operating on data
Big data algorithms Classifiers, recommendation parsers, sentiment
engines, neural nets
15Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Cloudmind Starter App: SETI@home for the brain
Sell permissioned braincycles to the cloud (like selling generated electricity back into the power grid)
Sharing unused computing resource Community computing projects such as
SETI@home or protein Folding@home Timesharing cognitive processing
power during sleep cycles or other down time
Securely and unobtrusively share one’s own unused resources, downtime braincycles
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April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
3 Classes of BCI Cloudmind Applications
1. Health and biology Survival, pathology resolution, cure and
enhancement, health-tracking, daily health check, neural data-logging to EMRs, virtual patient modeling
2. Information and entertainment In-mind 24-7 information query (antiquated
device lookup), permissioned experience-sharing, crowdfile event memories
3. Actualization, self-creating Realization of individual cognitive and artistic
potential, individual and collaborative sense
17Source: EMR: Electronic Medical Record. http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Cloudmind App:Crowdminding an IoT Archipelago Commanding IoT-connected objects in
the environment Sense of feeling as one entity: commander
and ship, remote telepresencing robot Control physical objects in a local or
remote environment A security guard could command a whole
smart building Link with your smarthome IoT security system
Concept: One cloudmind entity that is a human plus IoT objects, functioning together
18Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Blockchain Cloudminds Agenda
Introduction BCIs (Brain-computer Interfaces) Cloudminds
Applications: health, info-entertainment, subjectivation Adoption Risks
Expected: privacy, security, etc. Credit-assignation via blockchain administration Fear of personal identity loss
Concluding Vision: Theory of Crypto Flourishing
19
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Adoption Risks1. Expected: privacy, security, etc.
2. Credit-assignation Blockchain-tracking
3. Personal identity protection Identity multiplicity
Brain: enormous sensitivity for a trustworthy and responsible adoption path could be one that is gradual and identifies specific limited use cases
20Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
1. Expected Adoption Risks Accommodate wide spectrum of adoption and
non-adoption Clear pathways to increased engagement Uncoerced and reversible adoption Responsible technology design principles
Monitoring ecosystem with external referees Industry standards bodies (BCIs: IEEE 802.15
Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) working group)
Security, anti-virus protection, mind-hacking safeguards
Privacy: transparency, opt-out, and monetization selections regarding data collection and use
21Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Fear of being absorbed into the vortex Cloudminds so
entrancing as to become extremely addictive, possibly to the detriment of otherwise being able to ‘participate in a meaningful life’
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April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Video Games: mixed research results Negative
Susceptibility to addiction, player fatigue, etc. Positive
Social interaction remains a priority Ultimately novelty preferred to pleasure, turn away from
pleasure-center stimulation out of boredom Gamers have more grey matter and better brain connectivity
Conclusion Video games are not only for fun, entertainment, community,
and status-garnering, but also for brain development and intelligence amplification: “brainjack our potential”
BCI cloudmind design challenge: produce applications that safely extend our being as humans while balancing risks
23Source: References cited in Swan, M. The Future of Brain-Computer Interfaces: Blockchaining your way into a Cloudmind. Journal of Evolution and Technology. In review.
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
The Future: Cloudmind Fulfillment or Couch Potato? What is ‘healthy’ or ‘addictive’ in
mentally-stimulating virtual reality? Cloudminds might be exactly the
venue for meaningful engagement opportunities, remuneration, and fulfillment, especially in a post-scarcity automation economy where labor-work is no longer compulsory
Unclear why ‘couch-potatoing’ into virtually-fulfilling states might be categorially ‘bad’
24Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Blockchain Cloudminds Agenda
Introduction BCIs (Brain-computer Interfaces) Cloudminds
Applications: health, info-entertainment, subjectivation Adoption Risks
Expected: privacy, security, etc. Credit-assignation via blockchain administration Fear of personal identity loss
Concluding Vision: Theory of Crypto Flourishing
25
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
What is blockchain technology?
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Blockchains are the secure distributed ledger software that underlies cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin – a giant tracking ledger or database, a means of
updating truth states in distributed computing network
Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
What is blockchain technology?
27
More broadly, blockchains are a new form of singularity-class technology, core next-gen infrastructure for Kardashev-level
advance; planetary-scale projects; hierarchical models break; cannot get to million-member genome banks with centralized
models, need secure distributed smartnetworks; modernizing IT
System of checks-and-balances; trust-manufacturing system; enrichens the impoverished big data relationship we have with the cloud, now data quietly crunches in the background with
accountability; in a way that is tracked and can be inspected on-demand, including with remuneration
Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Blockchain Cloudmind Administration Blockchains (giant online
cryptographic ledgers), might be used to administer all of the coordination aspects of cloudminds Privacy Security Credit-tracking
28Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Line-item Tracking and Credit-Assignation Like Github, or SVN or CVS for brainstorming,
tracking line-items Deep-learning algorithms could automatically
transcribe BCI thoughts, like creating a written transcript from Skype calls now
Ideas logged to blockchains with time date-stamped hashes
Line-item contributions thus tracked in cloudminds, acknowledging and rewarding new ideas in a trustable annuity stream, in an open but inconspicuous ledger that does not detract from the idea generation itself
29Source: http://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Blueprint-New-World-Currency/dp/1491920491
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
3. Fear of Personal Identity loss Fear of being irreversibly
incorporated into a groupmind
Personal identity (Webster): The persistent and continuous
unity of the individual person
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April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Personal Identity: Multidisciplinary Question
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Philosophy of Mind Psychology
Evolutionary BiologyEvolutionary Psychology
Philosophy of Biology
Theoretical Biology
Social TheorySociology
SociobiologyBiology
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Philosophical Views of Personal Identity Traditional ‘philosophy of mind’ view
Assumes already-existing subject Personal identity needed for continuity
and persistence Personal identity is not required for
the survival of the person, relational experience between past/future selves and experience is (Parfit) fMRI studies: We procrastinate because
we think of our future selves as strangers Third persons no different than politicians
or celebrities
32Sources: http://nautil.us/issue/9/time/why-we-procrastinate citing van Gelder JL, Hershfield HE, Nordgren LF. (2013). Vividness of the future self predicts delinquency. Psychol Sci. 24(6):974-80, and Pronin, Emily. (2008). How we see ourselves and how we see others. Science. 320(5880):1177-80.
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Biology: Individuals are not a Privileged Unit What are the appropriate units in
biology? Organisms do not play a privileged role Genes, genomes, mechanisms,
phenotypes, gene pools, organisms, populations, ecologies
Individual is merely convenient terminology Individuals are spatiotemporally localized
entities that have reasonably sharp beginnings and endings in time
33Hull, David (1980), "Individuality and Selection," Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 11: 311-332.
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Multidisciplinary Conclusion: Personal Identity is Ephemeral and Constructive Hypothesis is supported by multiple fields
If the evolutionary biological drivers that caused personal identity to develop as a fitness adaptation were to change, the need for personal identity too would change/disappear
Biology Individuality is not personal identity
Psychology/Sociology Malleability of self
Philosophy Relationality and subjectivation
Evolutionary Biology Fitness adaptation
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April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Personal Identity: custom and familiarity Preferencing of personal identity and
humans as an organizational unit is custom and familiarity - so far there been no other alternative Having known only one mode of existence we
may have developed a natural attachment Assumption (bias?) that memory,
emotion, and ‘meaning’ can only be instantiated in humans, but it is possible that in the future, any pattern associated with the human brain might be stored as information
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April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
BCI Cloudminds: Identity Multiplicity BCI cloudminds do not
necessarily preclude or curtail personal identity, and some rather accentuate and extend it One or more digital selves
participate in cloudminds on a limited basis
‘Classic meatspace brains’ Different configurations of selves
(for example, a team of selves, what Hanson calls a ‘self clan’ or an ‘em[ulation] clan’)
36
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Blockchain Cloudminds Agenda
Introduction BCIs (Brain-computer Interfaces) Cloudminds
Applications: health, info-entertainment, subjectivation Adoption Risks
Expected: privacy, security, etc. Credit-assignation via blockchain administration Fear of personal identity loss
Concluding Vision: Theory of Crypto Flourishing
37
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
BCI CloudmindsGradual Adoption Strategies Sharing unused brain processing cycles
SETI@home for your brain Backup, archival, storage
Life-logging, memory-logging Digital self as opposed to original self Permissioning limited access to certain domains
of the brain and cognitive activity Demarcating structural borders Personal connectome files limit cortical access Limited time blocks (sleep cycles) for mindstream access
Full cloudmind participation: problem-solving, creative-expression, idea-generation
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April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Conclusion, this talk addressed: The potential advent of brain-
computer interfaces (BCIs) that are ubiquitous and widely-adopted, where humans might be continuously connected to the Internet and other minds in cloudmind formats
Adoption risk solutions Privacy, security, reversibility, credit
assignation, and personal identity retention
39
April 2, 2016Blockchain Cloudminds
Thesis StatementCrypto Abundance Theory of Flourishing
40
Blockchains might be an important singularity-class technology (e.g.; one that is globally robust with checks
and balances) for producing an empowering relation with technology, for example through the safe adoption of
BCI cloudminds
Accelerando: blockchain-type trust networks join humans and technology in partnership, where digital copies “watch over their originals from the consensus
cyberspace of the city”
Source: Stross (2006). Accelerando. P. 355
Sunnyvale CA, April 2, 2016Slides: http://slideshare.net/LaBlogga
Blockchain CloudmindsHuman-Machine Pooled-Mind DACs
Thank You! Questions?
Melanie SwanBlockchain Theorist
Philosophy & Economic TheoryNew School for Social Research, NY NY