Rethinking our consciousness
Research Features December 8, 2022 DOI: 10.26904/rf-145-3507959275 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
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| Key points | Watanabe argues that mind uploading may soon be feasible, potentially achieved seamlessly through a brain-machine interface while the person is still alive. His research centers on what constitutes consciousness in terms of neural mechanisms and whether those mechanisms can be replicated in a machine such that it could be considered conscious. |
Abstract
ransferring human consciousness into a machine -or to put it another way, mind uploading -has long been a popular motif in science fiction, but for now, seems like a far-off dream.However, a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo believes we're on the cusp of making mind uploading a reality, moreover, in a seamless operation using a brainmachine interface while the mind's 'owner' is still very much alive.Associate Professor Masataka Watanabe is fascinated with the human brain.He is a specialist in theoretical and experimental neuroscience with a particular focus on consciousness.A key question for Watanabe is what constitutes consciousness in terms of neural mechanisms, and whether we can replicate that in a machine to the point it can be considered 'conscious'.