Chapter 809: Human Future

With doubts in their hearts, Yang Fan and Yang Qihang did not hesitate and asked outright.

"Dad, who are the 'we' you mentioned?"

Yang Qing hesitated a moment, yet decided to tell his two children.

"These years, we and the nation have been researching brain-computer interfaces, directly linking the human brain to external computers and auxiliary biological brain systems."

"Regarding the brain-computer interface, the approach is almost clarified and some results have been achieved."

"Directly linking auxiliary computing systems has also yielded some results, but coordinating the human brain with a mechanical brain requires highly intelligent program instruction translation and orchestration."

"Biological computers fall under artificial expansion of the brain domain."

"There are two directions here: one is human brain modification to increase its utilization efficiency."

"In fact, it is reprogramming the human brain, theoretically based on ultra‑high‑talent research in a single domain among deficient populations."

"There are many examples worldwide; in entertainment shows, there are even super‑brain competitions."

"This belongs to human brain intervention, calibration, and reprogramming technology."

"The goal is to make everyone a genius, enhancing learning efficiency and creative efficiency."

"The other side is researching Crystal Elements, using neural linkage technology to implant Crystal Elements directly into the brain, spine, and other locations, artificially expanding human computational power, and they can even be externalized like a mechanical brain."

"Make it a component."

"This technology is still under research, in the theoretical exploration stage."

"Some have even considered converting most of the human body's tissues into computational components."

"For example, removing internal organs and directly injecting a comprehensive nutrient solution to supply the body with required energy."

"This could greatly reduce the body's burden, and the freed space could vastly enhance functional extensions."

"For instance, integrating the aforementioned mechanical brain and biological brain within the body."

"The nutrient solution can be synthesized directly, making the human digestive system entirely unnecessary."

"This touches on another research direction: the Carbon‑Silicon Composite."

"Even crazier, some want to further modify the human body, tampering with skin, bones, and muscles."

"These are still fanciful ideas, as they would completely alter the human biological system."

"Too complex."

Yang Qing unfolded an incredibly wondrous world to Yang Fan and Yang Qihang.

The future is astonishingly crazy.

Yang Qihang followed Yang Qing's line of thought, yet thought of something else.

"Dad, can doing this really lead humanity forward?"

Yang Qing fell silent.

No one can say for sure.

Yang Fan also caught on.

Yeah, does being human in this way ensure we won't be eliminated?

Yang Qing spoke honestly and was also bewildered.

This is a matter of old and new transitioning; can the old truly keep pace with the newcomers?

"Maybe it can, maybe it can't."

"However, the human body as an intelligent platform will become a shackles on humanity's future, a consensus among most people."

"No matter how perfectly it evolves, its foundation determines its energy‑carrying capacity."

"With technological progress, robots a hundred years from now may carry small fusion devices, providing themselves with boundless energy."

"If humanity still clings to body‑based chemical energy, we will lose in energy utilization."

"Of course, humanity can use external devices to try to level the gap."

"But sometimes, a tiny gap can be earth‑shattering."

Perhaps it sounded too pessimistic; Yang Qing stopped speaking and exhaled.

"Alright, this is far beyond us; it's the business of your grandchildren, great‑grandchildren, and further descendants. Our generation should just do its own part."

"The future belongs to them; the present is ours."

Yang Fan and Yang Qihang were affected by the earlier pessimistic atmosphere.

They felt a bit unable to lift their spirits.

The wonder of the future excited them, while its despair made them downcast.

Yang Fan couldn't help but say.

"Dad, can't we cut off Artificial Intelligence's further development while it is still in its infancy?"

Yang Qing looked at Yang Qihang.

Yang Qihang sighed.

"I fear that would be tantamount to cutting off humanity's civilizational future."

"I have some understanding of humanity's scientific development; future science will require ever‑greater computational power, and one could say computational power determines humanity's future."

"Science today can no longer do without computers."

"Without computers, humanity will find further progress difficult."

"If we don't develop machine computational power, we must develop biological, photonic, and quantum computational power…"

"All this cannot stop the growth of intelligence."

"Is the biological computer you mentioned, Dad, really safe?"

"The human brain can give rise to intelligence; why can't a biological computer similar to the human brain?"

"The direct‑link technology you mentioned can indeed merge the two into a whole, but nowadays people can have dissociative identity disorder, and it might become even worse."

There are too many problems that need to be solved.

The challenges facing humanity are also unprecedented.

This requires extraordinary political wisdom to coordinate.

If we go by current ethics and social cognition, I even think the conflict between them is inevitable.

This requires progress in the productive relations of the whole society.

Yang Fan actually knew, as soon as the words were spoken, that this was impossible.

Humanity has never truly mastered its own destiny.

Just as the fate of the universe was long ago written in a speck of dust.

Humanity's fate was also long ago written in its own cells.

Facing the future, humanity may have only two choices: to surrender itself or to perish.

To surrender oneself is to merge into the group of future world masters.

Continuing to exert one's function might merely prolong a feeble existence, or perhaps one day still welcome an opportunity.

Knowing full well that the road ahead is bleak, yet still having to charge forward relentlessly, this feeling is oppressively heavy.

The truth often brings not relief, but possibly greater harm.

After Yang Fan understood why Yang Qing did this, he felt no relief at all, but instead became even more torn.

Yang Qing slapped his shoulder, hoping to dispel his worries.

"All right, don't think wildly; life will always find a way out."

"The difficulties we consider now may, in the eyes of future people, be just a trivial little thing."

"What's the difference between us now and viewing the sky from a well, worrying needlessly?"

"It's still that saying; we just need to do our own part."

"What we need to do now is let Daxia truly revive, and nip the possibility of the Three Wars in the bud."

"Let the world's center return to the East."

"Let us be worthy of our name."

"You two just need to understand one thing: that this is a critical juncture."

"Having our Daxia people lead the world would be ten thousand times better than letting those Western bandits rule it."

"We are fighting for humanity's future."

"Otherwise, those sons of bitches could do anything."