Has Consciousness reached a point of singularity? by Christine Horner Would it shock you to know that by reading this article, you are presently interfacing with artificial intelligence to enhance personal cognitive brain function? Technology is a form of external artificial intelligence or AI. As science pushes forward in its quest to upgrade the human experience, what will it mean for human consciousness—and for you? Self-Actualization, the pinnacle of Maslow’s five-level human needs pyramid is close at hand for a larger segment of the population than ever before.   Darkness Before Dawn Let’s first look at how technology has played a part in advancing the evolution of human consciousness. Try to imagine going back to a world without a www in front of it. Even if you’re old enough, it’s difficult. It was a small, small, world after all—but only in the last half-century. Prior, it was much smaller. Access to external stimuli i.e. education, ideas, and information was a lot more precarious. You were highly likely to be born, live, and die nearly similarly to the way your parents did. Hence, except for a handful of time-honored geniuses ahead of the curve, the collective evolution of human consciousness was tedious, cumbersome, and SLOW. Then came August 6th, 1991. Tim Berners-Lee’s, world wide web became publicly available without fanfare by global media ushering in the Information Age.   What is Consciousness? Before we fast forward to today, let’s establish a simplified definition of consciousness as self-awareness. Scientists are still attempting to quantify the unquantifiable to move beyond theory to answer rudimentary questions such as whether consciousness originates within the brain, or if the brain acts like a receiver that processes non-physical signals. Information is a form or byproduct of consciousness; consciousness is information as an inseparable feedback loop. That all...

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