NAVIGATING THE CONVERGENCE OF MIND & MACHINE: On the Neural Frontier & the Implications of Merged Consciousness

by Oliver Inderwildi

What if your brain could merge with a computer? BCIs are revolutionizing healing, learning, and thinking — but with risks like privacy threats and loss of autonomy. Explore the future of merged consciousness and how to harness it wisely.

This is an extended version of an article published in UX Magazine and on its Medium channel.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have captured global attention, particularly since humanity’s uber-entrepreneur Elon Musk jumped on the bandwagon by founding Neuralink Corporation in 2016. Herein, I explore the already existing interface between humans and computers which, thanks to one of the brain’s most astonishing properties, has augmented our minds for decades already.

The possibilities the most modern BCIs offer are beyond revolutionary: they range from curing the incurable to augmenting humans to unprecedented levels of functionality — they are pushing the neural frontier. The advances in BCIs are powered by ever-improving AI algorithms and computing capabilities making progress in this field wholly unpredictable. Alas, these overwhelming opportunities come with serious ethical, societal, and economic risks. This article will tell a story about the advent of BCIs, their opportunities and risks and the convergence of mind & machine towards merged consciousness. Finally, it will outline how we…