The idea of uploading consciousness is misdirected narcissism

Thoughts on Permutation City

I’ve been reading Permutation City. It’s a 1994 science fiction novel that explores artificial life and simulated reality. In one scene a woman is trying to convince her mother to get a brain scan for supposed immortal life. Her mom resists the idea:

Francesca relented. "Listen, I was thirty-three when the first Copy was made. You were five years old, you grew up with the idea -- but to me, it's still . . . too strange. It's something rich eccentrics do -- the way they used to freeze their corpses. To me, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance to be imitated by a computer after my death is just . . . farcical. I'm not an eccentric millionaire, I don't want to spend my money -- or yours -- building some kind of . . . talking monument to my ego. I still have a sense of proportion." She looked at Maria imploringly. "Doesn't that count for anything any more?"

"You wouldn't be imitated. You'd be you."

"Yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean? You always told me you believed --"

"I do believe that Copies are intelligent. I just wouldn't say that they are -- or they aren't -- "the same person as" the person they were based on. There's no right or wrong answer to that; it's a question of semantics, not a question of truth.

Note that I’m about a quarter of the way through, so if there’s some future point or compelling argument later in the book, I am not yet aware. I may come back to it once I’m done.

But the mother’s point resonated with me. The idea that you can scan your brain or entire body and somehow transfer your consciousness is silly. Suppose you can make a digitized snapshot of every atom in your body where you can theoretically recreate your being. What does that mean? Does that snapshot somehow become you? Do you care about that snapshot? Does it give you any comfort around your impending demise?

The best you can do is preserve your current state that someone can use to mimic your future thoughts and behavior. But so what? Are you that special that your unique insight is that meaningful that you need it to persist indefinitely? It makes sense for some people. It would be useful to know what opinions the founding fathers of the US would have on various contemporary issues of governance. But beyond that, am I really that special to warrant such consideration?

The idea of brain scans strikes me as narcissistic. Obviously your scan isn’t you. It’s not even a living thing. It can at best predict what you would do or say in a situation. That could be useful as a personal assistant or used to outsource certain tasks regarding your life, but beyond that it seems meaningless.

Your entire being is shaped by your experience. I don’t mourn my 13 year old self. Since that time, every cell in my body has been replaced. I wouldn’t recognize my older self if I met him today. I’m a different person. And when I die, the same process happens, except this time I just get replaced with nothing.

The other argument for brain scans is existing for the benefit of the people that loved you. But would it be any real consolation to the people that loved you? Sure, you can ask your deceased father for advice, and that may be useful. But how useful? Would you mourn any less? Or would you delude yourself into thinking he’s still around in bits?

I think the whole idea that we can upload our consciousness is misguided. Ever since we developed thought and an idea of self we’ve been striving for immortality. But brain scans seem like a gross distortion of existence.