"Human from scratch"
homunculus / AGI / humanoid 2,5 min to read
Homunculus, represents the soul in alchemical terms, created through a process of transformation.
Are we talking about the process of creating a human from scratch?
Doesn’t this resonate with the term humanoid?
Hmm, let's continue.
There were many recipes for this little man, here are a few of them:
1. Paracelsus "De Natura Rerum" XVI :
The creature is created from the semen of a dying man, which, hardening in the womb of a mare, gradually takes on a human shape.
Initially formless, it develops for forty weeks, feeding on human blood.
After that time, it takes on a shape resembling a human child, although it may be smaller.
2. The second medieval recipe:
Mandrake root, which resembled a human form, could be used to create homunculi.
It was said that if the semen of a dying man fell to the ground, a mandrake would grow where it landed.
If its root was dug up by a black dog before dawn on Friday and then fed milk, honey, or even human blood, it would turn into a homunculus that would protect its owner.
3. Dr David Christianus from Germany’s Giessen University, 1700
The black hen's egg was to be filled with human seed, and the hole in the shell closed with a virgin membrane.
The egg was buried in manure on the first day of the March lunar cycle, and after 30 days the homunculus hatched.
Fed on earthworms and lavender seeds, it protected its owner and helped him in his tasks.
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We have more examples; each era represented its own approach.
Then on the list, we have in vitro and cloning.
Question is:
Should we now add AGI to the list?
An entity created from computer systems/algorithms that exhibits intelligence comparable to or even surpassing human intelligence.
Will AGI end like Paracelsus story?
If we crossed the line of responsibility, it could lead to a 'blow-up' of unwanted events and uncontrollable outcomes, just like the alchemists attempts to create life, which ended in failure despite their big hopes -- only back then, it was just glass test tubes.
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What's also fascinating to me is that the idea of creating life, which began as a symbol in ancient alchemy, eventually led to society being open to discussions on topics like in vitro fertilization and using new technology to create humanoids.
Looking back, I see it as a process of getting society used to the idea of "creating humans from scratch".
For thousands of years, humanity's goal has been the same: to understand how humans are built and how they function, and then to replicate it.
The only thing that has always remained a topic of debate in social discourse is the moral boundaries...
..and I'll leave that up to you, Dear Reader.
