National Intelligence Council Predicts Superhuman Trend in 2030 Report

Posted on December 14, 2012

The National Intelligence Council (NIC) has issued a new report, Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds, that predicts future trends. One of the trends on the horizon, according to the NIC, is superhumans, or humans with greatly enhanced abilities thanks to new technologies. Here is an excerpt:

"As replacement limb technology advances, people may choose to enhance their physical selves as they do with cosmetic surgery today. Future retinal eye implants could enable night vision, and neuro-enhancements could provide superior memory recall or speed of thought. Neuro-pharmaceuticals will allow people to maintain concentration for longer periods of time or enhance their learning abilities. Augmented reality systems can provide enhanced experiences of real-world situations. Combined with advances in robotics, avatars could provide feedback in the form of sensors providing touch and smell as well as aural and visual information to the operator."
The report also says brain-machine interfaces could provide "superhuman" abilities, enhancing strength and speed. The reports says these interfaces could also potentially give humans new abilities not previously available. The report also mentions benefits to mobility in the elderly in the form of exoskeletons.

As with other technologies, this new technology will likely be available first to those who can afford them. The report says this could lead to a "two-tiered society of an enhanced and non-enhanced persons and may require regulation."

You can find the full report here on Scribd.com.

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