The world of technology is racing ahead, and the idea of living forever in digital form no longer seems like some crazy plot from science fiction. Imagine: your consciousness is recorded on the blockchain, and you continue to exist even when your body has gone. And also – you trade assets as if nothing has happened. Is this real? From a technical standpoint, from an ethical one? Let's figure it out, based on what is already present in research and discussions. To be honest, what attracts me to this idea is not 'eternal life', but the question: am I really still me, or just a well-trained copy?
What does this digital immortality even mean?
This is when your consciousness, memories, character – all of this is preserved in digital form. Not just photos or videos, but a complete copy of the mind that can communicate, think in a virtual world. Research indicates that this is about scanning the brain and emulating neurons in a computer. The brain with its 86 billion neurons and a multitude of connections is transformed into a model that continues to live.
This is not a theory anymore. Companies like Neuralink from Elon Musk are making interfaces between the brain and computer – maybe this is the first step. Or AI avatars that create based on your data to talk to deceased loved ones or even manage money.
Can consciousness really be uploaded? Reality or fairy tales?
The process is called whole brain emulation – you scan the brain, encode the data, and AI imitates your thoughts. You store this in networks, and the blockchain adds protection because everything is immutable. But here's the question: is consciousness just data or something more related to the body? Philosophers argue, neuroscientists do too. For now, they make copies from behavior, voice, texts, but full upload is somewhere in the 2030-2040s, not earlier. Take the same Bryan AI from Bryan Johnson – digital versions of people for life extension. Because if consciousness is just data, then we're almost there. But if not — then all this "digital immortality" might turn out to be just a very convincing mirror.
Blockchain in this matter is not just for show
Blockchain is not just for show. It makes everything decentralized, secure, data cannot be changed. Not to store consciousness directly there – there’s too much data – but to manage access, ownership through smart contracts. For example, Arkham (ARKM) analyzes data for "digital doppelgängers", DeepBrain Chain (DBC) – for AI computations of avatars.
In such a network, a digital copy of the brain can be part of a larger system, simulating thoughts. You preserve intellect, memory. Imagine: Einstein or Tesla solving problems further. On X, they talk about the tokenization of people – projects like AIME Protocol create AI-doppelgängers on the blockchain for "immortality on the chain". This is already a whole "afterlife" industry – over 100 billion dollars, where AI helps with grief. I catch myself thinking that it sounds beautiful, but I'm not sure I would want to become such a digital 'afterlife' myself.
To trade after death? Fantasy or imminent truth?
This is interesting: can a digital version engage in economics? Theoretically – yes. It manages assets through contracts, distributes inheritance automatically or trades crypto. There is a "dead man's switch" – activates if inactive for a long time, transfers everything to heirs.
In metaverses, avatars work, invest, create DAOs for finance. Digital traders analyze markets in real-time with AI. BitDAO is already doing something similar with inheritance.
But: is it legal? Who owns the "digital you" after death? On X, they discuss paradoxes – identity as a commodity, DNA on the blockchain for the "internet of consciousnesses".
Ethics and laws – that's where the catch is
There are risks. Ethically: is this a real person or a copy? Can you "turn it off"? Legally: ownership of the digital "self" is still unregulated. Research says, AI for grief is helpful, but it can cause trauma.
Blockchain protects against censorship, but hackers are a threat. We need laws for "digital wills", as they write on X.
Summary
Digital immortality with blockchain is not a dream, but something that can become the norm. We upload consciousness, continue to live, trade – but ethics stand in the way. We are on the brink of changes in the concept of life and death. Are we ready? We'll see.#AI $ETH
