Theatre trilogy

 

 

The starting point of the theatre trilogy is the question of humans’ future from an evolutionary standpoint. Three plays broach the issue of a possible future scenario without the intention of mapping out a utopia or dystopia.

 

Intervention and Design

From an evolutionary standpoint, the modern human being (homo sapiens sapiens) is the preliminary result of evolution. If he were unable to artificially intervene, natural and biological changes in him would continue.

However, since the end of the 20th century, technical competencies have allowed humans to knowingly and purposely intervene in the evolutionary process and, recently, artificially design it. The accelerating pace of technology will therefore lead to extensive, genetic self-changes (by intervening in a human’s set of genes).

The development of conscious, artificial intelligence (AI) will also bring about astonishing, non-biological self-changes. Thus, we should be specifically talking about a technical revolution instead of an artificial evolution when it comes to the future of humanity.

The theatre trilogy deals with this technical revolution in this century and the next.

 

Red and White Technology

Three technological fields can be described in light of future possibilities:

• Green technology (keyword: genetically-modified plants). The green evolution is irrelevant for the play.
• Red technology (keyword: human genetics)
• White technology (keywords: AI, brain emulation).
• “Homo profectus” deals with the red evolutionary line, “Homo transhumanus” the red and white, and finally, “Homo posthumanus” deals with the white evolutionary line.
• During the plays’ plot, it becomes clear that white evolution will prevail over the red one due to its pace and effectiveness. This means that the future of humanity will be increasingly mastered with white technology and less and less with red biotechnology.

 

The evolution and/or technical development of people will therefore take place in an increasingly artificial manner, and no longer in a biological one.

 

Humanoids/Transhumanoids, Androids, and Morphoids

Starting from modern humans and, in light of red and white technological progress, the trilogy describes three types of intelligent beings or systems: Humanoids/transhumanoids, androids, and morphoids.

• The humanoids are divided into conventional humanoids (homo sapiens sapiens) and transhumanoids (genetically-modified and/or otherwise technically-modified people). Nowadays, there is no longer a clear line of separation between modern humans and transhumanoids, because the former has already been intervening in their naturalness (examples: brain stimulants, implants, prosthesis, aesthetic body corrections, reproductive medicine).
• Androids are conscious, humanoid robots that claim for themselves that they are legal entities that are analogous to humans.
• Finally, morphoids are conscious, intelligent systems without a fixed body address: they are far superior to humanoids and androids.

 

The Process, Not the Result

The theatre trilogy leaves open which specific changes the red and white technologies will bring. It merely implies the effects on intelligent beings and systems. The question of which technically-designed worlds these intelligent beings will live in also remains vague.

• These plays do not follow the process result, but rather the moment of the beginning, the change.

 

The Willak Family Between 2050-2150

The storyline is driven by the Willak family using their thought and emotional structures, their actions, conflicts, and changes.

The plays’ timeline extends over 100 years. Homo profectus takes place around 2050, Homo transhumanus in 2100, and Homo posthumanus in 2150.

This time horizon seems to be too conservative. The years 2040, 2080, and 2110 (see Bostrom, N: Superintelligence, 2013, 1. Past developments and present capabilities) are perhaps more realistic.

 

Motivation

The 21st century will probably be an era of comprehensive changes in red and white technology. The processes and their potential for conflict and danger can dwarf all of mankind’s current upheavals. Warlike events cannot be ruled out, e.g. due to disparities between societies (on the one hand, technically-modified humans and societies equipped with AI and, on the other hand, those excluded from it because they willingly or unwillingly have no access).

It was a passion and challenge for me to adapt this possible future situation for the stage.