It’s easy to roll our eyes at people like Xi and Putin who wish for immortality, and to dismiss their delusions of grandeur. They believe we are on the brink of radically extended life, and that they, uniquely in history, are the ones who will help build the machines that will get us there.
But consider this: the technologists who fundamentally believe in the immortality project – whether they want to literally live forever, or are building AI that they think will usher in the next enlightenment – are enjoying unparalleled political access to the leaders of the world, and they are once again building our future.
For the immortalists of Silicon Valley and the rich and the powerful like Xi and Putin, death is not considered an inevitability. Although organ transplantation for eternal life is science fiction, they do have a head start in the race to longevity escape velocity, simply because they can afford cutting-edge treatments, personalised protocols, and as much young blood as they can morally handle.
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