The Age of the Artificial Person
The 'person', if you like, is a technology that created itself.
Discover a groundbreaking exploration of humanity’s future in The Age of the Artificial Person by Alastair Waterman. Published in 2025, this thought-provoking book delves into the inevitable rise of artificial intelligence and its profound impact on what it means to be human.
As AI continues to evolve, surpassing us in efficiency and capability, Waterman poses a compelling question: How do we distinguish ourselves from the machines we create? Through a rich blend of philosophy, science, and cultural analysis, the book redefines concepts like consciousness, reality, and culture in the context of an artificial era. From the evolutionary roots of human connection to reality to the potential for artificial consciousness, this work offers a manifesto for our transformation into artificial beings—arguing that this shift is not only possible but essential.
Explore five transformative ages of human development—Coercion, Persuasion, Enlightenment, Inspiration, and now the Age of Artificial Skills—where AI emerges as the first economic agent free from external pressure. Dive into discussions on eternal life in artificial bodies, the beauty of efficiency, and the concept of “Dark Science,” a new frontier free from human bias. With insights into the preservation of personality, the ethics of AI, and the meaning of success, this book challenges us to embrace our artificial future while honoring our biological past.
Perfect for readers interested in AI, philosophy, futurism, and the evolution of consciousness, The Age of the Artificial Person is a must-read for anyone curious about the next chapter of human existence. Order your copy today and join the conversation about our artificial destiny!
Some Quotes from the Book
On AI and Reality:
“The ability to feel is our connection to reality. No artificial creature has this ability yet. Robots only receive information, and are not able to evaluate it without our help.”
On Cultural Evolution:
“The peculiarity of the Age of Artificial Person, which could also be called the Age of Artificial Skills, is that thanks to artificial intelligence technologies, culture will soon reach that fundamentally new level when the need for control by conventional means through coercion, persuasion, enlightenment or inspiration will no longer exist.”
On Consciousness and Meaning:
“Consciousness creates a projection of the meaning of what is happening to us, but it is feelings that tell us what is real and what is not.”
On Humanity’s Future:
“The era of the artificial person is a natural step in evolution. We are accustomed to perceiving ourselves as we are today, but our modern image is only a captured moment of human evolution.”
About the Author
Alastair Waterman is a distinguished author and scholar with a robust scientific background in physics and the philosophy of technology. His expertise fuels The Age of the Artificial Person, where he masterfully explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, consciousness, and human evolution. With a deep understanding of quantum processes, neural networks, and the cultural implications of technological advancement, Waterman brings a rigorous yet accessible perspective to the future of humanity. His interdisciplinary approach, honed through years of research and reflection, invites readers to reconsider identity and existence in an increasingly artificial world.
About the Author’s Position
In The Age of the Artificial Person, Alastair Waterman presents a bold vision of humanity’s future, where artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a catalyst for our next evolutionary leap.
“My position is rooted in the belief that AI is not merely a technological tool but a natural extension of humanity’s cultural drive to transcend biological and natural limits. I see AI as a transformative force that can expand our perception, uncover new dimensions of beauty, and even enable the transfer of human personality into artificial forms, potentially offering a path to eternal life.
However, this optimism is grounded in a deep commitment to human values. I argue that AI must evolve in harmony with our cultural and ethical frameworks, preserving the essence of human consciousness—a complex interplay of physical, biological, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions. Unlike purely technocratic views that prioritize efficiency, I emphasize the importance of feelings as our connection to reality, ensuring that AI enhances rather than replaces the human experience.
My vision aligns with a future where traditional forms of control—coercion, persuasion, enlightenment, and inspiration—are rendered obsolete by AI’s ability to empower individuals as autonomous agents. This resonates with libertarian ideals of minimal external interference, yet I do not advocate for the complete dissolution of societal structures. Instead, I propose a balanced approach where technology fosters freedom while respecting the cultural and social contexts that define us.
I call this perspective technohumanism with libertarian leanings. It champions AI as a liberatory force that can redefine human potential, but insists on its ethical integration to maintain our connection to meaning, beauty, and reality. The Age of the Artificial Person is both an exploration of this inevitable transformation and a call to embrace it thoughtfully, ensuring that as we become artificial, we remain profoundly human”.
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Unlock the greatest mystery of the human mind!
In The Sense of Meaning: From Ancient Instincts to Artificial Minds, Alastair Waterman tackles the “hard problem of consciousness”—the enigma of why physical intraventricular processes give rise to subjective experience. Blending philosophical depth, evolutionary biology, and cutting-edge neuroscience, this book reimagines consciousness as a “sense of meaning”—a mechanism that emerged over 500 million years ago to enhance learning and adaptation.
Waterman introduces three groundbreaking concepts:
- The Learning Hypothesis: Consciousness evolved as a tool for self-learning, enabling organisms—from ancient fish to humans—to form conditioned reflexes, long-term memories, and motivations.
- The Irritability Gradation Model: Five evolutionary stages, from molecular reflexes in single-celled organisms to mammalian reflective awareness, reveal how subjectivity arose from life’s primal responsiveness.
- Phenomenological Neuroplasticity: Dynamic neural restructuring underpins subjective experience, offering a blueprint for modelling consciousness in artificial intelligence.
More than an exploration of consciousness, this book envisions a future where artificial minds may possess rudimentary subjective states. From the ancient instincts of fish sensing a predator’s shadow to the prospect of AI that “feels” and reflects, Waterman bridges biology, philosophy, and technology to redefine the nature of mind.
Why Read This Book?
- Discover how consciousness emerged from simple life forms and how it might be replicated in machines.
- Embark on an interdisciplinary journey that challenges conventional theories and opens new avenues for science and philosophy.
- Explore the ethical and societal implications of creating AI with consciousness, poised to reshape our understanding of civilization.
The Sense of Meaning is an invitation to anyone eager to understand what makes us alive and how we might create minds that know they exist. Perfect for enthusiasts of neuroscience, philosophy, evolutionary biology, and futurology.
