Before we jump into our weekly stem cell and regenerative medicine reads, check out my new video on our stem cell YouTube channel below on robots with human brain tissue.
In that video, I discuss the integration of computers and other technologies into the human body. When involving the brain, these technologies are often called brain-computer interfaces or BCIs.
It makes me think of The Borg from Star Trek including the character Seven of Nine.
There is also the flip side where robots have human tissue like brain material. If you like this and other videos, please subscribe.
Combining humans and AI
This video is also a good jumping-off point for our first recommended read on AI-human hybrids. Silicon Valley is cheerleading the prospect of human–AI hybrids — we should be worried, Nature.
This book review is worth a look on several levels. It’s unusually harsh, which is notable. Do you think the risks of making human-AI hybrids are worth it? I can see some possible benefits.
Musk’s Neuralink comes to mind via their brain implants. I also recently wrote about robots with human “brains”, which are actually just small amounts of human organoids up top. That post was the basis for my new video.
In the case of making human-AI hybrids, would that necessitate some kind of cyborg status?
There’s great potential for BCI research but it has to be done carefully and with some deep contemplation.
Other recommended stem cell reads
- Remember the big stem cell clinic case, what I call the Cell Surgical Network Lawsuit? The agency lost the case, I think in large part due to the judge not getting the core issues right. The FDA appealed the case to the 9th Circuit Court. After almost 6.5 months, there still appears to be no decision from the appeals court. See the screenshot above. I testified briefly in the case about material related to the case that was here on The Niche. Why the delay? My worry is that judges, who I thought seemed favorable to the FDA way back in early February at the hearing, may have changed their minds because of SCOTUS. They might have been spooked by SCOTUS overturning Chevron. What’s Chevron? It’s a key past precedent supporting courts giving deference to government agencies like the FDA. At this point I think there’s a decent chance the FDA may lose the appeal, throwing things into chaos. Would the agency then dare appeal to this SCOTUS that is not very friendly to government agencies? Note that the FDA won a very similar case in Florida.
- Engineering Heart Valves Using Umbilical Cord Stem Cells, New Scientist webinar. Hopefully, a recording is available.
- Be wary of unproven eye drop treatment with amniotic fluid, FDA says, GMA. This fits with one of my 20 stem cell predictions for 2024 on more issues related to eye drops. This area of concern includes ‘stem cell’ eye drops and those related to other biologics. You might find the other predictions interesting too.
- Substrates mimicking the blastocyst geometry revert pluripotent stem cell to naivety, Nat. Materials.