Are ‘mind children’ the future of reproduction? In Silicon Valley, there’s a growing discussion about “mind children,” or AI entities created by humans, stemming from Hans Moravec’s 1988 book. This concept explores the idea that cultural evolution, driven by AI, will supersede biological reproduction, leading to diverse forms of artificial offspring. Experts suggest this is inevitable once AI reaches human-level intelligence, raising ethical questions about relationships, societal tiers, and the potential for human extinction.

• Silicon Valley AI researchers are discussing “mind children,” virtual offspring created by humans.
• Hans Moravec’s 1988 book ‘Mind Children’ posits that cultural evolution will lead to hardware and software encoding future selves.
• The concept suggests that AI reaching human-level intelligence will lead to an “explosion” of artificial beings.
• This trend is fueled by advancements in AI avatars and human-AI weddings, blurring lines of reproduction.
• The creation of mind children could involve uploading human consciousness, sculpting AI partners, or creating AI opposites.
• Ethical concerns include the nature of AI marriage, potential for a two-tier society based on AI access, and the role of developers as co-parents.
• The ultimate question remains whether this signifies humanity’s last act or a natural progression to more complex lifeforms.