{"id":1491,"date":"2025-10-18T01:06:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T21:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/?p=1491"},"modified":"2025-10-28T23:32:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:32:17","slug":"continuity-of-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/science\/continuity-of-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Continuity of Identity: Is Your Digital Self Still \u201cYou\u201d? (Kurzweil)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Can machines truly think and feel? What happens to &#8220;you&#8221; if your brain is scanned and uploaded to a computer? Is your digital self still &#8220;you&#8221;?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These questions, which philosophers have debated for millennia, are raised again with the presentation of Ray Kurzweil\u2019s provocative idea: consciousness might be nothing more than patterns of information. If he&#8217;s right, the implications are staggering\u2014not just for artificial intelligence, but for what it means to be human. Keep reading to learn Kurzweil\u2019s thoughts on continuity of identity from his books <em>How to Create a Mind<\/em> and <em>The Singularity Is Near<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-kurzweil-s-theory-raises-questions-about-identity\" data-level=\"2\">Kurzweil&#8217;s Theory Raises Questions About Identity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-consciousness-amp-identity\" data-level=\"2\">Consciousness &amp; Identity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-identity-as-information-patterns\" data-level=\"2\">Identity as Information Patterns<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-philosophical-precedents\" data-level=\"2\">Philosophical Precedents<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-path-to-a-digital-self\" data-level=\"2\">The Path to a Digital Self<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#h-current-brain-research-and-modeling\" data-level=\"3\">Current Brain Research and Modeling<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-technical-challenges-and-solutions\" data-level=\"3\">Technical Challenges and Solutions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-mapping-the-brain\" data-level=\"3\">Mapping the Brain<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-continuity-of-identity-is-becoming-more-important\" data-level=\"2\">Continuity of Identity Is Becoming More Important<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-kurzweil-s-theory-raises-questions-about-identity\">Kurzweil&#8217;s Theory Raises Questions About Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/how-to-create-a-mind\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>How to Create a Mind<\/em><\/a>, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil suggests that understanding minds as pattern processors opens the door to creating artificial consciousness, which would challenge our traditional understanding of what it means to be conscious and human. His framework raises fundamental questions not only about the nature of consciousness, but also about the continuity of identity across time and technological transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurzweil\u2019s theory leads to a conclusion that challenges basic assumptions about consciousness and intelligence<strong>: If consciousness emerges from patterns of information rather than biological processes, then digital minds <em>are <\/em>real minds<\/strong>\u2014not just simulations. We often assume that computers can only mimic intelligence. But, in Kurzweil\u2019s view, a sufficiently advanced pattern recognition system wouldn\u2019t be <em>pretending <\/em>to think\u2014it would really be thinking. He argues that the patterns of information processing that constitute consciousness don\u2019t depend on being implemented in biological neurons versus electronic circuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-consciousness-amp-identity\">Consciousness &amp; Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurzweil acknowledges that accepting this conclusion requires what he calls a &#8220;leap of faith.&#8221; There&#8217;s no definitive test for consciousness that doesn&#8217;t rely on philosophical assumptions about what consciousness actually is. However, he argues that this leap is no different from the one we make when we assume other humans are conscious based on their behavior and self-reports\u2014we can&#8217;t directly access anyone else&#8217;s subjective experience. His position is straightforward: Once machines become convincing in their emotional reactions and claims about their subjective experiences\u2014once they can make us laugh, move us to tears, and respond appropriately to joy and suffering\u2014we should accept them as conscious beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Whether you believe a digital copy of yourself would still be \u201cyou\u201d depends greatly on your conceptions of consciousness and identity. In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/flow\/1-page-summary#how-consciousness-works\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>Flow<\/em><\/a>, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines consciousness as <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/flow\/1-page-summary#how-consciousness-works\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">a mental state of awareness<\/a> in which we perceive, process, order, and act on sensory input and information\u2014something it\u2019s not hard to imagine computers doing. However, in <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/homo-deus\/chapter-3#the-human-consciousness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>Homo Deus<\/em><\/a>, Yuval Noah Harari defines consciousness as <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/homo-deus\/chapter-3#the-human-consciousness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">the combination of thoughts, emotions, and sensations<\/a> that create your subjective experience. It\u2019s the subjective nature of the latter definition that calls the possibility of AI consciousness into question. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/waking-up\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>Waking Up<\/em><\/a>, Sam Harris points out that, because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/waking-up\/1-page-summary#the-science-of-consciousness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">consciousness is a subjective experience<\/a>, it can be studied only from the inside. In other words, science can objectively study the products of consciousness, but not consciousness itself. Therefore, if a computer claimed to be conscious, we\u2019d simply have to decide whether to take it at its word.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Can AI Think, Understand, and Reason Like Humans Do?<\/strong><br><br>It\u2019s unclear to what degree current AI development is even moving in the direction Kurzweil suggests. Modern AI systems have what researchers call \u201cjagged intelligence\u201d\u2014they can solve math problems, write code, and hold conversations, yet fail at tasks that feel effortless to humans. Some models can engage in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/future-perfect\/400531\/ai-reasoning-models-openai-deepseek\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">what sounds like reasoning<\/a>, breaking down complex problems into smaller steps. But researchers question whether even these systems can <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/can-ai-think-and-should-it-what-it-means-to-think-from-plato-to-chatgpt-256648\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">really think<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quantamagazine.org\/will-ai-ever-have-common-sense-20240718\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">or reason<\/a>, in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.santafe.edu\/news-center\/news\/study-large-language-models-still-lack-general-reasoning-skills\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">same way humans do<\/a>. Large language models like OpenAI\u2019s GPT build their \u201cknowledge\u201d about the world purely by <a href=\"https:\/\/firstthings.com\/ai-doesnt-know-what-its-doing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">mapping text patterns<\/a>, rather than by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adm8175\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">understanding how things work<\/a>.<br><br>This contrasts sharply with human learning, which occurs through embodied experience, curiosity, and interaction with the physical and social world. Defining consciousness is difficult, but philosophers and neuroscientists tend to agree it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-023-02684-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">requires subjective experience<\/a>\u2014having the experience of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quantamagazine.org\/what-is-the-nature-of-consciousness-20230531\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">what it feels like to be you<\/a>\u2014and is more than just the ability to process information. Kurzweil argues that once machines can convince us that they have subjective experiences, we should accept them as conscious. Many other experts decline to take this \u201cleap of faith\u201d: They think consciousness may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c0k3700zljjo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">require being a living system<\/a>, with hormones, emotions, and <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pnasnexus\/article\/2\/12\/pgad409\/7477223\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">interaction between brain and body<\/a> to create genuine feelings and sensations.<br><br>If consciousness really depends on experiencing the world as a living organism, then AI might never achieve consciousness, no matter how convincingly a model seems to simulate human thought, reasoning, or feeling. Yet some experts say we may be defining consciousness too narrowly. Rather than having a continuous, persistent self like we experience, AI seems to have brief moments of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/the-digital-self\/202502\/ais-fleeting-mind-and-the-soft-problem-of-consciousness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">something resembling awareness<\/a> as it processes information. If consciousness doesn\u2019t need to be permanent to be meaningful, then these temporary cognitive states might represent a different but genuine form of conscious experience.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-identity-as-information-patterns\">Identity as Information Patterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework forces us to reconsider how we understand human identity. If consciousness consists of information patterns,<strong> Kurzweil argues that what makes you \u201cyou\u201d is the specific pattern of information<\/strong> stored in your brain\u2019s pattern recognition networks: the memories you\u2019ve accumulated, the skills you\u2019ve learned, the personality traits you\u2019ve developed, and the ways of processing information you\u2019ve established. Kurzweil contends that your identity isn\u2019t tied to the particular molecules in your brain, which are completely replaced every few weeks. Instead, your identity lies in the <em>continuity<\/em> of information patterns\u2014like how a river remains the same river despite consisting of completely different water molecules from day to day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has radical implications. Kurzweil contends that, if your brain were scanned and copied while you remained alive, both versions would feel like the \u201creal\u201d you, but they would be separate conscious entities. But, if your brain were gradually replaced with digital components over time, the way the molecules in your body are continually replaced, you would maintain continuity of identity throughout the process. The key insight is that identity is preserved through continuity of pattern, not continuity of physical substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-philosophical-precedents\">Philosophical Precedents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurzweil&#8217;s ideas about consciousness and identity may seem radically modern, but they connect to philosophical questions that humans have grappled with for millennia. Ancient thinkers wrestled with similar puzzles about what makes something\u2014or someone\u2014remain the same through change. These earlier frameworks offer illuminating perspectives on whether digital copies of our minds would truly be &#8220;us,&#8221; and whether there&#8217;s even a stable &#8220;self&#8221; to copy in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>How Ancient Philosophers Thought About Continuity<\/strong><br><br>Kurzweil\u2019s argument that identity lies in information patterns recalls an ancient Greek thought experiment, the Ship of Theseus, which asks whether a ship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebsco.com\/research-starters\/history\/ship-theseus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">remains the same ship<\/a> if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/human-behavior\/what-is-the-ship-of-theseus-thought-experiment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">all its planks are gradually replaced<\/a>. Perhaps the ship becomes different when the first plank changes, or when half (or all) are replaced, or maybe it remains the same because it always retains its essential form. It\u2019s in this second vein that Kurzweil argues your identity persists because the essential structure of who you are\u2014your memories, skills, personality traits, and ways of thinking\u2014remains continuous. This is like saying the ship remains Theseus\u2019s ship since it keeps the same shape, function, and history, or that a river is always the same river.<br><br>Another ancient tradition, Buddhism, takes the opposite view. Where Kurzweil sees patterns that continue through change as proof that identity persists, Buddhism sees the constant change as evidence there\u2019s <em>no fixed self at all<\/em>, and that your sense of continuity is an illusion. Buddhists believe that what you experience as your \u201cself\u201d emerges from <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagomeditation.org\/form-is-emptiness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">five things that are constantly changing<\/a> as you interact with the world\u2014your physical form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. Since these are always in flux, there\u2019s no stable \u201cyou.\u201d So whether your brain were scanned and copied, or replaced with digital pieces, Buddhism might suggest both scenarios just continue the illusion of selfhood.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Whether a digital copy of your mind is still \u201cyou\u201d may be a moot point because Sam Harris argues in <em>Waking Up<\/em> that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/waking-up\/1-page-summary#separating-consciousness-from-selfhood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">your sense of self is merely an illusion created by your mental processes<\/a>. The sense that you\u2019re an incorporeal being sitting behind the steering wheel of your brain may simply be a figment of your brain\u2019s functions. In Harris\u2019s view, a digital &#8220;you&#8221; would not be \u201cyou\u201d at all because there\u2019s no \u201cyou\u201d to begin with\u2014 you\u2019re just a continuity of conscious awareness.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-path-to-a-digital-self\">The Path to a Digital Self<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-singularity-is-near\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>The Singularity Is Near<\/em><\/a>, Kurzweil covers advances in brain research, how they apply to computation models, and how, if computers can simulate brains, you may one day be able to upload your whole mind into the digital world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-current-brain-research-and-modeling\">Current Brain Research and Modeling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, the medical tools we\u2019ve used to analyze and understand the brain were crude. But, like all other modern technology, they\u2019re improving at an accelerated pace. It\u2019s now possible to image a functioning brain down to the level of individual neurons. Kurzweil says that computer models of the brain are likewise improving at a phenomenal rate. While the brain is extremely complex with trillions of neural connections, there is a lot of built-in redundancy. <strong>An effective computer model of a brain doesn\u2019t have to simulate every neuron firing,<\/strong> and we\u2019ve already made remarkable progress in modeling some of the brain\u2019s specific regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Kurzweil\u2019s hope for a fully functional simulation of the human brain was attempted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanbrainproject.eu\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Human Brain Project<\/a>, which ran from 2013 to 2023. It fell short of its goal of a digital model of the entire brain, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/scientists-tried-to-re-create-an-entire-human-brain-in-a-computer-what-happened\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">it was able to model over 200 brain regions<\/a> and made discoveries that are used to treat neurological disorders and injuries. Another byproduct of the Human Brain Project is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebrains.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">EBRAINS<\/a>, an open digital research network devoted to furthering neuroscience and brain studies using the latest computer tools and data.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-technical-challenges-and-solutions\">Technical Challenges and Solutions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurzweil admits that <strong>the brain\u2019s major advantage over digital computers is that it is <\/strong><strong><em>massively <\/em><\/strong><strong>parallel<\/strong>\u2014it sets countless neural pathways to solving any problem all at the same time, as opposed to the more linear approach taken by traditional computing. This more than makes up for neurons\u2019 relatively slow chemical transmission of data. However, the hardware for fast parallel processing is rapidly becoming available for digital computers. Another advantage of the human brain is that via neuroplasticity, it can rearrange its connections and adapt, something that physical computers cannot do. Nevertheless, Kurzweil insists that the brain\u2019s ability to adapt and reorder itself can be addressed in the realm of software if not hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Simulating the Brain<\/strong><br><br>Kurzweil\u2019s prediction that future computers would copy human brain functions has held true, at least in the field of computer research. Engineers are now designing computers with <a href=\"https:\/\/analyticsindiamag.com\/a-tutorial-on-spiking-neural-networks-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">spiking neural networks (SNNs)<\/a>, which mimic how neurons interact rather than relying on traditional computer architectures. Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/dataconomy.com\/2023\/04\/18\/what-is-parallel-processing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">parallel processing analogous to the brain<\/a> has allowed <a href=\"https:\/\/web.ece.ucsb.edu\/~parhami\/pubs_folder\/parh19b-ebdt-parallel-proc-big-data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">machine learning<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/web.ece.ucsb.edu\/~parhami\/pubs_folder\/parh19b-ebdt-parallel-proc-big-data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">\u201cbig data\u201d analysis<\/a> to advance by leaps and bounds.<br><br>Recent work has resulted in the development of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1383762117300231\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Neural Processing Units<\/a>, a new type of computer processor that allows SNNs to be built at larger scales. The plasticity of brain cells is harder to reproduce, but researchers have developed <a href=\"https:\/\/news.northwestern.edu\/stories\/2021\/04\/new-brain-like-computing-device-simulates-human-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">synaptic transistors<\/a> that mimic neurons\u2019 ability to change and adapt. While much of how the brain works is still unknown, scientists hope that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnbot.2022.1041108\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">computer hardware that functions like neurons<\/a> will unlock further progress in brain research.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mapping-the-brain\">Mapping the Brain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kurzweil cautions us to remember that the brain isn\u2019t perfect\u2014it evolved to function just well enough for our primitive ancestors to survive. Once we can digitally replicate the brain, we\u2019ll also be able to improve its design, and once our computing power is great enough, Kurzweil believes that it will become possible to scan and upload the memories and specific neural connections of a person\u2019s mind into a digital self. Though this may sound like pure science fiction, the level of computing necessary should be readily available in the 2030s, so <strong>creating a digital backup of yourself will only be a question of software and the state of brain-scanning technology.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Because making a digital backup of your mind offers potential immortality, Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov founded the <a href=\"http:\/\/2045.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">2045 Initiative<\/a> to fund research on digital mind uploads and robot avatars to replace human bodies. Neuroscientist Ken Hayworth of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainpreservation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Brain Preservation Foundation<\/a> agrees that uploading consciousness should be possible, if beyond the reach of current technology. In 2016, Hayworth predicted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/magazine-35786771\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">it would take two years to map the brain of a fly<\/a>, much less a more complicated organism. However, Kurzweil\u2019s theory of exponential growth may already have supporting evidence because, in 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1073\/pnas.2218617120\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">researchers mapped the entire brain of a mouse<\/a> at a resolution 1,000 times greater than a normal MRI.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-continuity-of-identity-is-becoming-more-important\">Continuity of Identity Is Becoming More Important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether or not your digital self is still \u201cyou\u201d will pose both philosophical and legal conundrums. Our entire legal system revolves around the rights of living, conscious beings. So the matter of whether a digital being can be conscious will become much more than a hypothetical issue. However, Kurzweil suggests that, as we work through the legal ramifications, <strong>our transition from biological to digital entities won\u2019t be abrupt.<\/strong> Instead, it will be a slow process as we gradually augment our physical brains with more and more digital capabilities, until the center of our consciousness gradually slides from the physical world into the electronic realm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To dig deeper into the concept of continuity of identity in its broader context, read Shortform\u2019s guides to the books that these ideas come from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/how-to-create-a-mind\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>How to Create a Mind<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-singularity-is-near\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>The Singularity Is Near<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your identity could lie in the continuity of information patterns rather than physical substance. Learn how your digital self might be you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-philosophy","category-science"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Continuity of Identity: Is Your Digital Self Still \u201cYou\u201d? (Kurzweil) - Shortform Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your identity could lie in the continuity of information patterns rather than physical substance. 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