This blog post explores how technology is transforming human roles and identity as rapidly evolving artificial intelligence now possesses creativity and begins encroaching on our unique domain.
How long can we continue to call a window a window? If we remove the glass from the window frame and replace it with a translucent solar panel, using the electricity it generates to light the house, can we still call it a ‘window’? Or if windows are eliminated altogether and replaced with a device that maintains indoor temperature while blocking external contaminants, will there even be a place left for windows?
In 2018, the renowned American magazine Sports Illustrated featured Brenna Huckaby, a double amputee, as a swimsuit model for the first time in its history. Huckaby is the athlete who competed in the snowboarding events at the Pyeongchang Paralympics and won a gold medal. Today, it is no longer unusual for people who have lost a body part, whether congenitally or through injury, to use mechanical devices as replacements. Companies are now developing and providing prosthetic arms and legs equipped with advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and precise drive mechanisms. As a result, products that go beyond simple assistance to achieve “natural movement” and “detection of the user’s intent” are gradually entering commercialization or actual clinical application stages.
For example, among recently unveiled robotic prosthetic legs, some incorporate electric motors, multiple sensors, and AI-based feedback systems to detect the user’s movement intent in real-time and assist with walking. Some products have already received commercial approval for patient gait assistance. These technologies are gradually bringing capabilities once considered “possible in the future” into reality.
Since we cannot predict the future, we can only infer its direction by examining past trends. The first modern plastic surgery was reconstructive surgery to help soldiers with war injuries reintegrate into society. Due to technological limitations at the time, the surgical sites still looked unnatural. However, medical technology has steadily advanced since then, and changes once deemed impossible are now entering the realm of mainstream acceptance. As a result, plastic surgery has expanded beyond simple reconstruction into the field of aesthetics, and ordinary people also seek plastic surgery for various reasons, including boosting self-esteem.
Another example is LASIK surgery. Initially introduced to restore normal vision to those with poor eyesight, the surgical technique has continuously become more sophisticated. While existing procedures like LASIK, LASEK, and SMILE remain mainstream in vision correction today, research targeting higher levels of vision enhancement—such as bio-lenses, artificial intraocular lens replacement, and cell regeneration-based treatments—continues. While some technologies remain in the clinical trial phase, the trend of humanity pursuing sharper vision and enhanced sensory capabilities is accelerating. Ultimately, vision correction technology stands as a prime example of humanity’s relentless desire to extend human capabilities.
Although these historical facts do not necessarily imply a definitive conclusion that humanity will inevitably replace parts of its body with machines, one thing is clear. Humanity has never ceased its desire for better eyes, better appearance, and better abilities, and technology has consistently elevated that desire to a level where it becomes achievable. The advancement of science has opened the possibility for humanity to transcend the limitations of our species, but the resulting beings will likely appear different from the Homo sapiens we know today.
Let’s return to the story of windows where the glass has been replaced with translucent solar panels. Can we truly still call it a window? While it retains the form of a window, there are clear limitations to calling it a window in the sense we generally expect. Similarly, can we still call a human whose body parts have been replaced with machines through scientific advancement, or whose performance has been enhanced through chemical processing, Homo sapiens? In an era where converged technologies blending artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology are reconfiguring the human body and capabilities, we may not know at what point we must bid farewell to the beings we once called “human.”
Humanity is now in the midst of a massive wave of change. One pivotal moment occurred on March 9, 2016. At the Google DeepMind Challenge Match hosted by Google, a human representative faced off against artificial intelligence, and ultimately, the AI prevailed. Many remember this event as “the symbolic moment when humans first conceded their superiority in creativity and thought to machines.” Since then, AI has advanced beyond simple computational tasks into the 2020s, deeply penetrating domains traditionally considered uniquely human—such as creation, diagnosis, art, design, coding, and document writing—sometimes even outperforming humans.
Recent studies have confirmed that some generative AI can propose ideas at a level comparable to humans, assisting in creative work or even producing original results. Furthermore, AI is being introduced into nearly every industry sector—including healthcare, finance, design, and administration—already replacing or assisting with tasks previously handled solely by humans.
Humanity is now gradually ceding roles to machines that encompass not only manual labor but also intellect and creativity. In the past, humans were the primary users of machines, and the driving force behind society was the human mind. But that balance is now crumbling. Artificial intelligence and robotics are moving beyond simple assistance to become “collaborative entities,” and sometimes even “replaceable entities.” Robot doctors, robot artists, AI designers, automated medical systems, and automated content generation systems have already entered the real world.
So, what choice will humanity make? If a device is developed that maintains a building’s temperature and blocks the entry of harmful substances, windows could lose their utility and eventually cede their place. Similarly, if machines emerge that are smarter and more creative than humans, humanity may have no choice but to yield its place to machines. We now stand at a turning point, the end of the ‘Homo sapiens era’ approaching.
