
Artificial Life: The Coming Evolution (1991) - MindGods
https://www.inet.ox.ac.uk/publications/artificial-life-the-coming-evolution/
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MindGods
Abstract:

Within fifty to a hundred years, a new call of organisms is likely to emerge.
These organisms will be artificial in the sense that they will originally be
designed by humans. However, they will reproduce, and will evolve into
something other then their initial form; they will be "alive" under any
reasonable definition of the word. These organisms will evolve in a
fundamentally different manner than contemporary biological organisms, since
their reproduction will be under at least partial conscious control, giving it
a Lamarckian component. The pace of evolutionary change consequently will be
extremely rapid. The advent of artificial life will be the most significant
historical event since the emergence of human beings. The impact on humanity
and the biosphere could be enormous, larger than the industrial revolution,
nuclear weapons, or environmental pollution. We must take steps now to shape
the emergence of artificial organisms; they have potential to be either the
ugliest terrestrial disaster, or the most beautiful creation of humanity.

