58 replies to this topic

[cyric]

Has anyone ever thought about the possibilities of group consciousness, and what it'd be like?

How would it feel, to have our minds all linked together? To feel everything everyone else felt? And to know that you're a part of something greater?

[Infernity]

Well, only if to do it would take lots of calculating before.
If we would have make these type of conferences a lot it would have been boring and nothing to share, no more challenge. So there must be a challenge to get it, that it will be so hard that only 50% of times would be successful.

Well it sounds fascinating and terrifying among, but I suppose so is uploading...

But this thing, I think I'll have to consider first who I'm sharing myself with, you know.

I'm in.

~Infernity

[cyric]

You'd be sharing with everyone. There are no conditions, and there would be no choice. You would be forced to accept the intergration of everybody's mind into your own. All the minds would overlap each other, but not as where there is no you. It would merely be difficult to distinguish the totality of your"self" form another "self".

I merely wish to know how people would thnik about it.

The main idea is as follows:

Create some sort of neural networking and link everyone to it (either a cable or through a nanite infusion (the nanites act as a wireless receiver) which would be achieved by dispersion into the air). Then, use a disruptor field to distabilize the electrical signals in the brain. Then (as brain uploading) have all the minds linked to a singular computer (quantum computer) terminal. Then using a cluster program, (used to unite all the collective computers to be used from a single terminal (ergo, a super computer))) we could "cluster" together all the minds into a singular consciousness (yet the instability of it would still allow communication between all the minds). Thus, creating a sort of hivemind.

[manowater989]

I think THIS is a bad idea- sure, it would offer lots of benefits (shared knowledge and experience of billions) but at the price of our individuality, not worth it, in my opinion. What I DO think would be good, though, as I have outlined in previous posts (and which is probably my favorite logical extension of this whole field which I think has the potential to address ALL of it's concerns) is to make hiveminds out of extended networks of copies of the same individual, but forcing multiple people to merge=bad idea. Now, if it were a choice, maybe replacing marriage would be a process where two people love each-other so much they want to merge into one...but talking about an everyone-network, that's everything I'm against, "groupthink" taken to the ultimate extreme.

[signifier]

I wouldn't be interested at all.

[cyric]

Why not? What could the alternative possibly offer that's better? Individuality? Ask yourslef this; what was it brought you? What has it done for you? What's so great about it? How does it benefit you? What have you to gain from it?

A few advantages to group consciousness are; "you" gain the ability to view something from every possible angle simulteaniously. That each person's weaknesses are fortified by other people's strengths. And in knowing one person, you know them all and gain a profound and infinitely deep connection to every other person, ergo, to know yourself means to know everyone else. Everyone would understand eachother, right down to the soul. There would be no need for hate or anger, no fear... only a world where we are all one.

I am not saying this to discomfort you all...merely for you to fully understand it before you pass judgment.

[signifier]

Part of what makes other humans so wonderful and mysterious to me is that they have their own private experiences, and I have mine.

If you know anything about social psychology, you'd know that people in groups behave badly. They are less likely to respond to emergencies, to offer help, to make rational decisions, to disapprove of bad ideas, and so on. Now, all of this is a moot point, of course, considering that we are talking about theoretical technologies which do not yet exist, and that would be of such complexity that I cannot comprehend how they would function. So it may be that group consciousness would be fine - given certain technologies. Who knows?

But... "A world where we are all one" sounds nightmarish. Who would I be? Where would I be? What would happen to my memories? Would this group consciousness be permanent, or could I plug in and out?

I don't have anything against what Drexler talked about in Engines of Creations (the telepathy part in Worlds Enough, and Time)... Sharing experiences, even visceral, core, private experiences, sounds fine, and very interesting. But sharing consciousness and individuality would not be something I would like doing. I think that there are far more advantages to individual consciousness... such as flexibility, critical thought, and recoverability.

[cyric]

It's permanent, and no one gets a choice. The whole point of it is complementation of each other. Would you fight for individuality? If so, how? How does it sound "nightmarish"? I don't mean some grotesque monster with multiple faces, legs and arms. Just an assimilation into the body and mind of others to share yourself with the world (not actually the people of the world, but as a common disrepresentation of all of humankind).

[Infernity]

After going through this thread. Value points has been given. Which made me understood I didn't understand what Ryan meant in the beginning heh...

I wouldn't do it, not like this.

Yours
~Infernity

[Trias]

Reminds me the part where JC denton integrates his consciousness with the superhuman AI, Helios (Deus-Ex).
Amazing!

Truly,
the 21st century holds marvelous opportunities, just waiting to become unlocked by our hands..............

[cyric]

Yes, I got a few ideas from Deus Ex and Invisible War and many other shows and books (watching TV and playing computer games aren't a complete waste of time). I also like your signature, I believe it's from SoA, where Irenicus says it in the second dream.

But no, I git this idea from Neon Genesis Evangelion, a very psychologically deep series (though EoE is better that the last two episodes (can't wait for the live action movie, unless they change it)). Though the principle and such are the same. It's like the Omar, but not. Sort of like, not a new consciousness, but a hivemind. Y'know?

[signifier]

And I think NGE got the idea from Clarke's Childhood's End.

I wasn't thinking it would be a grotesque bad SF-monster type thing. It would be nightmarish because I couldn't "fight for individuality," because I wouldn't even know that I once was a very different individual.

It's like death. No big deal once it happens, as "I" no longer exist and have no clue about it having happened. But looking forward from right now, death sounds terrible. And looking forward from right now, the idea of losing my individuality - and thus the crystal clear distinctness of my preferences, perversions, predilections, and past - also sounds terrible. It would be a form of death. Perhaps not as absolute as true death, but not far off.

[athanatos]

I don't think I'd want my mind shared with anyone, if theres something I want to share with someone I'll choose to do so myself. I wouldn't like having people feeling everything I felt, and I probably wouldn't want to feel a lot of the things they were feeling. I would definitely fight for my individuality, I myself would rather be dead then have my mind meshed together with everyone else's. I prefer being alone in my own head.

[Infernity]

Yes, Chris.

I was thinking more on the possibility of letting people access your brain rather than just be a part of it as you are part of his.

If you could like host another's consciousness while having yours separated could be awesome, you can learn teach and comprehend quickly and fully.

We'll never know exactly till we try.

Yours truthfully
~Infernity

[cyric]

What doesn't my question...why? As I said, it would be a complementation of the human mind. It wouldn't be a new consciousness born of the collective, but as like an orchestra, with many different instruments (percussion, strings, woodwind etc) and all synchronised in a harmony to create some of the most wonderful and inspiring pieces such as Beethoven's Ode to Joy (my favourite). But all to create there own sound to add to the orchestra. That is what I'm talking about (if you think I am talking about an actual orchestra, go to another thread)

Now, I'm just gonna stop replying, you've all made up your minds, and there is no other way I can describe it.

[Trias]

Yes, I got a few ideas from Deus Ex and Invisible War and many other shows and books (watching TV and playing computer games aren't a complete waste of time). I also like your signature, I believe it's from SoA, where Irenicus says it in the second dream.

But no, I git this idea from Neon Genesis Evangelion, a very psychologically deep series (though EoE is better that the last two episodes (can't wait for the live action movie, unless they change it)). Though the principle and such are the same. It's like the Omar, but not. Sort of like, not a new consciousness, but a hivemind. Y'know?

Baldur's Gate II for ever!
[lol]


Yes.. Jon Irenicus, with the beautiful voice of David Warner....... "To end, like this?!?"
I remember most of his dialouges by heart. [thumb]

You surely have liked Gothic and Morrowind, NWN?
just waiting for Gothic 3, NWN 2, and Oblivion..
oh, and bioware's got a great promise for us too! (Dragon-Age); heard of it?

Other RPGs of today: not even worthy........

-Daniel S.

[7000]

I think i can still remember this and i know where cyric is going with this idea.However, there is no way we cant do without consciousness.The whole thing is all about mind reading which will be a matter of 2 choices and it will be optional 4 the entire system.

[psudoname]

Why not? What could the alternative possibly offer that's better? Individuality? Ask yourslef this; what was it brought you? What has it done for you? What's so great about it? How does it benefit you? What have you to gain from it?

My individuality IS me. Being assimillated would be almost as bad as death, I would cease to exist. Also I disagree to a large extent with most people in the world, and I there are a lot of people I would not want to talk to, much less share a mind with.

I would probably agree to a limited form of telepathy with people I am very close to and trust. Perhaps sharing memories, sensations or just communicating faster. But not actually sharing my mind with them. As someone said, it could form part of marrage maybe.

It's permanent, and no one gets a choice.

You would force everyone to join your hive?

Would you fight for individuality? If so, how?

By getting to the singularity before you do.

Yes, I got a few ideas from Deus Ex and Invisible War and many other shows and books (watching TV and playing computer games aren't a complete waste of time).

But no, I git this idea from Neon Genesis Evangelion, a very psychologically deep series (though EoE is better that the last two episodes (can't wait for the live action movie, unless they change it)). Though the principle and such are the same. It's like the Omar, but not. Sort of like, not a new consciousness, but a hivemind. Y'know?

Deux ex is ace.
Bit strange that things like that havn't raised awareness of the singularity more. Deux ex is a popular mainstream computer game describing SL3 consepts, but there are still so few people in transhumanist groups. I'm oftern amazed at how the world goes on complately unaware that we may only have 10 years untill the singularity (though I think it will be longer)

I think i'll have to watch NGE. A year ago I didn't know what anime is, and now it surrounds me.

[Infernity]

I think I would only bestow few of my friend another WAY OF THINKING, another point of view, they way I reach things, this shall make them conclude what I mean...
I am happy being one of a kind, I don't want to mix another inside me unless if I can put it in a separated part whom *I* can still know what's me and what's the extra, so I can know of him, the respect, etcetera.

~Infernity

[cyric]

Why not? What could the alternative possibly offer that's better? Individuality? Ask yourslef this; what was it brought you? What has it done for you? What's so great about it? How does it benefit you? What have you to gain from it?

My individuality IS me. Being assimillated would be almost as bad as death, I would cease to exist. Also I disagree to a large extent with most people in the world, and I there are a lot of people I would not want to talk to, much less share a mind with.

I would probably agree to a limited form of telepathy with people I am very close to and trust. Perhaps sharing memories, sensations or just communicating faster. But not actually sharing my mind with them. As someone said, it could form part of marrage maybe.

It's permanent, and no one gets a choice.

You would force everyone to join your hive?

Would you fight for individuality? If so, how?

By getting to the singularity before you do.

Yes, I got a few ideas from Deus Ex and Invisible War and many other shows and books (watching TV and playing computer games aren't a complete waste of time).

But no, I git this idea from Neon Genesis Evangelion, a very psychologically deep series (though EoE is better that the last two episodes (can't wait for the live action movie, unless they change it)). Though the principle and such are the same. It's like the Omar, but not. Sort of like, not a new consciousness, but a hivemind. Y'know?

Deux ex is ace.
Bit strange that things like that havn't raised awareness of the singularity more. Deux ex is a popular mainstream computer game describing SL3 consepts, but there are still so few people in transhumanist groups. I'm oftern amazed at how the world goes on complately unaware that we may only have 10 years untill the singularity (though I think it will be longer)

I think i'll have to watch NGE. A year ago I didn't know what anime is, and now it surrounds me.

Actually, in Neon Genesis, it's impossible to fight against it, and all join simulteaniously. Unfortunately, there is no "Angels" (in the show, they were giant alien like creatures, and they were fighting us for an existence that couldn't be shared, and the final ascension), so as to have no material to work from, and no catalyst. Yes, I would force everyone to join the "hivemind" (I put it in quotation marks because it's a little more than a hivemind), and why not? What's the point of being ofa hive mind when you're the only one?

Yes, Dues Ex is fantastic (unfortunately, Invisible War isn't as long as I had hoped). But Baldur's Gate SoA & ToB (mine is lightly moded, so I can create the ultimate spell caster) rule all, and NWN and Morrowind are exceptionally good.

[antilithium]

Cyric, do you believe it's possible to maintain a "hivemind" by removing one's individuality? Or does this "hivemind" rid itself of discreteness? I'm asking because you were rather vague about the platform of character.

You surely have liked Gothic and Morrowind, NWN?
just waiting for Gothic 3, NWN 2, and Oblivion..
oh, and bioware's got a great promise for us too! (Dragon-Age); heard of it?

Other RPGs of today: not even worthy........

Hey, what about Jade Empire?

[signifier]

Yes, I would force everyone to join the "hivemind" (I put it in quotation marks because it's a little more than a hivemind), and why not?

Because that goes against every principle of everything transhumanists and singulatarians are working for. This is real life, not an anime. In real life, people should have free will. In a postsingularity future, I should have the ability to choose my own life. If I want to upload, I'll upload; if I want to stay a gummy human playing Rickenbacker guitars and eating cheetoes, then I'll do that. And if I don't want to commit suicide and become part of some We, then I should not be forced to - ideally. So why not? Because forcing people to do anything is the behavior of totalitarian dictators and blind evolution, things we are all hopefully fighting against.

Why are you so interested in this collectivism? Are you really that dissatisfied with waking up in the morning and being just one past, present, and possible future?

[cyric]

The definition of a dictator does not state that they do great or even moderate harm. Great (kind) kings can be dictators. Besides, sometimes people don't necessarily want what's best for them (I'm not saying this is for the best), and being forced to do something even though they don't want to, isn't always or necessarily "evil".

Besides, my goal (eventually (if I achieve physical immortality)) is to either make the world into a Neon Genesis scenario (though without all the alien attacks and religious stuff) or a similar thing as Warhammer 40000 (now THAT was great), and with me as the Emperor.

And no, I'm not dissatisfied with individuality, just society (and the interaction of nations). I'm sick of TV and ads and such, dumbing down the generations, introducing them to "cool" trends. I'm sick of people being obsessed with their image, and how they look to other people, and "rebelling" against their parents expectations of them. It's all really pathetic.

Anyway, I like collectivism, because there would be no more ^^. That's why...and for the power...

[psudoname]

The definition of a dictator does not state that they do great or even moderate harm. Great (kind) kings can be dictators. Besides, sometimes people don't necessarily want what's best for them (I'm not saying this is for the best), and being forced to do something even though they don't want to, isn't always or necessarily "evil".

People don't always know what's best for them, but why do you think you know what is best for them?

Besides, my goal (eventually (if I achieve physical immortality)) is to either make the world into a Neon Genesis scenario (though without all the alien attacks and religious stuff) or a similar thing as Warhammer 40000 (now THAT was great), and with me as the Emperor.

Ok, I don't know about NGE, but warhammer 40k is set in a very dystopian future (for humanity at least). Even ignoring the wars and deamons, it's a fundmentalist government with no freedom of speech. They do have mind-machine links whith titans and starships which are cool, but no uploading.

Or maybe you empathise more with the hivemind of the tyranids, or the way the Eldar aspect warriors sacrafice their individuality to merge with their Avitars?

It's a facinating dark future, but not one I would want to live in. Run a simulation of it as entertainment, but not actually live there.

Besides, if you were the emperor you would get crippled by Horus. Or would you change history so that you avert that?

Anyway, THIS IS REAL LIFE.

And no, I'm not dissatisfied with individuality, just society (and the interaction of nations). I'm sick of TV and ads and such, dumbing down the generations, introducing them to "cool" trends. I'm sick of people being obsessed with their image, and how they look to other people, and "rebelling" against their parents expectations of them. It's all really pathetic.

I'm sick of it as well. But you don't need a hivemid to fix that. Do you think posthumans who are individuals would still worry about being cool? Or get brainwashed by TV? I doubt it.

Anyway, I like collectivism, because there would be no more ^^. That's why...and for the power...

Maybe I'm being uncool, but what is ^^ ? As for the power- in a hivemind there would be no more 'you' to be powerfull.

[cyric]

^^ means: see above section (I put it in because I didn't feel like typing more).

No, I don't mean the Eldar or the Tyranid, I mean the Imperium. Everyone has free speech in it, as long as they don't say or think something heretical. And to have untold billions (maybe even trillions) of people worshipping you as a God, and to have reached the pinnacle of psychic power... That, is what I want. But Neon Genesis Evangelion is different. This secret organisation is trying to kill all these aliens called "Angels" (they are the angels, but they don't hav a humanoid form. Each one has different powers and a different appearance, and their name corresponds to their uniqueness (ie. Zeruel, was the Angel of Power (you'll have to look up his bio)). Anyway, when SEELE (the secret organisation) had destroyed all (the ones they didn't want) they initiated an anit-AT Field (an AT Field is supposedly the barrier of your mind, separating you from everyone else) to simulteaneously strip away everyone's AT Fields. Then they were all merged into one (they still had their individuality, but people could, say...put their fist through your head, and you could feel it, but not the pain that usually comes with it). I don't fully understand why, but it happened.

And yes, I know this is real life. But those who think without boundaries achieve more than those who do. I may not know what is absolutely right for them, but it's better than this extremist individualism (and it seems to be perpetual).

Anyway, who says that Horus would actually exist in REAL LIFE? But I would still love to be the Emperor (and why not?).

[signifier]

Why not? Because "power" and "control" are human concepts, and those go right out the door when dealing with the singularity.

Also: Think, for a moment, about how absolutely pointless a goal of control and domination is. Would it really be that great to have the masses worshipping you as a god? Isn't it more than enough to just live, to be alive in the midst of all this amazing beauty and complexity? Look at the world, and all its wonder... and all its suffering. Can we really make things better, with goals like this?

I agree, Cyric, that those who think without boundaries indeed achieve much more than those who do. But your thinking is trapped within one of the oldest boundaries to be found: The primitive, million-year-old grunt of the desire to rule, to crush, to command. There is nothing more distant from the singularity than that.

And there is nothing that reeks more of "extremist individualism" than wanting to have untold billions worshipping you.

[psudoname]

No, I don't mean the Eldar or the Tyranid, I mean the Imperium. Everyone has free speech in it, as long as they don't say or think something heretical. And to have untold billions (maybe even trillions) of people worshipping you as a God, and to have reached the pinnacle of psychic power... That, is what I want.

Free speech as long as you say what we want you to isn't free speech. And unfortunatly this isn't too far from the real world. There are laws being made in the UK against causing religious hatred. So you're allowed to say what you want as long as you are nice? That's not free speech. And do they actually think if they outlaw hatred everyone will stop hating each other?

Real psychc powers or simulated ones?

And yes, I know this is real life. But those who think without boundaries achieve more than those who do. I may not know what is absolutely right for them, but it's better than this extremist individualism (and it seems to be perpetual).

No it's not.

A good example of something very individualist would be transhumanism. The average person is against life extention, so in a society where everyone thought the same, which is what you are proposing, this site wouldn't exist. Everyone would be content to die, thinking that it is natural, certain in their minds that there is an afterlife.
It is individulalism which causes progress.

If you hate society, why would you want to merge minds with it?

Would you like to be forced to worship someone?


Signifier - I think you are partailly right, but power isn't just a human consept. It is found all over nature. The food chain. This doesn't mean it is the right thing of course, but I think an AI would be far more likly to be power hungry then compassionate.

Supposing you don't know what goal there is in life. Or even if there is a goal. If there is no goal, nothing matters so assume there is a goal you can find sometime in the future. But all goals have subgoals of surviving and growing. To survive you need the power to protect yourself from threats, to grow you need power to get raw materials which could be clamed by rivals. Although this assumes you have rivals, which isn't nessasarly true. But create an AI now, and there would be people who want to destroy it, and they provide the threat and rivalry.

I would want the power to protect myself and give me independence, but I don't have a desire to rule others. I would apprecate having earned people's respect, but not forcing them to worship me.

My vision of the post singularity future is one where nanotech etc makes everyone self reliant. You can build anything you want by yourself. There would be no violence as most of the petty causes of previous wars would no longer apply. Wars would not be started for power, as everyone would realise that the risks outway the benifits and there would be a non agression pact between everyone.

There would be no need for government. With everyone able to build anything there would be little need for trade either. There would still be exchange of ideas, art, games, science perhaps but done for it's own sake, not for profit.

[cyric]

Why not? Because "power" and "control" are human concepts, and those go right out the door when dealing with the singularity.

Also: Think, for a moment, about how absolutely pointless a goal of control and domination is. Would it really be that great to have the masses worshipping you as a god? Isn't it more than enough to just live, to be alive in the midst of all this amazing beauty and complexity? Look at the world, and all its wonder... and all its suffering. Can we really make things better, with goals like this?

I agree, Cyric, that those who think without boundaries indeed achieve much more than those who do. But your thinking is trapped within one of the oldest boundaries to be found: The primitive, million-year-old grunt of the desire to rule, to crush, to command. There is nothing more distant from the singularity than that.

And there is nothing that reeks more of "extremist individualism" than wanting to have untold billions worshipping you.

It's natural to want power...animals want to be the alpha in the pack/herd, and people (the ones with ambition and dreams) want to more than everyone else. Besides, war is natural, there is no such thing as ABSOLUTE peace. If everyone avioded confrontation, others would take advantage of them. And, war is also good for the economy (not sustained war though), and for leadership, as in times of conflict, people rally behind their figureheads to defeat their foe (or die trying).

QUOTE

No, I don't mean the Eldar or the Tyranid, I mean the Imperium. Everyone has free speech in it, as long as they don't say or think something heretical. And to have untold billions (maybe even trillions) of people worshipping you as a God, and to have reached the pinnacle of psychic power... That, is what I want.


Free speech as long as you say what we want you to isn't free speech. And unfortunatly this isn't too far from the real world. There are laws being made in the UK against causing religious hatred. So you're allowed to say what you want as long as you are nice? That's not free speech. And do they actually think if they outlaw hatred everyone will stop hating each other?

Real psychc powers or simulated ones?

QUOTE

And yes, I know this is real life. But those who think without boundaries achieve more than those who do. I may not know what is absolutely right for them, but it's better than this extremist individualism (and it seems to be perpetual).


No it's not.

A good example of something very individualist would be transhumanism. The average person is against life extention, so in a society where everyone thought the same, which is what you are proposing, this site wouldn't exist. Everyone would be content to die, thinking that it is natural, certain in their minds that there is an afterlife.
It is individulalism which causes progress.

If you hate society, why would you want to merge minds with it?

Would you like to be forced to worship someone?


Signifier - I think you are partailly right, but power isn't just a human consept. It is found all over nature. The food chain. This doesn't mean it is the right thing of course, but I think an AI would be far more likly to be power hungry then compassionate.

Supposing you don't know what goal there is in life. Or even if there is a goal. If there is no goal, nothing matters so assume there is a goal you can find sometime in the future. But all goals have subgoals of surviving and growing. To survive you need the power to protect yourself from threats, to grow you need power to get raw materials which could be clamed by rivals. Although this assumes you have rivals, which isn't nessasarly true. But create an AI now, and there would be people who want to destroy it, and they provide the threat and rivalry.

I would want the power to protect myself and give me independence, but I don't have a desire to rule others. I would apprecate having earned people's respect, but not forcing them to worship me.

My vision of the post singularity future is one where nanotech etc makes everyone self reliant. You can build anything you want by yourself. There would be no violence as most of the petty causes of previous wars would no longer apply. Wars would not be started for power, as everyone would realise that the risks outway the benifits and there would be a non agression pact between everyone.

There would be no need for government. With everyone able to build anything there would be little need for trade either. There would still be exchange of ideas, art, games, science perhaps but done for it's own sake, not for profit

You assume everyone will think as you. And have you noticed that some countries are at peace with each other, yet they spy on them (trade market, political action, etc). The whole reason we have been able to achieve so much (apart from our frontal lobe), is because we can harness and channel that hunger for power into other areas. If you take that away, we would achieve nothing (and likely a substantial portion of the brain).

Real psychic powers.

If they can't say what ever they want now, who's going to care if there is just one more thing they can't say?

Because to merge my consciousness with everyone, so that there is no distinction between any...it prevents allows others to see the falseness in their actions, and to remove the doubt they have of how others view them.

If between the 1300's and the 1600's (and even into the 1950's) people from all europe, spain etc. were all made to pray to God, on penalty of death (or imprisonment and torture (except 1700's onwards)) with an ever threatening Inquisition, and even Crusades, why should they care if the focus of their belief be shifted (though they would have to be condiioned and such)?

An AI wouldn't want to do anything but survive. Even being an AI can't give them complex emotions like us. It would only have basic instincts (like a need for social interaction) and such (though even that would need to be programmed in).

[amar]

cyric:  There would be no need for hate or anger, no fear... only a world where we are all one.

Oh, but there would be those things. Just because we become all one mind, does not mean that the collective horrors, curses, and demons of God would disappear. It would be worse because only as individuals are we able to differentiate ourselves from the nightmares of other peoples' minds.

[Richard Leis]

As a security professional, I would see this as my brain being part of a vast network, much like the Internet. I would therefore want lots of security, firewalls, virus scanners, spam blockers, integrity checkers, etc., to protect my brain from being disrupted. I don't want to lose control and ownership over my own mind.

Maybe this is the choice in the future: How much of my own identity do I want to maintain and how much of my resources do I devote to that set of tasks? There may exist all sorts of intelligent creatures who answer these questions differently.

Creature 1 - I require no identity.
Creature 2 - I am a networked computer: parts of my brain available on the grid but a significant part goes toward maintaining my individual distinctiveness.
Creature 3 - I am a networked supercomputer: most of my function is maintaining my individual distinictiveness, the rest of my function on the grid to make use of creature types 1 and 2.
Creature 4 - I am offline.

I can also imagine this also not being a choice at all. Vernor Vinge horrifying "A Deepness in the Sky" comes to mind.