In this blog post, we explore the impact of artificial intelligence technologies like AlphaGo on the future of humanity, as well as the possibility that they could lead to the end of the human race.
Homo antecessor, Homo floresiensis, Homo ergaster, Homo rudolfensis. What do these four terms have in common? At first glance, they sound like spells that wizards from the Harry Potter novels might recite. Unfortunately, these terms are not magic spells but biological classifications referring to human species that existed in the past. So, in 2025, what is the term used to describe modern humans? Most of you have likely encountered this term through TV shows, the internet, or books. It is Homo sapiens.
Homo sapiens means “wise man” in Latin. Homo sapiens are the humans who developed Paleolithic culture starting around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. Characterized by bipedalism and a larger brain capacity compared to other human species, they exhibit behavioral patterns similar to the people we see around us today. Modern humans, “Homo sapiens,” have adapted well to life on Earth. Most people believe that, barring a massive natural disaster like the extinction of the dinosaurs, humanity will not go extinct for several centuries.
However, Yuval Noah Harari, the author of *Sapiens*, has a slightly different perspective. According to Harari’s *Sapiens*, Homo sapiens will face extinction in the not-too-distant future. The end of Homo sapiens signifies the end of modern humanity. How exactly will modern humanity meet its end? And what does this “end” actually mean? Does it mean disappearing from Earth, or evolving into a new species? Yuval Noah Harari argues that humans are gradually transcending their inherent biological characteristics and moving closer to the realm of the divine. In this process, the various traits originally possessed by Homo sapiens are disappearing, and he views the disappearance of these traits as the end.
While he cites many reasons for this “end,” I would like to focus specifically on cyborg engineering. Before diving in, let’s explore what a cyborg is. What exactly is a cyborg? The book describes it as “an entity partially composed of both living and non-living matter.” This “combination” does not simply mean assembling blocks of living and non-living matter—like Lego pieces—to create a single entity. One can think of it as a human composed of biological blocks, where if a single biological block fails to function properly or develops a problem, it is replaced with a mechanical block. An entity created through this process is called a cyborg.
The prediction that humans will disappear from Earth due to cyborgs is already familiar to existing “Homo sapiens.” Countless movies, books, and TV programs on Earth depict fierce competition and war between cyborgs and humans. James Cameron’s *The Terminator* vividly illustrates, through the medium of film, how machines are created to resemble humanity, and how those machines then seek to eliminate humanity and take over the Earth. However, the apocalypse caused by cyborgs discussed in this book differs slightly from the familiar narratives found in movies.
Yuval Noah Harari believes that if a vital organ—such as the brain—is replaced with a machine, the resulting entity is no longer a true Homo sapiens. He argues that since most of the Homo sapiens genetic material would be lost in such a scenario, this would mark “the end of Homo sapiens.”
Let’s assume that “a pure human, not replaced by any machine, is 100 percent composed of Homo sapiens genes.” But let’s consider a scenario where machines make up more than 50 percent of a human’s body—or even more. In an extreme case, if more than 90 percent of my body were made up of machines, would I be a machine? Or would I still be a human? Or, if only the brain is replaced by a machine, can we still consider it a true Homo sapiens, since it no longer perceives or thinks with a human brain? Regarding these two questions, we can at least conclude that a person with mechanical components cannot be viewed as a “perfect” Homo sapiens.
If we become “less” Homo sapiens by 1 percent every 100 years, simple math tells us that humanity 10,000 years from now will no longer resemble Homo sapiens. Ultimately, Homo sapiens will face extinction.
This raises another question: Is it even possible for machines to replace every aspect of humanity? Machines have evolved alongside human history. As various engineering fields have advanced, it has become possible to replicate diverse organ systems, and it won’t be long before all organs can be replicated. Unlike other organs, however, the brain remains largely unknown, making its replication quite difficult. In other words, the ultimate goal of engineers is to replicate the brain. Consider the recent historic showdown between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol in a game of Go. It was a clash between artificial intelligence—specifically deep learning—and the human brain. While AlphaGo’s 3-1 victory marked a defeat for humanity, from the perspective of cyborg development, it was also welcome news that machines may soon be able to replace the human brain.
In addition, artificial retinas and cochlear implants—which replace damaged or dysfunctional organs—have begun to emerge. Thanks to technological advancements, humans are overcoming their limitations through machines. In other words, a society where humans and machines collaborate is taking shape. It is inevitable that we will be swept up in this trend. Ultimately, humanity cannot help but be influenced by machines, and since technological advancements can replace most human functions, the hypothesis of the end of Homo sapiens, as proposed by Yuval Noah Harari, has gained further credibility. Artificial intelligence technologies like AlphaGo will ultimately contribute significantly to the creation of cyborgs, and eventually, Homo sapiens will face extinction.
Looking back at the history of technological development, humanity has always evolved alongside technology. By using fire, creating tools, and developing language, humanity began to dominate nature. And now, we have reached the stage where we seek to use technology to transcend our biological limitations. Humanity will not simply become an accessory to machines but will embrace a new form of evolution through coexistence with them.
Now we can answer the question posed in the title. Could AlphaGo bring about the extinction of humanity? Yes. AlphaGo will lead “Homo sapiens” to its end. However, this will not be mere extinction but rather an evolution into a new form of existence. We may lose our characteristics as Homo sapiens, but in the process, we will discover new possibilities. Our fusion with technology will present us with a new path, and that path will open up a future we could never have imagined.
