2045 Initiative Will Sponsor Research in Cybernetic Immortality

A major goal of the 2045 Initiative is to establish the world's first research center for immortality. The initiative was launched by Russian internet mogul Dmitry Itskov who is now looking for billionaire and millionaire backers for the grand project that offers the chance of immortality as payoff: The goal is to enable cybernetic immortality within 30 years.

Itskov, together with leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems founded the initiative in February 2011 and worked out a general roadmap with 4 major steps so far. The multi-decade research and development push will try to understand human consciousness and ultimately how to transfer it from human bodies into robotic avatars:

• By 2020 scientists will figure out how to control robots via brain-machine interfaces (read: mind control).
• By 2025 the goal is to place a human brain into a working robot and have that person's consciousness (memories, personality, and everything else that makes up the "self") transfer along with it.
• By 2035, create robots with artificial brains to which human consciousness can be uploaded.
• 2045 will see advanced, possibly holographic, avatars for immortal humans

Itskov sees the 2045 Initiative as an engine for technological and economic development, one that will drive discovery in neuroscience, robotics, artificial intelligence - even spirituality.

The Russian multi-millionaire indicated that he will formally announce a new corporate entity at an event in June that will allow investors to bankroll the research project into neuroscience and human consciousness with the ultimate goal of transferring human minds into robots, extending human life indefinitely. Early investors will be first in line for the technology when it matures.

The project describes its mission as advancing mankinds evolution, and also highlights its intention to initiate dialogue including religious institutions:

"The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies. 

The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual's personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world's major spiritual traditions, science and society.

A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future."