Does whole brain emulation entail the emulation of mental disorders?
Does whole brain emulation entail the emulation of mental disorders?

Summary/Abstract: This paper argues that in order to replicate all of the human brain’s functions in some physical substrate through a process known as whole brain emulation (WBE), we also need to replicate the human brain’s capacity for mental disorders. Our argument is based on the assumptions and technical definition of WBE put forward by Anders Sandberg and Nick Bostrom. The paper takes a narrow, focused perspective in that the problem of WBE discussed here is not one of psychiatry, the philosophy of the mind, or psychology but rather one of technology and the philosophy of technology. Thus, issues associated with psychiatry, philosophy of mind, or psychology are not addressed here. The argument presented in this paper makes three assumptions: (1) All mental functions are functions of the brain. (2) The human brain has a propensity for mental disorder. (3) A whole brain emulation will by definition replicate all functions of the human brain because it exactly models the brain it is based upon. These leads to the conclusion that WBE will have the same propensity for mental disorder as a human brain. This argument was found to be valid and sound, based on the given assumptions. The authors therefore propose that the potential for WBEs to develop mental disorders, currently considered at best a marginal issue in WBE research, should become a mainstream element of the ongoing research into WBE technology.

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