From Digital Twins to Digital Selves and Beyond

Abstract

This book is a tiny contribution to the ideas of the Gilgamesh project. However, in contrast to the Gilgamesh project, which is more oriented toward the exploration of eternal biological life, we think that research initiatives redirecting attention toward capabilities of digital artifacts and their impact on artificial life help redefining common grounds and disparities. In this way, we want to lay ground for informed co-existence and co-creation opportunities, either driven by biological or digital capabilities. Consequently, the book is about deepening the understanding of the relation between Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) as socio-technical systems and advancing their digital representations in terms of intertwining human and machine intelligence. In exploring this avenue, it is crucial to recognize that digital twins as digital selves should be able to develop emotional behavior, enriching the socio-cognitive habitat of Cyber-Physical Systems.