In general this is true, but I believe that in this particular case the reasoning doesn’t apply. Solving problems like arthritis and cancer is essential for prolonging productive biological life.
Granted, such solutions would cease to be useful once mind uploading is implemented. However, IMO mind uploading is so difficult—and, therefore, so far in the future—that, if we did chose to focus exclusively on it, we’d lose too many utilons to biological ailments. For the same reason, prolonging productive biological life now is still quite useful, because it would allow researchers to live longer, thus speeding up the pace of research that will eventually lead to uploading.
In general this is true, but I believe that in this particular case the reasoning doesn’t apply. Solving problems like arthritis and cancer is essential for prolonging productive biological life.
Granted, such solutions would cease to be useful once mind uploading is implemented. However, IMO mind uploading is so difficult—and, therefore, so far in the future—that, if we did chose to focus exclusively on it, we’d lose too many utilons to biological ailments. For the same reason, prolonging productive biological life now is still quite useful, because it would allow researchers to live longer, thus speeding up the pace of research that will eventually lead to uploading.