editedbeing

Editedbeing is a term used to describe a being whose core characteristics—biological, mental, or digital—have been intentionally modified or edited by external agents or by the being itself. The concept is not a formal scientific category but a rhetorical and analytic tool used across science fiction, philosophy, and discussions of emerging technologies to examine questions of personal identity, autonomy, and rights when modification affects what a being essentially is.

Edited-ness can occur through various modalities. Genetic editing refers to alterations of the genome, potentially changing traits, development, or predispositions. Digital editing encompasses reprogramming of software-based identities, avatars, or neural data that underpins cognition and memory. Memetic or experiential editing involves altering memories, beliefs, or personality patterns, while synthetic or hybrid forms combine biological and artificial components.

In speculative contexts, edited beings are used to explore continuity of self, responsibility for edits, consent, and unequal access to enhancement.

They also prompt debates about moral status, legal personhood, and the responsibilities of guardians, designers, or society at large toward beings whose identities have been edited.

Related concepts include transhumanism, posthumanism, genetic editing, brain-computer interfaces, digital identity, and memory modification.