MindUploading and perplexing questions about "I"

Hi everyone,<br><br>I believe that mind uploading will be a real thing but I am confounded by the following philosophical question about consciousness and the concept of "I". I would be happy if you share your thoughts on the topic. I am not a philosophy expert and English is not my native language, so I apologize if my formulations are not the most precise ones.<br><br>Let's imagine that we manage to map the human brain to an almost perfect extent, at any point in time. We are able to simulate this map in a computer with high fidelity to the real thing.<br><br>Now, the most important question here is: who/what is conscious in this virtual simulation? Is it the "real me" or is it a simulation of me which is very similar to the "real me" but still not exactly the real me?<br><br>Is it reasonable to say that the "real me" has died of "natural causes" while a very similar simulation of me exists which can, in a hypothetical scenario, even outlive the real me millionfold?<br><br>I generally don't think that "I" am my skin, my hair, my bones, my stomach, my heart, or my blood. And I am not my brain either. If my brain were to be transplanted into the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger, would I not still be "me"?<br><br>But at the same time, "I" am nothing without a functioning brain and body. And if my brain is still assembled from the same neurons and if it generally behaves the same as it did before, couldn't we safely argue that "I" am still "me"?<br><br>So, does it matter if my brain is "real" or virtual, or if my brain consists of blood, flesh, and neurons or of transistors and diodes? <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit: Thanks for all the different perspectives and insights. I read all the comments.