Merging Machines & Minds
Due to Moore’s Law, the exponential increase in the growth of information technology; there will be a “singularity”.
To fulfill my inherent curiosity to explore advancements in technology, I recently watched Transcendent Man. From a macro perspective, the film foretells how humanity will transcend its biological boundaries, breaking the boom-and-bust cycle that has characterized every other species of nature. Kurzweil is a noted inventor and futurist; he is a man who refuses to accept the inevitability of physical death.
He proposes that a “singularity” is inevitable, a point where humanity and machines will merge, allowing one to transcend biological mortality: advances in genetics will provide the knowledge to reprogram biology, eliminate disease and stop the aging process; nanotechnology will keep humans healthy from the inside using robotic “red blood cells” and provide a human-computer interface within the brain; artificial intelligence, will make superhuman intelligence possible, including the ability to back up the mind.
The alarming part of the Singularity is that it violates no laws of physics, suggesting that it is more likely a question of “When”, not “If”. Kurzweil predicts that by 2029, artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence. Kurzweil made a highly accurate prediction in the 1970’s that in 1995 a computer would become the world’s best chess player, which seemed a lot crazier back then (Kurzweil also predicted that immediately afterward, chess would be dismissed as an invalid test of true AI).
I think Abraham Lincoln said it best, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”; which is what many technologists are focused on.