Essay On History Of Singularity

Jesse Bruce

Can the History of Technology Predict the Future of it?

When looking at the history of science and technology can we identify any themes or common patterns throughout time? That is, when looking at the history of science and technology as a whole, can we use this information to make accurate predictions of the future of science and technology? Science fiction writers have been doing it for years, but it is no longer a topic reserved for fiction writers, but a topic beginning to be explored by philosophers and intellects. One prominent theory, or idea that is being discussed of late, is the idea of "the singularity".

“The Singularity is a future period, [in] which technological change will be so rapid and its impact so profound that every aspect of human life will be irreversibly transformed.” –Ray Kurzweil. The concept of singularity was borrowed from physics, where it is used to describe the fact that all known laws of physics break down at a black hole (a space-time singularity), and no information can escape its event horizon. The technological singularity represents an intelligence event horizon where various future technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and robotics will synergize to create ultra-intelligent “post-human” beings and AI that far surpass the intelligence of normal humans. At this point a positive feedback loop will occur between post-humans and AI; designing successively and increasingly intelligent minds/AI, which will result in change becoming so rapid that it becomes impossible to predict anything beyond this point, from our current vantage point.

It is believed that at this point the distinction between man and machine will be gone, as we will be a sign...

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...ether AI+/AI++ are considered sentient beings.

The looming possibility of a singularity is an important topic that I think covers many areas of philosophy and ethics, or at least for enjoyment about speculating on the possible future and what it will mean. I think that a lot of these things will come to happen in one way or another, but I am not convinced that this will happen as soon as 2045. Much of AI predictions throughout history have been optimistic and have fallen short of their mark. It is an interesting topic none the less that I believe deserves to be in the conversation, as do other scientists and philosophers in various fields.

http://bigthink.com

Chalmers, D. (2010). The singularity: A philosophical analysis. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 17(9-10), 9-10.

Ray Kurzweil - The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology