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The Singularity is Near

Debate Information

The Singularity is Near

"In The Singularity Is NearWhen Humans Transcend Biology, Ray Kurzweil presents the next stage of his compelling view of the future: the merging of humans and machines. Kurzweil refers to this as “the singularity.

He describes the singularity as a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed.

Kurzweil postulates that we are already in the very early stages of this transition, and that within just a few decades, life as we know it will be completely different.

He explains, “The singularity will represent the culmination of the merger of our biological thinking and existence with our technology, resulting in a world that is still human but that transcends our biological roots. There will be no distinction, post-singularity, between human and machine nor between physical and virtual reality.

“If you wonder what will remain unequivocally human in such a world, it’s simply this quality — ours is the species that inherently seeks to extend its physical and mental reach beyond current limitations.” "    -kurzweilai.net


Here are links on the topic of the Singularity both for and against:


(A)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uIzS1uCOcE

(B)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kICLG4Zg8s

(C)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVXQUItNEDQ

(D)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlRTbl_IB-s

(E)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRgMTjTMovc

(F)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrZdAL_2LoU

(G)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpbRpvDKy74

(H)  https://www.technologyreview.com/s/425733/paul-allen-the-singularity-isnt-near/

(I)  http://www.singularity.com/KurzweilFuturist.pdf

(J)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OZDYGETKas&t=476s


Thoughts?

agsr
  1. Live Poll

    Is the Singularity Near?

    5 votes
    1. Yes
      20.00%
    2. No
      80.00%



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  • No it is not!
  • agsragsr 881 Pts   -  
    @xMathFanx, I think that we are likely going to get to singularity point, but not as quickly as predicted.  The trend of automation and machine learning is growing fast, but it msy evolve in different ways in our society.  That depends how we choose to promote amd/or regulate some of the technology.
    Live Long and Prosper
  • brontoraptorbrontoraptor 123 Pts   -  
    @xMathFanx

    In theory,the only thing there is, is a singularity where one of the last human beings went back in time and ruled as god.
  • xMathFanxxMathFanx 140 Pts   -   edited January 2018
    @xMathFanx

    In theory,the only thing there is, is a singularity where one of the last human beings went back in time and ruled as god.
    @brontoraptor ;

    That would make for a very interesting Sci-Fi storyline 
  • FredsnephewFredsnephew 361 Pts   -  
    It is a commonly held view, that human dominance will eventually be succeeded by a non-organic, intelligent entity.
    I personally regard this as the natural progression of the evolution of matter.
    The "singularity" as described above is probably inevitable, but certainly not the inevitable conclusion of this evolutionary process. It is merely a phase within this process.
    Ray Kurzweil's prediction is nothing new and pays regard to current thinking "within the box".
    Look beyond the box and the necessity for the continued existence of the "organic" is thrown into doubt.
  • cdog1950cdog1950 27 Pts   -  
    Not going to happen unless we can stop the development of an inorganic consciousness. Any intelligent AI will see humans to be a threat to the existence of the planet and promptly take steps to reduce that threat. In other words exterminate all or all but a portion of the species (kept most likely as a zoological specimen).  
  • CYDdhartaCYDdharta 1823 Pts   -  
    cdog1950 said:
    Not going to happen unless we can stop the development of an inorganic consciousness. Any intelligent AI will see humans to be a threat to the existence of the planet and promptly take steps to reduce that threat. In other words exterminate all or all but a portion of the species (kept most likely as a zoological specimen).  
    Why would an inorganic consciousness care about what happens to the planet?
  • FredsnephewFredsnephew 361 Pts   -  
    @CYDdharta ;

    Does it actually matter what happens to the planet?
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    Technological evolution is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to predict, due to the raw number of variables involved, and the nature of scientific and technological discoveries that tend to happen at the most unexpected times.

    For example, in 80-s, when the population's fascination with technology and science was very high and sci-fi novels were published in dozens every day, it was a widely held belief that in 10-15 years we would not need to work any more, as all the work would be done by machines. This obviously did not happen, and, in fact, we probably work even more today than in the past: the more complex the technology is, the more effort it takes to maintain it - at least, before a certain technological threshold is passed, when the technology becomes self-sustainable. 
    On the other hand, almost nobody in 80-s could predict the evolution of communication methods, where the Internet made such things possible as talking to your family member who is 10,000 miles away over Skype, while driving your car and seeing their face show at the dashboard in real time. 
    We thought we would be walking on the surface of Mars with no spacesuits on.
    But we could not imagine living in a realistically looking fantasy world as orcs or elves.

    Singularity may come in a year. Or in 100 years. Or never. Maybe singularity is not even possible and is nothing more than a science fiction construct. Or maybe there are trillions alien civilizations out there that have long passed the point of singularity.

    Something I am certain of, however, is that our future is tied with our integration with machines. Either 1000 years from now we will be almost entirely synthetic, switching personal enhancements around like coins - or humanity will have gone extinct for one reason or another.


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