Singularity Summit 2009: Thus Spake Kurzweil

"All I know is that when it does get here, I hope it doesn't run on Windows. "

haha nice

The grammatical errors in almost every article on this website are becoming harder and harder to bear. Is it so hard to proofread work that is about to be accessible to almost anyone?

Some examples:
1. "Before started in on his talk, he produced..."
2. "...neuroscience will soon start reveling similar complexities..."
3. "...let some of the conference attendees tell you what they think the Singularity."

An AI program running in Windows would be nice actually.

You could chat w/ it, make jokes to each other, watch movies together, and become best friends. :-)

When you need to buy a new laptop then you should let the AI choose it, to be fair. Because it maybe just another laptop to you, but to the AI, that is the home! :-)

@ tylereatsairplane: fixed! and thanks for the help.

>> An AI program running in Windows would be nice actually. <<

Hmm, do you remember the annoying paperclip?

You're so right Stuart. The truth is the human brain is a half-billion year old kludge, having been constantly built-on, rejigged and stretched by the co-evolutionary demands of its operating system.

The hardware of the human brain is quite frankly inferior, and its technology would not have passed muster when computers had to be built from scratch by pioneering engineers, even if we'd known what it was starting out.

The fact that we will only by 2030 be in a position to claim parity with this kludge from a hardware perspective is quite a staggering thought considering that in all other engineering disciplines man has long surpassed its creator.

Then, when we've patted ourselves on the back for this "singular" achievement, hopefully we'll have then begun to realise and humbled ourselves to the sheer awesomeness of what still needs to be achieved.

The thing about the Singularity is this - it's wholly focused on the hardware side. All the information about hardware being equal to what the human brain can store, or hold the number of interconnections ignores the way the brain is wired.

Just as you can't pour 10,000 bags of Spaghetti onto the ground and have an Eiffel Tower suddenly emerge, you are not going to get anything like human intelligence from simply having a vast amount of computing power and memory sitting there. And since the difficulty of making a working program increases with complexity, it's going to be a long time building toward that goal - if anyone indeed wants to put that much effort forth.

I think rather more interesting is the possibility of wiring the human brain into electronics directly to combine the strengths of both platforms, rather than simply trying to recreate something we already have working today in analog form.

as one approaches singularity, tidal forces in the event horizon must, and will utterly dis-integrate the traveler (social humanity/civilization/institutions) shortly after crossing the horizon.

This happened in a prior singularity involving the printing press (1455 - 1814) which caused among other things hyperinflation in spiritual currency (indulgences), vast increases in IQ and memory via fixity, cheap replication and deflation (death of guilds, scribes) through print. Thus arose capitalism and a new entirely new species/creature, the corporation and the demise of theocratic western govt resulting in an "asteroid belts'" worth of debris of sects, and the very idea of nations without kings.

In particular, when seen as a competing organism, corporations are doing their best to engineer the human out of the loop as the most expensive balance sheet item (labor). However, in a next stage, corporations themselves may be assigned to the slag heap. Point being, none of the actors in this play will go quietly into that good night.

Now as then, the prevailing paradigm *can never reach* the singularity intact. As Kurzweil correctly states, we have been approaching the event horizon for many decades and are already in it (note the explosion in printing of money as an effect), but can't see it *because* we are in it.

I believe it is correct to anticipate continued provolutive improvement in circuit densities and network efficiencies. It is perhaps less correct to think that society will inevitably survive the event horizon experience all the to the singularity point. Thus, at some point, progress may take a huge detour as the very meaning of money comes into question as in: "there is no spoon".

I realize that my comments may have sounded harsh, although I did not intend them to be harsh or derogatory towards the PopSci writers. I very much enjoy the articles, but have noticed some errors and typos. I just think that impeccable grammar lends to the writer's credibility, that's all :)

When you need to buy a new laptop then you should let the AI choose it, to be fair. Because it maybe just another laptop to you, but to the AI, that is the home! :-)

www.cirurgia-plastica.com

"The truth is the human brain is a half-billion year old kludge, having been constantly built-on, rejigged and stretched by the co-evolutionary demands of its operating system.

The hardware of the human brain is quite frankly inferior, and its technology would not have passed muster when computers had to be built from scratch by pioneering engineers, even if we'd known what it was starting out."

That may be true, but it's an ORGANIC COMPUTER. Come on, we haven't even gotten that far in making organic technologies as advanced as that - we've pretty much only gotten cloning.

And despite the fact that just about every scientist and skeptist worth their salt will tell you, the brain is able to work in alternate dimensions. Most of the time, we wouldn't even know it. Who says that things like dreaming can't take place in an alternate reality?

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Duct tape is like the Force - it has a Light side, a Dark side, and it holds the universe together. -- Carl Zweiberg