July 15 2008 / by futuretalk
Category: Other Year: General Rating: 9 Hot
By Dick Pelletier
As the future unfolds, humanity will reach intelligence levels
never before dreamed possible. Today’s powerful supercomputers will
evolve into tomorrow’s sophisticated robots and achieve
smarter-then-human intelligence. 
These super smart machines will one day learn to build copies of
themselves with each generation becoming smarter than the last.
This will create an information explosion that promises to change
the world beyond our wildest imaginings.
The event, called the Singularity, is projected by positive
futurists to happen around mid-2030s and will speed breakthroughs
in every science and technology. Genetic engineering, nanotech,
transportation, space exploration, and environmental improvements
will all quickly mature from the impact of the Singularity and will
begin delivering huge benefits.
Nanotech, for example, promises to eliminate world food shortage
and create forever-healthy bodies – even take a potshot at death
itself – plus provide unlimited material wealth. But so far,
progress has been painstakingly slow. The Singularity could rush
this wonder technology forward overnight.
Other health problems could be solved too. Cancer, heart
disease, Alzheimer’s, AIDS – virtually
every human sickness could disappear.
In a recent Focus magazine article, acclaimed scientist Stephen
Hawking warned that computers are advancing faster than humans. “If
we don’t make changes, they could take over our world.” (cont.)
But AI entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil offers a different view. “As
computers exceed human intelligence, differences between humans and
machines become blurred.” Kurzweil asserts that robots are a human
creation, and tomorrow’s super-intelligent versions will simply
merge with us and become the next step in our evolution.
But before human-machine merges begin, these super intelligent
robots will be living in our communities – and they could pose some
interesting issues. Should they be given rights? Should they be
allowed to vote? And how should we interact with these mechanical
beings who are becoming more human-like with each generation?
Though similar to us, they share none of our biological heritage,
and their intelligence will be radically different than ours.
When chess champion Gary Kasparov played against Deep Thought,
he sensed a new type of thinking that took him by surprise – not
just faster thinking, but different thinking; a non-human kind of
logic. Some say learning this new logic will raise mankind to new
heights.
Although many of us think life rushes by at rocket speeds now,
the future will advance even faster. Author James John Bell, in his
“Exploring the Singularity” article in The Futurist, says “we won’t
just experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century – it will
be more like 20,000 years of progress”.
The ‘singularity’ will also help us address the most important
problem of all – the 50 million people who die each year.
Scientists believe that most of these deaths could be prevented
with tomorrow’s technologies. The Singularity could speed
technology development and save millions of lives that would
otherwise be lost.
Our “magical future” is on the way and the Singularity could
make it happen in our lifetime. It should be an incredible trip.
Comments welcome.
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