The Law of Accelerating Returns An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense “intuitive linear” view. So we won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century — it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today’s rate). The “returns,” such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There’s even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth. Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity — technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light. You will get $40 trillion just by reading this essay and understanding what it says. Now back to the future: it’s widely misunderstood. Wherefrom Moore’s Law
Nick Bostrom's Home Page Singularity Summit at Stanford An Annual Conference onScience, Technology, and the Future The Singularity Summit is an annual conference on science, technology, and the future co-produced by MIRI and Singularity University. Topics explored include artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, the Singularity, robotics, regenerative medicine, and big picture issues on the trajectory of human civilization. Each year, about 25 eminent speakers share their latest views over the course of two days. The conference was founded by MIRI, Ray Kurzweil, and Peter Thiel in 2006. Summit 2012 Summit 2011 Summit 2010 Summit 2009 Summit 2008 Summit 2007 Summit 2006
Custoprothetik Singularity Hypotheses: A Scientific and Philosophical Assessment What is the Singularity? Existential risk or cultist fantasy? Rapture of the nerds? An unstoppable intelligence explosion? Computing pioneer Alan Turing wrote as long ago as 1951 that "at some stage therefore we should have to expect the machines to take control". “Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since that time, the notions of 'intelligent explosion' and 'technology singularity' have increasingly passed into the public awareness. But are any of the accounts of the technological singularity credible? A new book, "Singularity Hypotheses: A Scientific and Philosophical Assessment", is about to be published, that gathers the latest thinking about the singularity from a who's who of deep thinkers. London Futurists are very fortunate that the lead editor of this book, Amnon Eden, will be presenting a summary of some key arguments about Singularity hypotheses, in our meeting on 11th May.
Singularity Network Man Chooses to Cut Off His Hand – And Get a Bionic One (video For the second time in a calendar year, a patient has chosen to cut off his own hand so that he could be fitted with a bionic one. It is a testament to the progress of bionics that patients are beginning to favor the technological alternative over ineffective biological treatments. Milo In 2001, while on vacation in his native Serbia, the patient called “Milo” was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. The bionic hand, manufactured by the German prosthetics company Otto Bock, is equipped with six sensors that overly the skin and detect neuronal signals in the forearm. Milo just woke from surgery earlier this week and hasn’t had time yet to verify the operation’s success. Patrick Last year a 24-year old Austrian man named Patrick became one of the first patients ever to undergo ‘elective amputation’ surgery. Now, Patrick can tie his shoes again, and he can fill a glass with water without dropping or breaking it. As you can see, the Otto Bock hand is very versatile. [image credit: BBC]
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky