You set a stake within the floor along with your e-book The Singularity Is Close to. This one known as The Singularity Is Nearer. How do you outline the singularity?
To me it’s when a human is not going to solely be capable to do all the things that different folks can do, but additionally create one thing new, like curing sure types of most cancers. AI is integral to doing that, as a result of you possibly can truly check out each single doable mixture of issues that may treatment most cancers. And as a substitute of asking which a type of billions of doable cures are we going to attempt, we are able to attempt all of them, and we are able to simulate them in just a few days. The singularity is once we can truly mix that type of considering with our regular considering, and we’ll then turn out to be superhuman.
If we get to that time the place we’re all merged with superintelligent methods, will there nonetheless be enormous private fortunes, or will earnings inequality be mitigated at that time?
What is the distinction between, say, us and billionaires? They’ll promote firms and so forth. However when it comes to our capacity to benefit from the fruits of life, it is just about the identical.
Greater than half the folks in the USA can’t provide you with $500 for an emergency. Are you assured that the social security web, and common primary earnings and packages like that, will equally share this promised abundance?
The protection web has expanded enormously. It is tons of of packages. And it should maintain doing that. Is that assured? No. It is determined by selections that we make, and how much political methods we deploy. As soon as we get to AGI, computer systems will be capable to do something, together with cleansing the dishes and developing with poetry—something you say, these machines can do.
Your views strike me as Panglossian. Do you’re feeling that people are basically good?
Sure. Out of all of this turmoil, we have gotten know-how, which by no means would have occurred with out brains mixed with opposable thumbs. Good issues occur.
You might argue that we’re destroying the planet.
Properly, no. Inside 10 years we’ll provide you with renewable power that does not produce carbon dioxide. Look, we’re going by way of a really massive change. Individuals—not simply scientists and philosophers—are asking, “How are we going to deal with this?” I believe these adjustments will proceed to be optimistic. We don’t have to fret about it.
Vernor Vinge, who first fleshed out the singularity idea, additionally died lately. Have been you in contact with him?
I used to be in contact with him alongside the best way. I believe the final time was in all probability 10 years in the past. How previous was he?
I believe he was in his eighties. [Kurzweil reaches for his phone.] Yeah, test that a part of your mind.
[Looking at the screen] OK, he was born in ’44. simply died in ’24. Seventy-nine. It’s pretty younger.
Up to date 06-14-24, 5:45 am ET: This story was up to date to make clear Kurzweil’s duties at Google.
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