Posted on 12/13/2020 5:28:22 AM PST by Kaslin
There are various definitions of the Singularity, but they all roughly mean the time when computing power exceeds the capabilities of all human intelligence. That date is now roughly expected to arrive as early as 2060.
John von Neumann, one of the greatest mathematicians, computer scientist, and polymath of the twentieth century, is generally credited as the first to articulate the singularity as "accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life, which gives the appearance of approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue." After being popularized, notably by Ray Kurzweil and others, the Singularity today is a full-on intellectual industry, merging into artificial intelligence and quantum computing, with the focus squarely on its potential to devastate the human race.
The Singularity can fairly be said to have entered general public consciousness. But in truth, its emergence will be dwarfed by the significance it will assume in the next twenty years. It is no exaggeration to predict that the Singularity, more than any other single phenomenon, will shape our lives; commerce; interpersonal relationships; financial markets; governments; and, inevitably, our political parties and their ideologies.
As best as anyone can tell, the Singularity is right on schedule. A graph recently appearing on the internet captures the advancement with clarity.
Within the decade, computing power will exceed the capability of one human brain. From there, the path we are on has computing power exceeding all human brains a mere thirty years thereafter. The median age of the world population approximates 30 years old, which means that well more than half of all people alive today will in all likelihood personally experience the Singularity.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I suspect that technology is further along than the public knows. Singularity may be closer than it appears.
Well. Briefly.
I don’t suppose belief in God or the Ten Commandments will be programmed in...
To me God is the master mathematician and the singularity could be the final accession. Computers are just mathematical tools. If that’s his plan I’ll accept it.
Correct.
This focus on “computing power” is a little naive. WE can do great things with pattern recognition these days, but that is not the same as true intelligence. We can write programs that mimic intelligence in various ways, but we still have no idea how to write a program that emulates independent human creativity and ingenuity. Even the ability to hold intelligent, real-time conversations is not here yet.
Presently, there are innumerable Microsoft Excel data bases so vast that one mind can not contain nor comprehend the contents. What’s more,at present these files are on the Microsoft cloud that is so vast it is already beyond human comprehension
Garbage in, garbage out.
Man’s arrogance. Sort of like the tower of Babel.
Hard to believe the idiots running around here and we haven’t met this point or passed it long ago
There's already far more computing power than a human brain. The problem is all that power is being used for completely superficial tasks
They declare success with less accurate results than a very young child. In fact what the computers lack is a child's ability to abstract and generalize (among many other things).
Ah ha! One more thing to create and foster FEAR! JUST WHAT WE NEED!
But those of us in Christ know the most frequent command in the Bible, from the very lips of God Himself are: “Fear not.” But this is only because we are in Christ.
This truth is balanced by “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (also knowledge)”
And I love this one: “the fear of God cancels out all other fears.” I think that was Hugh Black?
Back ehen Relational databses were niw tge largest RDBS in the world was the IRS at terabyte. It filled 10 office building floors.
I just installed a 1 TB micro SD card in my phone. 1/4” sqare by 1mm thick.
In a few years.
And now the phone operator in more sophisticated places sounds like a human and converses and peopoe do not even know they have been talking to a computer.
Collossus (predated Skynet). Just sayin’
A point I have been pondering.:
God created everything & mathematics explains everything (at least the parts we have figured).
Coincidence? You decide.
Personally, I think JeanLM is right.
1. Machine learning grows at an exponential rate. The rate at which machines get smarter accelerates. AI came about in the 60s and showed no progress for many years. That is what an exponential rate looks like (see Moore’s law).
2. The machines will get “smarter” and they will reach human capabilities. With the cloud, machine learning is now approaching the computing power of the human brain. But machines will continue getting smarter while humans don’t. That is the scary/exciting part, based on your perspective. No one knows what happens after that.
If you really want to know, check out this 90 minute interview with Kurzweil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbz293KuCL8
You will be astounded by state of AI and it’s rate of progress. It’s happening right now, no secrets, science fiction, or conspiracy theories.
Does anybody believe we are immune from the same consequences?
The 2060 date to based on this survey. Kurzwell first predicted 2045 and has since changed it 2029
While attending a premiere of one of his documentaries in NYC (pre pandemic), my eldest (then a 1st year college student), leaned over and said "I don't like this because time and experience will no longer be a prerequisite for skill". Interesting view. I reminded them that accounting skills are still needed even though a calculator can outperform a human in speed in accuracy.
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