The Singularity

macrochip (57)in #technology • 8 years ago (edited)

Transcending the human condition through a super-intelligence

A combination of two worlds

Thesis: The human brain is able to accomplish marvelous feats of intelligence.

We have a capability to extend our knowledge about the universe by thinking alone. Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for example both invented (almost simultaneously) one of the most important fields of mathematics - namely Calculus - by locking themselves in their rooms and playing around with the basic tools of pre-existing math. But our brains are very slow when it comes to complex calculations owing that to the fact that we didn't need math to survive evolution.

Thesis: The central processing unit is able to accomplish marvelous feats of mathematics.

We have created machines that can - equipped with the rules our brains derived from the laws of nature & mathematics - calculate massive amounts of information at an incredible speed with perfect accuracy. But devoid of these rules they are also incredibly stupid.
These paragraphs are a simple elaboration on the famous Einstein quote:

Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid. Human beings are
incredibly slow, inaccurate, and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination.

Together...

What did he mean by that? Famous futurist Ray Kurzweil is convinced that a human-machine-interface is an inevitable fact of human progress; that we will be enhancing human intelligence with the aid of technology. But he goes even further by saying we are approaching a point in history in which we will create intelligence that is superior to human intelligence and thus will be able to improve itself recursively leading to an exponential growth of intelligence (Intelligence explosion). Disregarding ethical implications for the moment such a super intelligence will make any (purely) human thought from then on obsolete (regarding science and progress of course). This will be the moment of the technological singularity.

Whether it will be a computer-based AI or a trans-human with an enhanced brain remains to be seen. In any case once such an intelligence is in existence, the range of applications is vast to say the least:
Robotic medical doctors performing life-saving surgery with perfect accuracy, unless of course we won't already have nanotechnology healing us from within our bloodstream. Millions of worker robots generating enough wealth for every single human, making money obsolete and affording us all a comfortable, healthy life, which also means no more armed conflict, because what would be the point? All we want is a wealthy, enjoyable life.

Space exploration with hyperintelligent robots and thus spaceships without (material- as well as energy-) expensive life support systems is another application.
Imagine armies of robots roaming the canyons of Mars, terraforming it and building human habitats or sentient ships mining for resources on asteroids while others collect hydrogen from the suns corona as fuel, all without human intervention. The Alcubierre drive could be developed, allowing us to reach for the stars.

Overpopulation will be no concern, depleted terran resources will be no concern, illnesses and all the other petty things that hold us meatbags back and tie us to this fragile cradle will all no longer be a concern. Mankind can fullfill its potential and reach out into space. After all there's enough room, isn't it...?

Post Scriptum:
I originally published this article on my blog in early 2014. Coincidentally this genius short documentary related to the topic here was released later that year. I urge you to watch it!

8 years ago in #technology by macrochip (57)

Sort:

cryptoctopus (74) 8 years ago (edited)

As Dr. Michio Kaku said that, at this point, the machine would probably want us out of their way and that our best bet would be to merge with them...
I would almost call it a "Second Genesis".

As in the book of Genesis, the serpent promised that if Adam & Eve hate "the fruit of the tree of knowledge":

That they shall be like Gods
That they shall have increased Knowledge
That they shall never die

Sounds like a rehash of the oldest story in the book...literally. The consequence of this may not be as "transcendental" as most people believe. We may become disembodied spirits condemn to never die. Not to sound too biblical but it is said: "they shall seek death and will not find it". What if it is a curse rather than a gift?

It's interesting that to this day, the symbol of science and knowledge remains the serpent on a tree...food for thought.

$0.03

3 votes

[-]

macrochip (57) 8 years ago

Thank you for your input!

I agree that man's role as the dominant lifeform on this planet will be contested as soon as the first super-intelligence comes into existence, there is no question in my mind about that. It's all about how we handle such radical transition which poses an unrivaled evolutionary challenge to us as a species.

I chose to ignore this implication in my article for practical reasons, but I'm happy to discuss it anyway.

If we merged with the entity, as you describe it, the "price" we'd have to pay would not necessarily be an infinite lifespan but rather having to choose the moment of our own death. Maybe at a certain amount of accumulated and stored knowledge and experience an individual will develop a natural, though non-physical "tiredness" from existence? I think we can't anticipate such feeling for which a word has still to be invented. However, personally I can already declare I'd rather "shut myself down" before I'd have to witness the heat death of the universe.

If we decided not to merge with the superior entity, there's not much to discuss. Movies frequently portray superintelligences as curious and marveling at humans but in the real world us fragile meatbags have obviously no utility to them other than matter they can process.

$0.00

2 votes

[-]