Sunday, April 27, 2014

(S12) The Technological Singularity





Technological Singularity 

Advancements in technology have exponentially grown in the past decades.  
We have developed glasses that connect with the internet, 
robotic body parts, augmented brains, self driving cars and more!
 
Some people have worries that the machines 
may soon be able to "think" for themselves.

Should we be worried?
Or is this another exciting big thing in technology?
What does this mean to me?

Research:

Watch:


READ at least 2 articles.  Watch at least 2 videos.  Do your own research.
Be thoughtful in your responses.  This is a deep subject.  Think about it

  1. In your own words, what is technological singularity?  When do you think it will get here?  What other similar terms are out there? 
  2. Could the world be a better place with advancing technology -or- do you see this as a dangerous evolution to the human race?  Why?
  3. Who are the big names that are researching this theory?  Do you agree with any of them?
  4. You like technology right?  Wouldn't you like an automated kitchen helping you with meal prep? Maybe a robot to help with heavy work?  You drive in an automated city system that manages traffic, right?  Maybe you'll get a Google car someday to drive you to work while you nap.  What about non-humans to fight wars?  What do you think of these very nice uses of technology and how do they relate to the notion of Singularity?  Comment on a few or think of some of your own comparisons.   
Blog points this week = 100 points.   

Be thorough, thoughtful and insightful.  





38 comments:

  1. 1. A time when artificial intelligence goes beyond human intelligence or understanding. I don't think this will be in the near future, but we might be there in a couple decades or so. Gravitational singularity is when the measurements of gravitational pull are infinite. I played around with this in a mod that would pull everything in around it and pretty much implode.

    2. I see this as a good thing AS LONG AS they always have Isaac Asimov's 3 laws of robotics. If those 3 laws, which don't have any loopholes, are integrated into the technologies coding, humans are safe.

    3. Eden, Amnon; Moor, James; Søraker, Johnny; Steinhart, Eric. Those are some of them and I partially agree.

    4. I love all of those ideas making me have to do a lot less work. Maybe robots will be doing all the work people usually do and everything is free. This relates to singularity cause technology does have artificial intelligence if it acts on it's own, according to it's laws.

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  2. This blog is worth 100 this week. 25 points per question. Please write much more!

    1. Why don't you think it will be in the near future? How did you arrive at the "couple of decades" time frame? Gravitational singularity is not the topic.

    2. What are Asimov's 3 laws and why do you think they are important?

    3. So what do some of these people think? Who do you agree with, about what? Why?

    4. So if you love robots doing your work, you think its ok for them to maybe take over? How far should this all go? How is everything free? Read. Watch vids. Think more. Expand.

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  3. 1. At first I thought that technological singularity had to do with computers rather than robots taking over or expanding their power. Personally I think that this would be good to a certain extent meaning that robots can act as maids and help us,but this shouldn't mean that all people need to now be lazy because of these new technological advances. Also I think that this technological singularity will be here very soon possibly even the next decade.

    WILL UPLOAD THE REST LATER

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    1. 2.I see technological singularity as a bad thing because it will cause people to have their robots do everything for them and they will become lazy. Although some people actually need robots to care for them as we saw in the movie Robot and Frank where Frank is a independent old man who receives some help from a robot, but this does not mean that all people need robots to help them so I see this as a dangerous thing

      3.John Smart is one of the many men researching technological singularity He is president of the Acceleration Studies Foundation and professor for the Emerging Technologies masters program at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, AZ which teaches future of emerging technology ergo technological singularity and I agree with him completely when he says that these technologies will take over in a matter of 1 to 2 decades.

      4. All people rely on technology way too much already I can not imagine the day when we have robots to do everything for us this will purely show how lazy and reliant we are.Although I would like to see a robot that goes to school for us and implants us with all the knowledge it learned. This is just simply not going to happen, but if it does I believe this will be the end of human diversity and independence.

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  4. 1. The technological singularity is the point in time when technology becomes smarter than whatever dominant intelligence created it. It is also a marker for the moment after which the future is totally unpredictable. I am aware that many movies have been based on this premise.

    2. I would like to think that it would only enhance our lives, but it is always a possibility that it could end disastrously. Even so, one has to relish the idea of a robot butler that does everything for you, and even better, one you can befreind.

    3. Ray Kurzweil claims that technology will advance fast enough that we could reach the singularity in just 16 short years. As far fetched as this may be, it is not impossible. No one really saw the IPhone coming, or Google Glass, so anyone who says that something is impossible obviously has little or no credibility on the subject.

    4. My first thought would be that if robots became smarter than humans, they would immediately find a problem with our thoughtless disposal of them if used as war machines. I know robots can't have feelings, but they could definitely simulate them. As to the other parts, these things are just the beginning of our possible utilization of them in our everyday lives.

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  5. 1) Technological singularity is when technology becomes smarter than the human brain and can function completely by itself such as a human. It is hard to take a guess as to when this will come about, in the words of Mrs. K, “I couldn’t even imagine the internet when i was a kid” technologies that we never thought possible are discovered and developed very quickly, technological singularity is hard to guess on, i cannot take a guess based on research and articles i've read.

    2) I believe that advancing technology is good so long as we understand it, how it works, how it could malfunction, and steps to take should something go wrong. Take drones as an example, they can be hacked and used to attack homeland just with a computer. With advancing technologies we need to take the time to really understand what the tech truly amounts to. Otherwise it could very well lead to armageddon due to us rushing technology and not fully understanding it.

    3) Stuart Armstrong is a big name in researching this concept, i completely agree with him when he says “It's not fully formalized, but my current 80% estimate is something like five to 100 years”, that goes right alongside what i believe in answering that question of “when?”

    4) I think that robots to help around are useless and show how lazy human nature is. If we were to use technology to live our lives for us then we lose our humanity and our own singularity, however the machines we use to build huge skyscrapers and ships and planes, those are useful in that they help us expand human social qualities around the world and help us connect with other countries in a very short amount of time, but when overusing technology in the household and in our daily lives, it begins to be too much and we get to become too lazy, and then technology has become humanity.

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  6. 1. Technological singularity is the concept that artificial technology will surpass the intelligence of humans. I think it will take longer than most people think. Everyone believes technology will advance to flying cars and robot butlers etc. Maybe 40+ years until it is world wide.

    2. I believe the human race is bound to destroy everything we made and the world we live in. So advancing technology will overall be bad and will result in catastrophe.

    3. John von Neumann in 1958 coined the term singularity after a indepth conversation with Stanislaw Ulam.
    I agree that the time will come but not in a very long time.

    4. When automatic food gets dispensed and the kitchen cleans itself where will our independence go. If we get to this point we will be fat and completely reliant on robots. Look at the movie Wall-e robots did everything while humans float around in chairs. Robots will surpass our own knowledge because they are given all the available knowledge.

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  7. Technological singularity is when technology becomes smarter than the human brain and can function like a human. It is hard to imagine as it is right now because it is hard to grasp within are human minds. What we never thought possible are discovered and developed very quickly, technological singularity is hard to understand because everything is happening so fast. I guess based on research and articles i've read that it could come pretty soon. The world could be a better place but it also could be a world filled with robotic vs humans.


    I believe that advancing technology is good so long as we as humans can understand what it is and how to use it and what to do when something goes wrong. AN example would be drones. Drones from amazon will be able to be hacked or, used to kill people. ALso they can have bombs. With the technologies of the world becoming real, soon we must understand how to defend are selves from it and how to use it well enough.. Otherwise it could very well lead to world war against robots. Due to us rushing technology, it would be hard to understand if it enhanced are lives.

    AS innovator Sir James Dyson announces plans to invest in a new robotics lab, will a domestic R2-D2 ever become a reality? I completely agree with his idea and thought process because what he says in his article on http://www.express.co.uk/news/science-technology/458898/The-robots-are-coming-to-clean-up-in-your-homes is right. I like this a lot.



    You like technology right? Wouldn't you like an automated kitchen helping you with meal prep? Maybe a robot to help with heavy work? You drive in an automated city system that manages traffic, right? Maybe you'll get a Google car someday to drive you to work while you nap. What about non-humans to fight wars? What do you think of these very nice uses of technology and how do they relate to the notion of Singularity? Comment on a few or think of some of your own comparisons.
    This would be awesome. I want all of these robot maids and butlers to do this for me. And robots to fight wars. This is good because no violence to humans happens. No more slavery or homeless people? OR is there. Actually the use of robots to do this could replace lots of jobs. This is bad for a lot of people. But also this could get to the point where only robots have to work and everything else is free to the point where everyone is happy.

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  8. 1. The technological singularity, is a hypothetical moment in time when artificial intelligence will have progressed to the point of a greater-than-human intelligence, radically changing civilization, and perhaps human nature. Because the capabilities of such an intelligence may be difficult for a human to comprehend, the technological singularity is often seen as an occurrence (akin to a gravitational singularity) beyond which the future course of human history is unpredictable or even unfathomable.

    2. An evolution is good, as long as the world is at peace. To me it would be fine if robots learn to think on their own. People might be afraid of this because of human nature, it's violent and unforgiving. And if robots that think on their own see this violence then there might be issues.

    3. Jacob Lamm, I completely agree with him.

    4. I personally would like to do my own things, I'm not going to have a robot sword fight for me, I'd want to do fencing by myself. I'd also cook by myself and other things such as video games and daily tasks.

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  9. 1.) In my own words, technological singularity is when technology will think for itself and become over-superior to humans, or at least human knowledge as we know it. I have no idea when it will even approach us humans, but I'm sure there are researchers out there who have some kind of idea when it will happen.

    2.) Do I see this as a bad thing or a good thing? I myself have no real fear of the upcoming technologies taking over the world and such because I just don't see it happening I guess. So I don't see this as a bad thing at all, this revolutionary revolution could bring the human race much farther in life regarding technology. Even if they could have emotions and would try to take over I still don't think they would kill people or anything like that, I bet they would be kind of like a regular sane person.

    3.) Nick Bostrom, the director of The Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University,
    has authored a number of works regarding the impact and risks of the technological
    singularity. He wrote an essay in the year 1998 that in a nutshell says that by the year 2012, we will have immense software emulating the brain, But the year 2012 has passed by and we still cannot do such a thing. He has revised and rewrote his essay in the present and now predicts we will have that kind of technology by the year 2033. I agree with him on that he might be correct about this and I bet we'll have our emulated brain software by the year 2033, maybe even earlier.

    4.) Yes I like technology if I must say so myself. I think it would be awesome and very helpful to have a robot around your kitchen to help you cook of course. Yes I do drive in and automatic traffic system on the street. Well, even if I did own a Google car to drive me places while I work or nap or something, I would honestly stay awake because of safety precautions. Non-humans fighting wars seems okay, I don't really see whats wrong with it, except the fact that we in America are having tough times with supplies, we would probably run out of supplies to make these non-humans fighters, and then we would have to go back to humans fighting wars. Now I do believe these robots taking up jobs for example would be a disaster. If you have seen the movie Wall-e, you;d know the warning the movie gave us, If we are lazy and don't make ourselves do anything while robots are doing everything, we would just become extremely overweight and we wouldn't be able to protect ourselves. We really need to think twice about having robots do everything for us.

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  11. 1. Technological singularity is a certain moment in time were robots or AI become smarter or more intelligent than humans. I think this singularity could come at any moment in time, but would it be good or bad. Humans can always take things a little to far which could make this singularity a very bad thing. It could go the other way and make the world twice a better place than it was before which is what I believe in and in my opinion it will happen.

    2. The world could be a better place with advancing technology but humans always can take things to far and flop this advancing technology thing on its side and make the world even worse. I'm still on the side of advancing technology being a great thing for the world but anything bad could happen at any time. Many humans may take this whole advancing technology being good theory a little to far, they could not think this whole thing through long enough which could mean the end of society.

    3. Henry Adams is a historian who wrote an essay which was than latter titled the Earth's first singularity theorist. In my opinion I totally agree with his theory because it is very possible in it happening, many people over think this theory which makes many hate it and think it's a bad thing. Even though his theory could be a bad thing I think it is going to be something that effects my future in a positive way making my life fun while I do what I enjoy.

    4. These ideas are things that I have been hoping to happen sense I learned more about technology and what it can do. Having things to hard work for me is just unbelievable, it's something that I thought could always happen at any time and day in my life. I like being lazy at some times of the day and having robots do things that are a must to be done for me is amazing. These robots could entertain us or be a great help with watching our heath for example the Robot and Frank movie we watched with the robot being Franks heath supporter was something that we could have in our lives.

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  12. 1. The fictional thought of Computers, or evil robots, taking over the world was not so worrying when the first Terminator movie came out. But now people see in the distance. Technology Singularity, that is the theory or event of when computers will enslave or rule mankind. Computers that can learn, develop their own software and hardware.

    2. The thought of Computers ruling mankind, doesn't worry me. Because I have read many Magazines, Internet articles, and even discussions in my kingdom hall about how complex the Human rain really is. Scientists say they have reverse engineered parts of the brain, I don't think scientist will ever fully understand the human brain, and then apply that to computers. Even if that point in mankind is reached at some point, I think it will be far from now.

    3. Stephen Hawking thinks that Artificial intelligence will revolutionize mankind, Like Steam revolutionized the 1700. However he said that we must be careful, it may be risky considering all the new military drones that are being developed to be Unmanned.
    I am not sure weather I agree with Stephen, He does make a good point about needing to be cautious about the military drones. But as I said in my previous paragraph, I think AI being able to think just like a human being is no were near out time or near our future. "The brain is the most complex organ in the human body, and perhaps the most remarkable. Start finding out how it works with our beginner's guide". Says the New Scientist, website http://www.newscientist.com/topic/brain

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    1. Ehh it's not a fictional thought but a hypothetical idea.

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  14. 1. Technological singularity is the idea that robots could become smarter than humans, and even take over the world. I think that if there is ever a time when technological singularity is ever present, it is now. What I mean by this is that robots in this day and age run off of programs and computer that were programmed by humans, thus it can only do so many things. The worst that could happen is that the robots misinterpret humans or someone wants to use robots for military power so they purposefully design the robots to take over. Theoretically, if a robot was able to reprogram itself to make it smarter and have the ability to learn, then it would still have no emotions, and therefore no reason to take over the world.
    2. With advancing technology, the world is only going to get better. Robots evolving don’t worry me because they have to be programmed. If they were smarter than humans, and they could program themselves, it is proved to be impossible that robots can't have feelings or a conscious, thus no motivation. Source: http://goo.gl/twJ1XS
    3. Nicholas de Condorcet, R. Thornton, and Henry Adams all are big names in this theory. I disagree with all of them because they all seem to think that no matter what, humans were meant to be surpassed intellectually by robots. They all believe that robots will inevitably take over because of their limitless possibilities including greater computing, research, time, resource, and technological power. Yet, I know that there is no source code that can give robots the abilities of learning, improvising, and then following up on the results.
    4. The idea of having a robot helping me with everyday activities such as doing the dishes and driving me everywhere is nice, but improbable. I would love a robot helping me with my chores and driving me around, with no downside at all, other than me becoming more and more lazy. No would have any jobs or money because robots replaced them. Looking on the bright side however, helpful robots are a nice auxiliary for humans, and this relates to the notion of Singularity because the robot could be programmed to try to observe you and start to notice patterns and anticipate your needed help.

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  15. 1.) It would appear from what I have read about it, Technological Singularity seems to be the eventual time when robots gain sentience and are able to think like humans, even surpassing our brainpower. While this may be possible, it will take a long time for robots to achieve this feat, maybe a couple of years or decades to happen, because I seen something about a book describing it in 2005, so it would probably be safe to say that it won’t happen for a while.
    2.) I am not sure whether it would be a good or bad thing for technology to gain sentience, it would all depend on how they will use their new found intelligence, if they decide humans are now obsolete, then it would be a problem, though if they decide to try live peacefully, then it would be not so bad.
    3.) One person who heavily studies technological singularity is Vernor Vinge, former professor of mathematics, and he says that humans are approaching a point where we can’t understand technology, and came up with the name “Similarity” for it. Another person that went into the singularity was Ray Kurzweil, who wrote the book mentioned above describing singularity. I think I agree with Vernor, with how we are readily approaching a point where technology may be getting out of hand for humans.
    4.) I do quite like technology, though I am not sure that I would want a robot that would help with meal preparing, because I took 2 years of Culinary Arts in middle school and I expect to use the knowledge. Now a robot to help with heavy lifting would probably come in handy sometimes in the future. I do not think that I would like a robot to drive a car that I drive in, because a robot that is tasked with driving cars wouldn’t be able to adapt as easily if something goes wrong, and I would really rather not wind up dead because of something that would have been easily avoidable. Now some form of droid to fight in wars, that might prove to be very useful as it would easily take the place of a human in the war, and thus would lower casualties, although either way, war is never a good thing, even with little to no casualties due to robots.

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  16. 1. Technological singularity is the event and or time when the intelligence of technology is greater than that of us humans. This could lead to a complete takeover of machines where people are simply unneeded and irrelevant in comparison to a computer. If this was to happen, it would probably be with 150 years or so. I mean, we already have machines that are capable of decision making and problem solving, that work better and faster than most people. We also have things like assembly units that can last forever with proper care unlike people who on average live expectantly of a person is 79.8 years. So we really aren't that far off of the possibility. The thing is though, with all the notice and risks that people clearly understand (especially after watching movies like I-Robot http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Movie_poster_i_robot.jpg ), I think we will avoid this situation altogether and be very cautions when making such powerful machines.

    2. I think this is for the better. It has the potential to make people's lives easier ( by simplifying and automating processes). At the same time though, some could argue that this could only make life harder by increasing population (because more people will likely live longer), and other disasters of A LOT of people not doing anything or not working. So far, technology has done nothing but improve the quality of our life.

    3. As of now, the biggest name regarding the theory would be Ray Kurzweil. He is a theorist who has written many books about technological singularity. He is famous for his views on the changing of our world. To read more about Ray and his book check here: http://www.singularity.com/

    4. I love technology. I'm looking forward to the new technology that is ahead of us. I mean, it would be great to get help with things like chores and homework. That would be absolutely fantastic! Also, it seems like a great way to solve war issues by using robots or games even, except that it would require change. And war doesn't like change. You could say that "War...war never changes." (Fallout) I'm not worried about the "danger" of technology reliance, because I think, the only way to cause major crisis and nullify the need for humans, is to make a machine to do so. It can only do what we program. And if we program it to do more for itself, it should have the necessary guidelines and rules to keep us safe.

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  17. 1. Technology today is just the tip of the iceberg for the future. Soon, we will have made an AI with technological singularity. Maybe not with the next few years, but possibly in a few decades. Already, we have robots that can make a decision based on a run-though of every other option, a robot with intuition. In the article "Neuro-cognitive mechanisms of decision making in joint action:
    A human–robot interaction study", it is discussed that the model used could in fact display a flexible perception-action coupling by exploiting the existence of object-directed chains.

    2. Whenever people think of artificial intelligence, most assume hat they will be trying to take over the world, the stars, everything. In Orson S. Card's "Speaker for the Dead", Jane is first introduced as an advanced computer program. She is extremely complex, capable of performing trillions of tasks simultaneously, and has millions of levels of attention, even her most unaware one being much more alert than a human. Jane is hesitant to reveal herself to humanity, because she knows that she is the epitome of humanity's fear: an intelligent, thinking, computer program that cannot be controlled. She decided to reveal herself to Ender after she found out he wrote The Hive Queen and The Hegemon, in hopes that he would eventually understand her and one day reveal her true nature to humanity. I really do believe we should advance our technology even further and aim for a future of these greatly advance AI.

    3. Ray Kurzweil is heavily research this topic, and has written the book "How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed". He explain's how reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works, then applying that knowledge to create vastly intelligent machines. In his own research and inventions in artificial intelligence and compelling thought experiments, he describes his new theory of how the neocortex works: as a self-organizing hierarchical system of pattern recognizers. Kurzweil shows how these insights will enable us to greatly extend the powers of our own mind. Despite all this, neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis is calling this “a bunch of hot air", said later in his interview on the Daily Show that t'he brain is not computable and no engineering can reproduce it".

    4. The future of technological singularity is unsure whether they will be used as tools, such as a blender or a printer or computer. Is it a possibility that after they develop human-like emotions and characteristics, tech rights will be needed? It is important that we sort out this or it could get messy. The movie we saw recently, "Robot and Frank", hinted at this concept. The movie plays with the the divide between an appliance and a person. The robot is part of the family, but is it like the family dog. Will morality play a factor in the evolution of technology, or will we create what we want to create for our own sake?

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  18. 1. Technological Singularity is what is predicted to happen when technology has gotten to the point of completely beating human efficiency entirely. When we are the obsolete ones and robots are better than us in every way. Some think that robots will not only be better at tasks we do everyday, but will be completely superior in terms of human emotion, arithmetic, and general reasoning.

    2. With the advancement of technology, the world can only grow and get better because of it. Technology is not harming us, but it is making things in life more efficient and easier. We have computers that can solve the most complicated math problem in a second, we have advancements in sensory technology, and we have bomb defusing drones that make jobs for the EOD much safer than they used to be. I don't believe we will be ruled by machines literally, but I do believe we ruled by the machines in our life like we already are. Kids with their phones, gamers with their computers. In some cases, their whole lives revolve around a machine.

    3. Ray Kurzweil is the man to go to for information on technological singularity. Kurzweil makes good points, at the rate at which technology is advancing, it is very possible that it will beat everything a human has to offer. Will we be taken over by it? No, I don't believe so, but I do believe that technology is just gonna plunge straight down into the uncanny valley when those human-like robots start being massed produced.

    4. The big thing I noticed was that robots could be fighting our wars. Heck. Yes. We shouldn't have to suffer casualties because our nation can't get along with third world countries. If robots fought our wars, however, I don't think it would be very good for the planet. Just the destructive power of advancing technology, it could ravage the land.

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  19. 1. technology singularity to me me a point in technology that we cant see past were we cant predict what will happen next. I believe technology singularity will not get here till at least 2035 if not later. I believe this because our technological advances ardent near what they need to be to remake the human mind.
    2. I see it both as good and bad it will be fine for the first few years before AI's realize that they can program themselves to be better and ultimately destroy the human race. I presonally belive that AI's will some day rise and take over unless other natural and religious disasters happen but lets not get into that.
    3. Some big names researching this are Ray Kurzweil and Vernor Vinge along with William Hertlling are all exploring this idea/theory I do believe with most of they have facts to back up all the scenarios that could happen its not just science fiction its real
    4. I do believe that things like a robot to help in the kitchen or self driving car would/will be a good thing to have but if you remember the movie wall-e we can't get to dependent on technology to do everything for us or else we will have a shorter life expectancy and be even more unhealthy than we already are. so as long as we don't get too dependendtent on technology (as if we're not already) then i think the human race will be happy and healthy

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  21. 1. A technological singularity is when the human mind is surpassed by superhuman artificial intelligence. I think it will reach us sooner than later, it's incredibly possible that we will reach this point in the next 10-20 years, because if you look at how far we've come with technology since the 90's, we could surpass these advancements in the next 20 years easily. Related to this is the term singularitarianism, which is the movement and ideology that the singularity will happen sooner than later, and that we must see to it that the singularity benefits humans.
    2. Personally, I think that this is a huge step in the right direction. We can use these AI in great ways to benefit people, such as being companions for the elderly or disabled, counselors for troubles people, etc, and even though this is a really good thing, this could pose a security risk because of computer hackers. On the bright side of that, though, is the fact that this could bring more jobs in the field of technological security.
    3. Vernor Vinge, and in an interview with Adam Ford (http://goo.gl/UG5lUM) he talks about the singularity in detail, including the risks and rewards of advancing technology.
    4. I think these are all fantastic advances that will make things better for humanity as a whole, particularly the one about non-humans fighting wars for us. It will minimize human losses as a result of wars soldiers don't even want to be a part of.

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  22. I just typed up my entire blog and then Chrome crashed -___- well here it goes for the second time now >:(
    1. Technological singularity is the hypothetical view (yes hypothetical because we're still far away from it being possible) is the idea that one day A.I. will become like human and either project the world into a utopia or be the fall of mankind. With the recent rise in technology it is possible that this could happen in 30 to 40 years. However as of yet it is still unlikely to happen anytime soon.
    2. This is something that could go either way and it's yet too early to speculate, however we can take a guess at what might happen. Obviously there are huge pros to this such as a cleaner world and solutions to major problems like world hunger and illnesses. However if the entire world runs off of computers then there's the potential that the entire world could be hi-jacked by computer hackers and the robots turned evil as shown in many movies.
    3. http://goo.gl/vILnGt this chart shows some of the names of major players and their stance on the issue. The majority of people have very different stances on this topic just because everything currently is simply speculation. It's all theoretical until something actually real happens in the world of A.I.
    4. I believe that this is a huge advancement for the human race that could solve the majority of our problems and help us to advance towards Utopia, however will all huge advancements there is always the risk that something bad could happen that ruins this for all. A robot war would be bad because since human causality is removed countries would just throw machines at each other until something happened like running out of resources or it would just turn into a eternal war that lasted for hundreds of years and turned the earth into a waste. However since we live in the nuclear age that is unlikely and the more possible route is that countries just nuke each other to oblivion.

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  23. 1. Technological singularity is a hypothetical point in time where the human mind will be overcome by computers in intelligence. A.I.'s currently have the capability of speech recognition but that only takes 0.01% of the brain. The human brain is very complicated and would takes years and years to make a piece of technology as good as or better than the brain. Most experts predict that technology singularity will occur sometime around 2045 but I think it will take much longer. I predict that around 2100 technology singularity will occur. I am sure that there will be robots and computers that will be able to do certain tasks better than us. There are even such robots right now working in factories hundreds of times faster than any human could possibly work. But in order for such machines to be in every aspect better than a human will take around a century.

    2. I feel like that if we continue down this path, it is very likely that robots could essentially take over the world. If we decide that the police just aren't smart or fast enough and that they should all be replaced by robots, then the robots could determine what is right and wrong, potentially killing people because they aren't as perfect as they are. I know this sounds very far-fetched and like a bad Doctor Who episode but, if you really think about it, this is very likely. Because if the machine becomes smarter than a human, then it would be very easy for the machine to find faults in the humans because of their superiority.

    3. Hans Moravec is a computer scientist that wrote a magazine article called Sensor Fusion in Certainty Grids for Mobile Robots. He proposed technology singularity in 1998.

    4. I feel like these are all appropriate uses of technology but that doesn't mean that we should all become fat, lazy slobs. If robots take over all of our tasks then we wouldn't know what to do without them. But robots could be put to good use such as in the film Robot and Frank.

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  24. 1. Technological singularity is a moment in time when technology becomes smarter than the human brain. I think that this singularity will take longer than people say it will.
    2. With the way technology is advancing, the world could either be a better place or it could become a place of fear and panic. It all depends on who creates the technology and what their intentions are. I do believe that it will lead to a better and cleaner world, but it could easily go in the other direction.
    3. Vernor Vinge has written many books about the subject of Technological Singularity. His books were in fictional time periods, but had real facts about technological singularity.
    4. I feel that these technologies would help solve a lot of problems, nut could create more problems if abused. If robots did everything for us, then we wouldn't know what to do if something happened to them. They would still be helpful, we'd just have to know the limits and boundaries.

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  25. 1.) A Technological Singularity is when technology becomes smarter than the human brain. Personally I believe that it come either sooner or later because our computers are rapidly becoming more advanced.

    2.) Honestly i cant decide. I want to say it will be helpful because of medical reasons and i also think it would be terrible because our weapons will continue to be even more devastating. As much fun as global domination sounds... It would still suck if our weapons could take out even more chunks of the earth.

    3.) Vernor Vinge. He has written books and he knows and can comprehend Technical Singularity more than most.

    4.) Practically all of the ones listed would be helpful.

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  26. 1) technological singularity is the point which artificial intelligence surpasses human thought. As of now, we are able to program technology to do just about anything. For around 1/3 the size of the human brain, we are able to make computers with more processing power or more reliable storage, giving the computer complete control of itself, unlike its human counterparts. Essentially, this means we have the technology to outsmart humans, and often it does- it's just a matter of someone combining all the "assistant bots" into one device.
    2) I believe the world will continue to become better, then drop into worse as technology takes over. As of now, most technologies are a tool. They assist people with complicated jobs by taking care of the smaller tasks. That's good. When it switches over to where technology can do everything on its own, that's bad. Well, for us at least.
    3) Vinge states we will create a superhuman intelligence, then shortly after see an end to the human era. This is very possible, if we did ever create a super intelligence it would be very likely human kind as we know it would end shortly after. Kruzwell on the other hand states we may turn into a utopia after seeing this new superhuman. This is also just as likely, as people often fear what they don't know. It could be very likely a good thing, we just aren't sure yet.
    4) The idea of technology being below us is great, like an automated kitchen or Google self-driving cars. It's just when the computers take over as top player it becomes a little scary. It will be interesting to see how the next few decades go.

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  27. 1-Essentially Technological Singularity is basically when robots gain ability to think and function by themselves. Personally I don't really think that computers will just gain this ability like how we learn to ride a bike. I think more or less someone will create a robot that seems to function on its own in the near future, but as for one being completely independent, not soon.
    2- We are going to be in a better place with technology. Medical wise it is going to help us a lot, military is a different subject. Military can be good and bad, it will solve but cause more world conflicts.
    3- Vernor Vinge. He is known for writing very complicated books about Technical Singularity and how to understand it, and explains it better than most.
    4- One peice of tech that would be really cool and world changing would be robots that fought wars for humans. It would save lives and really change the outcome of what wars are fought for.

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  28. 1. Is the hypothetical moment in which artificial intelligence will have progressed to the point of greater the human thinking. Which could radically change civilization or even human nature because such a intelligence may be difficult for humans to comprehend. This is seen as a concurrence in which the future of humanity is unknown.

    2. It depends we as humans depend on technology for so many things today but in no way is it a bad thing. But we cant allow it to handle everything we do there are things that technology are better suited to handle like driving cars or computing data but there are still thing we humans do that technology can not. If we allow technology to dictate every aspect of our lives we will have outlived our purpose as technology will have become the most advanced thing on our planet as they take care of humans who do nothing.

    3. Andrew Kennedy believes that long term growth is inevitable and I agree to a extent. Technology will continue to get better, smaller, faster, lighter, and more complex but it all depends on if we decide to depend on technology for ever aspect of our lives. If we keep technology to a certain point we wont require it for almost ever aspect of our lives.

    4. If machines were to become smarter then us that's a terminator situation right there they would find flaws with us and would do something us most likely disposal. But as of today technology is at a point in which its not a treat its all about moderation. Relying on technology for everything we do is something we can not let happen if anything technology should not reach the point of sentient A.I. that are fully in control of things. There are things that technology does better such as driving but we as humans should not allow it to get to a point we out creations believe we've out lived our purpose.

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  29. 1. In my words, technology singularity is the point where technology has been programmed to constantly progress in intelligence and learn from itself. This will soon be more advanced than the human mind, as technology is only boolens. I believe we, as humans, are smart enough to not let it get there. Or we can learn from their advancements. iRobot shows those capabilities.

    2. Since technology does not have similar emotions as humans, what we process is different than what they do. Therefore, we can make them fix us, through the advanced progress. Could be dangerous due to the fact we can be out powered.

    3. Most researchers, large companies, government, and scientists have and still are researching this. They have established rules and regulations to protect mankind. I do agree with some of them, as it is completely capable technology can get that far.

    4. Yes, YES, sure, yeah, that would be cool. Well, we have developed singular technology already. Such as keyboards that learn from you, your method of talking, etc. Just apply the same logic to other categories, and thats those advancements.

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  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  31. 1. This is where artificial intelligence gains the ability to think on it's own better than a human could. It would take several decades for this to happen.

    2. The world could benefit from this. We could learn many things from these "super-human" entities. Discover ways not to pollute the earth, and maybe find a way for all humans to explore the universe.

    3. Vernor Vinge was the founder of Technology Singularity, and I support him. This could give us so much, and I would love to see it happen.

    4. Having a robot help me in the kitchen would be fantastic! No longer would I have to suffer the disappointment of a bad meal. I could prepare something fantastic for my mom for mothers day. Having any type of food I want at anytime would be the best thing!

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  32. My response was too big to fit on here so i shared it with you Ms. K

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  33. 1) Technology singularity is the idea that one day computers will be able to retain more knowledge and eventually become smarter than the average human being. i personally think that somewhere far into the future this will actually happen. Now it may not happen at all, because of the fact someone has to create such a program or computer to retain that information.

    2) I think that technology one day will become one of the most important things in human lives. There is a theory called The IA Theory, stating that human will one day try to improve themselves with technology and become somewhat of a human cyborg. I think this is highly possible in how fast technology is advancing today. Just in the past 20 years, look at where the Apple Corporation started and where it is now. It’s unimaginable to think what the future of technology may hold in the next 20 to 30 years.

    3) Raymond Kurzweil, who showcased his computerized piano that wrote a song all by itself on TV, has been studying and trying to understand new ways technology will be incorporated into our lives. He has been studying technology and how it will advance for 47 years. According to Kurzweil, the end of our own civilization could be in 35 years. I don’t really agree with the idea that our civilization will END, but something much bigger will happen in the near future.

    4) I think that the idea that we as humans will have robots doing simple things for us like making food and driving us to work is something that should be avoid. Of course I would like it if I had a robot helping me prepare dinner, but I don’t think the point of tech is to make our lives easier and that's it. Technology should be invented to broaden our ideas and help us make new inventions. It should make humans be able to live to our fullest potential and give us inspiration to create and discover new things. An example that many people think of in a future society with only technology based machines is Wall-E. it depicts life in the future as everyone being slobs and not looking to the outside world and doing great things. That’s what the people of the world should be pushing away from.

    http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2048299,00.html

    http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/ethics/signs-of-the-singularity

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  34. 1:) When artificial intelligence goes beyond human intelligence or understanding. I don't think this will be in soon, but we might be there in a couple of years or more. Gravitational singularity is when the measurements of gravitational pull are infinite. I played around with this in a game that would pull everything in around it and pretty much implode.

    2:) I see this as a good thing unless they don't always have Isaac Asimov's 3 laws of robotics. If those 3 laws are integrated into the technologies coding, humans are safe and therefore it would be fine to use it.

    3:) Eden, Steinhart, and Eric represent some of them, but I only partially agree with the views about this particular matter.

    4:) I agree with all of those ideas allowing me to do less work. Maybe robots will be doing all the work people usually do and everything shall be extremely simple and free of hassle. This relates to singularity because the technology does have artificial intelligence of it's own, according to it's laws, as long as it is ably to act by itself.

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  35. 1. Technological singularity is the concept that one day artificial intelligence will become so advanced that technology will be able to function solely on its own without aid or command from humans. The belief is that if robots were able to become this powerful they would overthrow the human race and either annihilate humans or force them into servitude. I am quite Skeptic as to whether or not technological singularity will ever come about. If it does become a reality it seems to be very far away.

    2. As a whole, mankind works for one thing and one thing alone: the advancement of the human race with the opportunity to live an enjoyable life. Advancing technology is a wonderful thing and is an absolute necessity. It is the point at which advancement ends that is in question. Artificial intelligence could be amazing as long as it is controlled. complete artificial intelligence could lead to a disastrous end. Currently, technology controls almost everything valuable to mankind. A computer can run the stock market or launch nuclear detonations. Putting too much control into a robot's hands would not be wise but as long as we remain friendly with and in control of robots I see no serious problem.

    3. A man named Stuart Armstrong released a study at the 2012 Singularity Summit showing that after obtaining predictions from a wide variety of experts on when singularity would come about the median year was 2040. It seems as if these researchers did not believe technology could be controlled much longer with the advancement of artificial intelligence. As i am not an expert in the field I am unsure as to how soon it could come about but it seems unlikely to be so soon if we can remain in control.

    4. As awesome as it would be to have robots help humans with labors such as cooking and heavy work it also seems quite lazy. Humans are already extremely reliant on technology but it's currently fine in moderation. Humans ned to be able to perform hard work and tasks as means to learn and survive. With robots running every aspect of our lives we would become nothing more than vegetables that the robots support.

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  36. 1. Technological singularity is the point when humans and computers are evenly matched, but not only that but the point when you can get a surgery that can up grade you with robotic parts. Studies show that by 2020 a top of the line pc will be more powerful then the human brain. Not only that but a game that I play Deus Ex (Awesome Game) has this very concept build in to game play and story line. The game takes place in 2025, not far off.

    2. I think it will be awesome when I can robotic upgrades. Of course we would need to make so that you have to pass a background test and stuff so that criminals can't become super humans. I think would be awesome but their has to be safety precautions in plays first. Such as Isaac Asimov's 3 laws of robotics

    (1.A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
    2.A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
    3.A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.)

    3. Eden, Amnon; Moor, James; Søraker, Johnny; Steinhart, Eric. Those are some of them and I partially agree.

    4. I love the idea of robots working at McDonald and in the office. Maybe as House guards and protection. Makin it so we could do what we love for a living. I love the idea of this.

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