One thing that never fails to amaze me about the proponents of the “Geek Rapture” (aka the Singularity) is that they don’t seem to grasp that technology doesn’t always work. In a world of viruses, blue screens of death, smartphones that freeze every five minutes, and spyware, I’m not sure that I would want to integrate my mind with a computer, thankyouverymuch.
Also, AIs that are programmed to sell viagra and online poker? Terrifying…
One thing that never fails to amaze me is how detractors never, ever seem to bother to research the singularity concept before they attack it. Kurzweil, in his ‘05 book The Singularity is Near, expressly addresses the point your making, yet you seem to consider it novel.
By the way, you’re integrating your mind with a computer just typing on a keyboard and uploading your blog.
“The ‘criticism from failure rates’: Computer systems are showing alarming rates of catastrophic failure as their complexity increases. Thomas Ray writes that we are ‘pushing the limits of what we can effectively design and build through conventional approaches.’ We have developed increasingly complex systems to manage a broad variety of mission-critical tasks, and failure rates in these systems are very low. However, imperfection is an inherent feature of any complex process, and that certainly includes human intelligence.” -Ray Kurzweil “The Singularity is Near”
But I imagine that you don’t fly because it’s too dangerous, right? Since a computer is behind the controls of almost all commercial air planes, they must be much more dangerous than a human piloted craft… like a car. At least you managed to get online to post that though, it is so difficult these days, what with a global network (Internet) that’s never once crashed…
So as to avoid confusion, above is my first post on this site, so I’ve added the ‘O’ to distinguish from another Chris who I see frequents these pages.
Computers and technology seem to work very well for some people, but they seem to hate me. My internet at work crashes all the time. I’m very happy if I can get my email to open. I spent $300 and 6 hours installing a slingbox so I could watch football overseas, and it doesn’t work. I try to download various television shows, and it works maybe half the time. The Singularity may work great for some people, but I’m pretty sure it won’t work for me.
Chris O- I don’t think you know the meaning of the word “integrate”. Here it is:
1. to bring together or incorporate (parts) into a whole.
2. to make up, combine, or complete to produce a whole or a larger unit, as parts do.
As I type this, I am not “integrating” with the computer. If they implant a computer directly into my brain, then I am integrating with the computer. Right now, a computer is a tool. Rather like a fancy hammer. You wouldn’t say I was integrating with my hammer when I built my deck would you?
If you use a hammer like me, you definitely integrate with at least the nails.