FT Letter Writer Seconds Commenter J.K.

In the comment thread of a recent post ("Singularity U."), commenter J.K. took the editors of the Financial Times to task for their dismissive editorial about Ray Kurzweil’s "Singularity" concept. In today's FT, letter writer David Crooks offers similar sentiments:

From Mr David Crookes.

Sir, You say: “And even if researchers do endow machines with real intelligence ... why should it suddenly grow exponentially ... ?” (“Singular fantasies”, editorial, February 7).

You’ve not been paying attention in class, since this is Ray Kurzweil’s key point (and that of others, for example Vernor Vinge).

The substrate of future machine intelligence is expected to be computation, which is increasing in power exponentially thanks to Moore’s Law. The year we get a silicon FT editor for the price of a laptop, the next year we get two for the price of one. How long before the entire FT staff can be replaced by one laptop?

David Crookes,
Inverness, UK

Singularity U.

From yesterday's Financial Times, "Google and Nasa back new school for futurists". Excerpt:

Google and Nasa are throwing their weight behind a new school for futurists in Silicon Valley to prepare scientists for an era when machines become cleverer than people.

The new institution, known as “Singularity University”, is to be headed by Ray Kurzweil, whose predictions about the exponential pace of technological change have made him a controversial figure in technology circles.

Google and Nasa’s backing demonstrates the growing mainstream acceptance of Mr Kurzweil’s views, which include a claim that before the middle of this century artificial intelligence will outstrip human beings, ushering in a new era of civilisation.

To be housed at Nasa’s Ames Research Center, a stone’s-throw from the Googleplex, the Singularity University will offer courses on biotechnology, nano-technology and artificial intelligence.

The so-called “singularity” is a theorised period of rapid technological progress in the near future. Mr Kurzweil, an American inventor, popularised the term in his 2005 book “The Singularity is Near”.

Proponents say that during the singularity, machines will be able to improve themselves using artificial intelligence and that smarter-than-human computers will solve problems including energy scarcity, climate change and hunger.

So much for the good news. The article continues:

Yet many critics call the singularity dangerous. Some worry that a malicious artificial intelligence might annihilate the human race.

After numerous sci-fi movies and TV shows have dramatized this scenario, from 1970's Colossus: The Forbin Project (the subject of the movie poster above) to current TV shows Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles^1,2 and Battlestar Galactica¹, we won't be able to say that we weren't warned.

The image of the movie poster above is from Rodney-Martin.com


¹Critically acclaimed.
²Consistently entertaining.