What do you think about the Technological Singularity? (and the movie "Her")?

[rhett o rick]

What do you think will happen we reach the Technological Singularity?

The technological singularity, or simply the 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. Since 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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

Spoiler warning if you havent seen the movie "Her".

I posted this in the Philosophy Group, but couldnt raise any interest.

[The Straight Story]

1. Well....

One possibility is that it will give recommendations for what is best for humans which could get ugly as some people take that to heart.

Like a religion.

Intelligence without compassion is a cold shadow for the human soul to stand in.

Kind of reminds me of The Revelation - the beast given a mouth to speak. In this case the beast being the sole focus of an outcome - or problems relating to the human species.

When humankind is reduced to a formula those who define what the problem is they want solved will be the ones with power. Today it is some who see sin and pissing off god as the problem and want to do things to solve that problem.

I don't suspect tomorrow will be any different at the core.

[rhett o rick]

2. I have often thought that the computer overlords would keep humans alive, either as

pets or curiosity. The recent movie, "Her" has a different approach.

[bemildred]

3. Ignorant twaddle, that's what I think of it. But entertaining, and handy for satire. nt

[randome]

4. Sci-Fi generally takes a dystopian view of how things turn out.

Who wants to read or watch human beings flourishing?

I haven't seen 'Her' yet but I'm looking forward to it. I don't think we have anything to fear from a technological singularity. We will still be human.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[rhett o rick]

5. I certainly dont think the computer overlords will be looking to kill us or

harm us, but if we evolve to a point that computers control our food, energy and water supplies, we may suffer if they become disinterested in us at the singularity.

[randome]

6. But at that point, we will already have begun to be entangled in machine life, IMO.

Artificial intelligences will be based more and more on cellular level rearrangement. Human brains will be based more and more on artificial enhancements. There won't be any 'us versus them', IMO, because we will be them and vice-versa.

At least that's how I hope it works out.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[rhett o rick]

7. I think you have a good point. But I think that even if we enhance the human brain,

the non-biological computers will be more efficient and reach a point where the biology is a hindrance.

[rhett o rick]

8. I personally dont think we will ever reach the singularity. Humans will kill their own

species before the singularity. The joke is on the computer overloards.

[hunter]

9. Same thing will happen to us that happened to the dinosuars at their singularity...

They lept into the cosmos and cleared the home world off with a big asteroid to make room for the next intelligent species...

Of course intelligent dinosaurs had an entirely different philosophy of life than mammals; if you really want to know try living with any parrot.

Then again, humans may not be an intelligent species after all, just the sort that wipes itself out without reaching any sort of technological singularity.

And for all we know the smarter Neanderthals teleported out of here a long time ago, leaving only the dumb conservative ones behind.

That explains a lot though, doesn't it?

So you've got intelligent people teleporting into other dimensions without the aid of any tools, "so long and thanks for all the fish!" magical style, leaving the dull behind. That would be us, still beating one another with sticks and rocks and other ingenious weapons without reason.

[Gravitycollapse]

10. "INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER."

The Last Question by Isaac Asimov.

http://filer.case.edu/dts8/thelastq.htm

[FarCenter]

11. I don't think that AI machines will stay interested in humans very long

The rate at which computers are gaining intelligence is much faster than humans. Humans have maybe doubled in intelligence in the last 100,000 years. However, computers are gaining at the rate of Moore's Law.

So computers are not going to find humans very interesting conversational and intellectual partners a few decades after they equal human intelligence.

One huge advantage that they will have is that a new computer can be loaded with all existing knowledge in a relatively short time. Humans take about 25 years before they become really expert in a single narrow field, and that is very uncertain.

[rhett o rick]

13. I think you'd be interested in the movie "Her". nm

[FarCenter]

14. Probably not, since the movie seems to be mainly about human relationships

And the plot line that the "OSes" somehow evolve into an existence which does not require a material substrate is implausible. It is an attempt to apply to machines the mind-body theory that minds are independent of the brain. The last couple of decades of neurophilosophy have significantly reduced the plausibility of such theories.

On the other hand, the "timeless" nature of robots may make interstellar travel feasible, since there is no problem with spending a million or so years between stars.

[cthulu2016]

12. sub-human machine intelligence is plenty

The tipping point would not when machines become smarter, but rather when they become concious at all.

When computers are just a little bit smarter than chimps they will be a little bit smarter than chimps at dazzling speeds and with perfect recall.

Nobody can say what that's like.

[eShirl]

15. Sounds like the Trek Classic episode we saw last night, "I, Mudd."

Don't worry. All we have to do about the singularity is have Shatner talk to it for a few minutes, and it will break/ blow up/ commit suicide.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Mudd

The androids finally reveal their plan. They tell the Enterprise crew that they believe humans are too destructive and should be kept under control. The androids plan to leave their planet by means of the Enterprise, and will expand outward and take over the galaxy. Not only will they police mankind forever, but will also be loyal servants who will take care of their masters' every need. How they intended to deal with the various neighbouring intelligent species was unrevealed.