| Much has been written about the future of AI | | | | merger with technology via implants and |
| and it's ramifications for society; from it's | | | | human-computer interfaces, to finally existing |
| presence in the software that drives our systems | | | | completely within a technologically evolved |
| to the impact of a much touted era of intelligent | | | | substrate as digital intelligences. |
| machines which, besides their functional roles as | | | | On the other side of the debate are voices |
| aids to biological humans, would possess cognitive | | | | advocating for the broad-based relinquishment of |
| thinking abilities and unique identities. Science fiction | | | | the enabling technologies -- biotechnology, |
| movies and novels inspire many speculative, even | | | | nanotechnology, and robotics -- on the basis that |
| conspiratorial, discourses, and a large portion of | | | | humanity would not survive their maturation for |
| what we perceive to be the models of the future | | | | the existential threats they ultimately pose. |
| unraveling of mankind's achievements is based on | | | | The argument that technological development will |
| these depictions. They also inspire innovation in | | | | inevitably continue in a market economy that |
| many of today's applied sciences from aesthetics | | | | constantly pushes the boundaries in the |
| to engineering and consumer devices, and reflect | | | | computing, engineering, and scientific domains or |
| the influence of our popular culture on our | | | | that it would simply move underground if |
| evolutionary processes as a race. | | | | legislated against, if tenable, invites the question: |
| A popular deliberation is the debate on the | | | | "who does society endorse as the social engineers |
| "Technological Singularity" (see Singularity.org) -- a | | | | of its new world?". |
| theoretical point in the non-distant future when | | | | Certainly those with an interest in technology |
| machines first match then exceed human | | | | development, be it for military or consumer |
| intelligence rendering it impossible to predict the | | | | applications, are not idle on the issue. Proposals |
| course of technological and human evolution | | | | are made for engineering the human body within |
| beyond that point. It is also one that merits | | | | the context of information, communication, and |
| attention with regards to the role players | | | | other technologies that ultimately operate within |
| participating in this debate with their individual | | | | the patent and copyright dispensation; developing |
| visions for how humans and human society should | | | | next-generation weapons and defense systems |
| be configured in that epoch. | | | | based on nanotechnology and autonomous |
| One such protagonist is inventor and futurist Ray | | | | intelligence; and perhaps even more critically, |
| Kurzweil (KurzweilAI.net) who presents a | | | | moulding the institutions, ethics, culture, and |
| compelling argument in his book "The Singularity Is | | | | ontological world view of humanity itself. |
| Near" on the inevitability of the various and | | | | In today's era, money wields the power for |
| diverse scientific and technological fields advancing | | | | anyone to implement a philosophy for the way |
| to the levels required to technically support this | | | | they would have the world architected and run. |
| scenario within a few decades. He illustrates this | | | | Will the discourse on these propositions, seemingly |
| with his "Law of Accelerating Returns" that | | | | fictional by today's standards, be democratized? |
| extrapolates the exponential growth of | | | | Or due to its obscure nature in the contemporary |
| information-based technologies over time, and | | | | awareness will it remain the purview of powerful |
| notwithstanding the ongoing philosophical debates | | | | individuals and institutions with the means to |
| on the matter asserts that technological evolution | | | | embed domination or monopolies profoundly within |
| will necessarily orient itself towards this epic event | | | | the social fabric. |
| given the natural market-economy forces that | | | | The world waits as change is created that alters |
| drive innovation. Kurzweil posits this as the basis | | | | it. And for better or worse humanity will move |
| for his articulation for the way in which people will | | | | towards its destiny either as a self-fulfilling |
| continue to exist through their transition from | | | | prophesy, or through the decisions that society |
| their current biological forms to an intimate | | | | will be empowered to make on its own behalf. |