what is the singularity?

There is much controversy about whether it will ever happen. But the importance of the singularity, in the case in which it will actually occur, will be so huge for our world that it deserves our attention.

The singularity is something that can finish for good with the problem of oil, with global warming, terrorism, with poverty in the third world, etc. in just a matter of years.
And the singularity could also be the beginning of the end of all human life in earth. This could also happen in a matter of years.


Nevertheless nobody is speaking about it in the media. The governmental meetings don't discuss the issue, the newspapers don't analyze its pros and cons, Hollywood doesn't make catastrophe or futuristic films about it!


But I have a feeling that this is going to change quite soon.
Without much difficulty this could possibly become "the topic".


"Singularity" is how technology experts call the moment in which the first "strong artificial intelligence" will be created. This moment is of great importance to us humans, due to the fact that history will accelerate from that point on.


Accelerate? Yes because the main vector of historical evolution is technological change. Technology has been produced through history thanks to human intelligence. But human intelligence is about to create a new very special kind of technology: artificial/technological intelligence. This technological intelligence will in turn go on producing more technology, but much faster than us. To summarize: once the singularity happens, technology will produce technology without human help and very quick.


The new period will be either good or bad for us. This will depend on the extent in which we will be able to control the artificial intelligence. But, what is sure is that it will be a totally different historical period as well as a very fast one.


So, when will the singularity happen?
The estimations range between 2014 and 2040 which is: quite tomorrow!

A beautiful Artificial Intelligence Research Centre belonging to MIT