The Singularity
(c) Casey Reed/NASA
Please read Risks and benefits of AGI first.
The word singularity is taken from the mathematical area. It describes an undefined point in a function. After this point a function can change its behaviour in an extreme way: for example be very jumpy (making a big leap upwards). An AGI would lead to incredible and unimaginable consequences in very short time. Mankind would reach the next level of technology. This idea is called the Singularity.
To keep control of this kind of technology one possibility is to merge with it. The impacts on society after that point are very difficult to imagine. Things like interstellar travel could become everyday life, but there are also other theories that make sense.
Heard of Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and the Fermi paradox?
Imagine there was a planet like ours and it contained a similar intelligent race like humans. The only big difference to our past is that they already reached the Singularity.
Why aren’t they represented everywhere in the universe? Why haven’t we even seen any extraterrestrial life?
There are over 400 billion stars in our galaxy alone… It is inconceivable and arrogant to even consider that ours would be the only one hosting intelligent life, in all the universe.
– Dr Carl Sagan
A possible explanation is that instead of using more and more space in universe, the idea of optimizing existing space was preferred. If you have heard about virtual reality and have seen the film “Matrix” you surely can imagine what the point here is. In a virtual reality you can live whatever life you want for example making up your own physical law.
This idea is called “The Transcension Hypothesis”.
The Transcension Hypothesis – What comes after the singularity?
Thereby one crazy thought about the Singularity is that we could already have reached it and live in exact such a virtual reality.
[This article is not complete and will be extended over time.]
At this point you are invited to post your own ideas and thoughts in the comment section below!
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Thanks Luke. I haven't updated this article for a long time. My opinion regarding this topic [...]
In your conclusion, you suggest that AGI's must be developed to obtain empathy for the human race. [...]
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