The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology by Ray Kurzweil Page A

substrates does not necessarily alleviate the concern, as some people have expressed the wish to remain “unenhanced” while at the same time keeping their place at the top of the intellectual food chain. From the perspective of biological humanity, these superhuman intelligences will appear to be our devoted servants, satisfying our needs and desires. But fulfilling the wishes of a revered biological legacy will occupy only a trivial portion of the intellectual power that the Singularity will bring.
    M OLLY CIRCA 2004:
How will I know when the Singularity is upon us? I mean, I’ll want some time to prepare
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    R AY :
Why, what are you planning to do?
    M OLLY 2004:
Let’s see, for starters, I’ll want to fine-tune my résumé. I’ll want to make a good impression on the powers that be
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    G EORGE CIRCA 2048:
Oh, I can take care of that for you
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    M OLLY 2004:
That’s really not necessary. I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself. I might also want to erase a few documents—you know, where I’m a little insulting to a few machines I know
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    G EORGE 2048:
Oh, the machines will find them anyway—but don’t worry, we’re very understanding
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    M OLLY 2004:
For some reason, that’s not entirely reassuring. But I’d still like to know what the harbingers will be
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    R AY :
Okay, you will know the Singularity is coming when you have a million e-mails in your in-box
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    M OLLY 2004:
Hmm, in that case, it sounds like we’re just about there. But seriously, I’m having trouble keeping up with all of this stuff flying at me as it is. How am I going to keep up with the pace of the Singularity?
    G EORGE 2048:
You’ll have virtual assistants—actually, you’ll need just one
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    M OLLY 2004:
Which I suppose will be you?
    G EORGE 2048:
At your service
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    M OLLY 2004:
That’s just great. You’ll take care of everything, you won’t even have to keep me informed. “Oh, don’t bother telling Molly what’s happening, she won’t understand anyway, let’s just keep her happy and in the dark.”
    G EORGE 2048:
Oh, that won’t do, not at all
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    M OLLY 2004:
The happy part, you mean?
    G EORGE 2048:
I was referring to keeping you in the dark. You’ll be able to grasp what I’m up to if that’s what you really want
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    M OLLY 2004:
What, by becoming . . .
    R AY :
Enhanced?
    M OLLY 2004:
Yes, that’s what I was trying to say
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    G EORGE 2048:
Well, if our relationship is to be all that it can be, then it’s not a bad idea
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    M OLLY 2004:
And should I wish to remain as I am?
    G EORGE 2048:
I’ll be devoted to you in any event. But I can be more than just your transcendent servant
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    M OLLY 2004:
Actually, you’re being “just” my transcendent servant doesn’t sound so bad
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    C HARLES D ARWIN :
If I may interrupt, it occurred to me that once machine intelligence is greater than human intelligence, it should be in a position to design its own next generation
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    M OLLY 2004:
That doesn’t sound so unusual. Machines are used to design machines today
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    C HARLES :
Yes, but in 2004 they’re still guided by human designers. Once machines are operating at human levels, well, then it kind of closes the loop
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    N ED L UDD : 37
And humans would be out of the loop
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    M OLLY 2004:
It would still be a pretty slow process
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    R AY :
Oh, not at all. If a nonbiological intelligence was constructed similarly to a human brain but used even circa 2004 circuitry, it—
    M OLLY C IRCA 2104:
You mean “she.”
    R AY :
Yes, of course . . . she . . . would be able to think at least a million times faster
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    T IMOTHY L EARY :
So subjective time would be expanded
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    R AY :
Exactly
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    M OLLY 2004:
Sounds like a lot of subjective time. What are you machines going to do with so much of it?
    G EORGE 2048:
Oh, there’s plenty to do. After all, I have access to all human knowledge on the Internet
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    M OLLY 2004:
Just the human knowledge? What about all the machine knowledge?
    G EORGE 2048:
We like to think of it as one civilization
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    C HARLES :
So, it