Meeting your makerbot

Singularity is a term I’ve got rolling around in my mind these days. In a general sense it applies to a melding of circumstance or situations, in creative circles it applies to a moment or endeavor that results in an achievement. In technological terms it is used to describe that moment when artificial intelligence exceeds the maximum limits of the human brain, or in more definite terms: “the singularity, is the hypothesis that accelerating progress in technologies such as artificial intelligence will cause non-human intelligence to exceed human intelligence for the first time in history”.

I live in both the creative and technological worlds at the moment, being able to observe the patterns that both reflect as well as encumber those immersed in either leads me to believe that the idea of a perceptual shift, as postulated by the academics who have studied the probable idea of ‘the singularity’, is not very likely. That there will be this tremendous leap or sociological awareness when a non-human intelligence surpasses human intellect is a fallacy, not because it won’t be something dramatic but rather that it will not make an impact on most of those we know whose life and direction aren’t closely tied to the instance of artificial awakening and sentience. Based on some very recent issues involving violence and racism, religious dogma perpetuating border wars and ideological justification that keeps the majority of humans in a limited world-view, this kind of event can and possibly could be happening already and many of us would be too distracted by social media interactions, parochial investment or a position that rejects any information or involvement with technology.

Undoubtedly the children of today will find themselves in a world that was at least partially shaped by the popular culture of today, much like the tech in popular TV and movies that I was exposed to have come to fruition. Hand held communications devices that ‘flip’ open are already passé, and medical devices that ‘scan’ and record data on health and fitness have moved into the realm of marketing for the fitness industry. Will a movie like “Her” have any influence on the future and will those who design software that is increasingly more interactive borrow from fiction to promote it, much like ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’ have already?

I have more than enough hope but lack the ability to see how so many millions of humans who already live in a willingly sheltered and shuttered existence would recognize or be open to the changes that will happen when the singularity occurs? When examining the challenges we have been faced with as a species and are still unable to overcome; racism, inequality for gender and life choices, resource distribution and the destruction of our very heritage and history by radical religious factions I am hard put to see how we would rise collectively to the threat or promise of sentient technology and harness it’s potential for a collective benefit. My desire is to see some indication that we can use any of the potential we now possess for collective enhancement for all rather than profiteering by a few.
Another perspective focusing on the Ray Kurzweil thesis (and where I lifted this comic from) is here.