Kurzweil...in 2027 zal de computer de menselijke intelligentie evenaren

In the year 2027 computers will pass human intelligence and round the year 2045 technological signularity will be achieved. These are the predictions of Ray Kurzweil. A man who's quotes came around on XL many times. Kurzweil is famous because of his quotes and vision. But many times his vision became a reality. In the near future we can upload human consciousness into a computer (Kurzweil).

Normal humans will be market as crazy when they do such predictions. But not Ray Kurzweil, he is invited at Microsoft and many other organizations to share his vision. Kurzweil believes he's found a pattern that allows him to see into the future with a high degree of accuracy. The secret is what he calls: Law of Accelerating Returns. This law consists of the that the power of technology is expanding at an exponential rate.

An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense 'intuitive linear' view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the twenty first century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate). The 'returns,' such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth. Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity—technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light.

"The law of accelerating returns" will make that technology will work like an accelerator within for example nanotechnology, biotechnology and healthcare. Kurzweil believes that the children which are born today will not know any poverty, healthproblems or energyproblems. So Kurzweil has a very positive image of the future. He is the opposite of for example Evans from the University of Bristol. He believes that in yhe year 2025 we wiil have a shortage of energy, big cities are dissappeared and we will have all kind of diseases(Utopia). He believes in a world where we go back where we come from. Kurzweil will not believe in the vision of Evans. He even thinks that the story of Al Gore about Global Warming is totally not based on the facts of technological progress.

These slides that Gore puts up are ludicrous, they don't account for anything like the technological progress we're going to experience.

Kurzweil knows again how to get our attention and he remains a very inspiring man. And remember many of his predictions have become facts. Just think about his prediction that a computer would beat the world chess champion in 1998 (it happened in 1997) and that a worldwide computer network would arise and facilitate communication and entertainment.