Reflections on Singularity University (including FutureMed )

1. Reflections on Singularity University (including FutureMed) 00 00111010 0101001 Shawna Pandya and Kim Solez

2. As the idea of the Singularity becomes mainstream it is becoming clear it exists in many different flavors. All of these different approaches can be found amongst those teaching at Singularity University, and therefore a broad and balanced education is obtained there.

3. The idea of the singularity begins to lose meaning entirely if you say it has already occurred. Nevertheless that vague and non-rigorous approach to the Singularity is common, “it’s everywhere, it’s everywhere”! To people holding this belief, the industrial revolution was a Singularity, so is waking up in the morning!

4. If you believe the Singularity will occur in the future, it needs to be further defined. Is it an event? A process? Fast? Slow?  Hard take off? Soft take off? Is there any significance to the year 2045?

5. There are three schools of belief about the Singularity. Accelerating Change Event Horizon Intelligence Explosion

6. There are four paths to the Singularity. Create an artificial intelligence that exceeds human intelligence.  Build human-computer interfaces that allow humans to go beyond their innate intelligence to a significant extent.  (‘cybernetic singularity’) 

7. There are four paths to the Singularity. 3) Find ways in biology to improve upon the natural human intellect. 4) Build large computer networks in which  ‘beyond human intelligence’ emerges.

8. All these different variations on the belief in the Singularity are reflected in the courses at Singularity University The experience of attending Singularity University is one that grows and grows after completion of the course. The associated memories become more vivid rather than less vivid with time, they are on an exponential curve of their own!

9. Ray Kurzweil’s views and intellectual exploration are as broad as that of the University he founded. So when you hear someone arguing with Ray Kurzweil as if he held narrow rigid views, that is a false “straw man” argument.