The Singularity, Infomania, and Programmed （奇点,信息狂躁和编程）.pdf

The Singularity, Inf omania, and Programmed Reality Which is ourf uture? Which is our pr esent ? by Jim Elvidge There is a school of thought which has gained significant credibility and momentum, largely as the result of Ray Kurzweil’s best-selling book “The Singularity is Near.” It is based on the belief that we will achieve a technological singularity in the coming decades (Kurzweil puts the date at 2045), a sort of AI-run-amok scenario. Closely related is the concept of Transhumanism, which predicts that due to the same trends and forces, we will merge with artificial intelligence (AI) and evolve into a new species of cybernetic being that will essentially be immortal. This is a logical theory of the future that is based on Moore’s Law, nanotechnology, and trends in AI. This paper will show that there is actually evidence that the accelerating trend may be slowing down, due to reaching the limitation of human’s ability to keep up with the pace of technology. Instead, this is actually strong evidence for the theory of Programmed Reality. Programmed Reality is a different, yet somewhat overlapping theory, that takes Moore’s Law to an alternative conclusion. That is, between advances in virtual reality simulations, gaming, and Brain Computer Interfacing (BCI), we will eventually be able to create reality simulations that are of such high quality from a “sensory experience” standpoint, that they will be indistinguishable from “real” reality. I, Kurzweil, Nick Bostrom, and others put this event at about 20 years from now, or in the 2025-2030 range. Bostrom, Director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, makes the logical argument in his “Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?” paper, that we are most likely living in a simulation now. My book “The Universe – Solved!”, explores significant additional classes of evidence that le