51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú

Abstract:

This chapter presents comments by David Brin, Damien Broderick, Nick Bostrom, Alexander "Sasha" Chislenko, Robin Hanson, Max More, Michael Nielsen, and Anders Sandberg on Vernor Vinge's Singularity concept. Vinge's "Singularity" is a worthy contribution to the long tradition of contemplations about human transcendence. Around 2050, or maybe as early as 2020, is when Dr. Vernor Vinge's technological Singularity is expected to erupt, in the considered opinion of a number of scientists. Two potential technologies stand out from the others in terms of their importance: superintelligence and nanotechnology. Vinge says that probably by 2030 and occurring "faster than any technical revolution seen so far," perhaps "in a month or two," "it may seem as if our artifacts as a whole had suddenly wakened." The Singularity idea exerts a powerful intellectual and imaginative attraction. Precisely because of this powerful attractive force, the Singularity idea deserves a critical examination. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Abstract:

This essay reviews different definitions and models of technological singularity. The models range from conceptual sketches to detailed endogenous growth models, as well as attempts to fit empirical data to quantitative models. The set of concepts today commonly referred to as "technological singularity" has a long history in the computer science community. Technological singularity is used in a variety of contexts, and has acquired an unfortunately large number of meanings. Some versions stress the role of artificial intelligence, others refer to more general technological change. For the purpose of this essay the author focuses on the growth aspect: accelerating change, self-improving technology, intelligence explosions, and the complexity disaster (and to some extent the inflexion point) all involve the growth of technological or cognitive capability. There is a notable lack of models of how an intelligence explosion could occur. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Abstract:

This chapter demonstrates why the freedom to modify one's body is essential not just to transhumanism, but also to any future democratic society. It sketches a core framework of rights leading up the morphological freedom, showing how it derives from and is necessary for other important rights. Given current social and technological trends issues relating to morphological freedom will become increasingly relevant over the next decades. In order to gain the most from new technology and guide it in beneficial directions we need a strong commitment to morphological freedom. A strong negative argument, possibly the most compelling argument for the acceptance of morphological freedom as a basic right that may not be infringed, is to protect from coercive biomedicine. Finally, the chapter presents the health official example pointing at a relevant issue regarding healthcare in the future. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.