singularity

The article 2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal, by Lev Grossman talks about how “we're approaching a moment when computers will become intelligent, and not just intelligent but more intelligent than humans. When that happens, humanity — our bodies, our minds, our civilization — will be completely and irreversibly transformed” (Grossman 1). He believes that because of the rate at which technology is going there will come a day very soon when we will be over-powered by technology and humanity will come to an end. “He believes that this moment is not only inevitable but imminent…the end of human civilization as we know it is about 35 years away” (Grossman 1). Yes, “computers are getting faster. Everybody knows that. Also, computers are getting faster faster — that is, the rate at which they're getting faster is increasing” (Grossman 1), but I don’t believe that technology will soon take over and become smarter than us. However if this is possible and people are so afraid of this why don’t people stop inventing computers to be better, faster, and smarter than humans? I also think that we are so consumed with technology that we couldn’t live without it. Before technology was taken to an extreme people were fine without it, but once they discovered it they kept wanting more and more. Grossman also believes “all that horsepower could be put in the service of emulating whatever it is our brains are doing when they create consciousness — not just doing arithmetic very quickly or composing piano music but also driving cars, writing books, making ethical decisions, appreciating fancy paintings, making witty observations at cocktail parties” (Grossman 1). This article also relates to Brave New World because of the advances in technology. In Brave New World Aldous Huxley shows what the future could hold if technology keeps progressing at the rapid pace that it is and the article by Lev Grossman does the same. I think that in Brave New World Bernard thinks they are in danger of losing their “humanity” as technology continues to progress. However, in the novel they don’t really have humanity because technology has already taken over their lives.