This is that important moment in the genesis of a technology. That which we’ll one day look back and somewhat condescendingly comment: A: ”Remember when the Dream Movies™ were just vague blobs?” B: ”Shhhhh, stop talking during Bob’s flying sequence!”
Can a computer be intelligent like a human? We already accept the existence of other animal intelligences, as long as they’re not as intelligent as us. That is a heartbreaking notion of staggeringly arrogant species-level narcissism.
As the writing staff here (which is, you know, me) have been stuck in a southern Japanese forest for the past four days, not much new has happened at www.anthrobotic.com. But we’re back in the stream now, and will put forth on Monday. Until then, have a look at a slightly remixed/remastered version of the site’s most popular post ever: Technology Created Organized Religion. Next Project: Cults For & Against the Singularity. (Now with snarky topical headings to ease the pain of the article’s length!) Futurism, Techno-Sociology, Technological Anthropology, Sociotechnological Studies, Anthrobotic Sociology – or just, you know, generic human [read full post]
“…Lately we have begun to consider the possibility that technology might change us more in a generation or two than evolution has done over millions of years.” The always excellent Economist takes on the issue of transhumanism and the Singularity in a thoughtful and well-rounded piece. I’m hard-pressed to find anything to make fun of here, even coming up with some snarky or cheeky comment is proving kinda difficult. So, just have a read! [VIA THE ECONOMIST]
I totally had this exact idea like three years ago. From the LifeNaut FAQ “The long-term goal is to test whether given a comprehensive database, saturated with the most relevant aspects of an individual’s personality, future intelligent software will be able to replicate an individual’s consciousness.” Imagine waking up as data, aware of self, but disembodied – coherent, but floating through the data of the internet 30 years hence. LifeNaut wants to get you all prepared for this. Such efforts (and maybe Facebook, too?) are a kind of push toward immortality, leaving the flesh behind, transferring the pattern – which [read full post]