Dr. Thomas Lombardo compares Eric Chaisson & Ray Kurzweil's visions of The Technological Singularity and explores the evolution of human & machine consciousness that may result from artificial superintelligence.
In his JFS article, "Consciousness, Cosmic Evolution, and the Technological Singularity", Dr. Thomas Lombardo compared the work of both Eric Chaisson and Ray Kurzweil, especially how they conceptualize the significance of consciousness within their respective views of the coming “technological singularity”.
The Chaisson Model is a series of "S-Curves" each representing a new level of complexity and development, whereas the Kurzweil model is exponential growth to infinity - which in his case means intelligence.
In addition to discussing his article, we talk about Kurzweil's predicted merger of human and machine. Instead of a clear delineation between "pre" and "post" Singularity intelligence, what if we instead see a blurring effect where natural and artificial join together into something new?
Communications technologies have been a rapid progression over time, from the telephone, to TV, then cellphones, computers, the internet, smartphones, and now wearables like the Apple Watch. We're becoming more connected, more of the time, and the devices are becoming smaller and more personal. Could the internet itself be this merger of human and machine, and could we already be well down this path to Singularity?
Dr. Thomas Lombardo is the Director of the Center for Future Consciousness, Editor of Future Consciousness Insights, Professor Emeritus and Retired Faculty Chair of Psychology, Philosophy, and the Future at Rio Salado College, and past Director of The Wisdom Page.
Dr. Lombardo is an Executive Board member and awarded Fellow of the World Futures Studies Federatio, a member of the Association of Professional Futurists, an editorial reviewer for Journal of Futures Studies, and has published thirteen books, over sixty articles, and given over a hundred presentations and lectures on a diverse number of topics in futurism & consciousness.
LINKS & RESOURCES:
Official Website:
http://www.centerforfutureconsciousness.com/
YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@tomlombardo75/playlists
"Consciousness, Cosmic Evolution, and the Technological Singularity"
https://jfsdigital.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/172-E01.pdf
