Since it was first published in 2005, Ray Kurzweils The Singularity Is Near and its vision of an exponential future have spawned a worldwide movement. Kurzweils predictions about technological advancements have largely come true, with concepts like AI, intelligent machines, and biotechnology now widely familiar to the public.
In this entirely new book Ray Kurzweil brings a fresh perspective to advances toward the Singularityassessing his 1999 prediction that AI will reach human level intelligence by 2029 and examining the exponential growth of technologythat, in the near future, will expand human intelligence a millionfold and change human life forever. Among the topics he discusses are rebuilding the world, atom by atom with devices like nanobots; radical life extension beyond the current age limit of 120; reinventing intelligence by connecting our brains to the cloud; how exponential technologies are propelling innovation forward in all industries and improving all aspects of our well-being such as declining poverty and violence; and the growth of renewable energy and 3-D printing. He also considers the potential perils of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, including such topics of current controversy as how AI will impact employment and the safety of autonomous cars, and After Life technology, which aims to virtually revive deceased individuals through a combination of their data and DNA.
