Dawn M. Willow, J.D., from the anti-transhumanist think tank Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, has a nice review of the Stanford Singularity Summit and some furrowed-brow talk to share with us:

When 1997 world chess champion Gary Kasparov was defeated by a computer, and when computers became capable of mimicking the styles of Bach, Mozart, and Chopin so closely that music aficionados could hardly distinguish between the human-composed and the machine-composed scores, the distinction between man and machine became obscured as computers seemed to demonstrate skills that require creativity — a quality thought to be a uniquely human characteristic. But, while computers may become capable of more and more human-like tasks or exceed certain human cognitive abilities, can artificial intelligence ever capture human ingenuity? Are we approaching technological changes that will merge biological and non-biological intelligence, fuse the man-machine relationship, and blur the lines between reality and virtual reality?

We are! But these changes could also kill us all, if we aren’t extremely cautious and paranoid. Anyone who claims otherwise is a reckless utopian optimist.

Yes, AI will capture human ingenuity. That question is too easy. What does she think, it will capture creativity but never “ingenuity”? Gimme a break. Human brains are machines that work based on cause and effect, and reverse engineering is just around the corner. We may even determine how intelligence works based on studies in mathematical inference and statistics, and skip the computational neuroanatomy part entirely.

These Singularity predictions were welcomed by many transhumanists and post-human futurists in attendance, who seem to be working towards the ultimate goal of creating a utopia characterized by immortality, and which they postulate may be realized by “uploading” the content of one’s brain on to a computational substrate in order to exist in a non-corporeal form somewhere in cyberspace - where one could “live” forever.

You hit the nail on the head, sister. However, this isn’t necessarily a process we’d all want to jump into right away - it’s just nice to have the option. I might just want to just hang around as a human on a tropical island or space colony for a few decades - a human with the ability to fly and blow shit up with my eyes, of course.

For instance, if sentient life can exist in silicon substrates, could the Singularity bring about a “planned obsolescence” of humans as we exist today?

Well, yes. But let me remark that whether or not sentient life can exist in silicon is an independent issue of objective fact - the answer isn’t influenced by whether or not its truth value effects the possible future obsolescence of humans.

But the real answer of course is yes and yes. And to the second point, is that really a bad thing? We’ve been stuck at the same level for 50,000+ years, it’s time to move on. Do I really even have to argue this? Do any non-transhumanists even read this blog?

Perhaps, a transhumanist would find no need for religion in a world where we can upload ourselves into cyber-heaven. While some scientists may find religion a stagnating factor to technological progress, and while science and religion may arrive at conclusions about our human nature, Singularity enthusiasts and people of faith both share a strong and hopeful vision for the future of humanity - although the means by which this vision should become reality differs.

Yes, Christians predict that Jesus Christ will come out of the sky one day, millions will die or be sentenced to Hell during Apocalypse, angels will sing with blaring trumpets, and all those who are saved will go to live in New Jerusalem, a 1,500-mile long golden cube that will descend from the sky. Revelation, the Word of God, says so.

Singularity enthusiasts want to create Heaven in reality rather than in pretend-land, and do so through our own creations and hard work rather than through some fortuitous deus ex machina.

For more of my ramblings on the Singularity, go here.