Ray Kurzweil On IT And The Future of Technology

Roland Piquepaille writes "In this interview with CIO Magazine, Ray Kurzweil says that one day, software and computers will reside inside us. He adds that by 2020, "we will be placing millions or billions of nanobots -- blood cell-size devices -- inside our bloodstream to travel into our brains and interact with our neurons." He also says that if we're not enhanced by machines, they will surpass us. But he doesn't think it will happen. According to him, machines and humans will merge. In the mean time, he's pursuing his anti-aging quest and takes about 250 supplements to his diet every day! With this regime, he says his biological age is 40 while he's 56 years old. By 2030, there will be very little difference between 30-year-old and 120-year-old people, says Kurzweil. He's certainly a bright person, but I'm not sure that I agree with someone taking daily such an amount of pills. What do you think? This summary contains some selected -- and biased -- excerpts to help you forge your opinion."

Comments

Machines *in* humans

[ImaLamer]

Great!

Every sci-fi dystopian movie I've ever seen is coming true.

Article summary

[Xeo 024]

All he's trying to say is 10 years from now we're all going to robots.

Re:Article summary

[mindsuck]

Oh my, I meant to say BE, "we're all going to BE robots", NOT "DO robots" you sickos..

What about the ReadDoll (tm) of the future?

I dont like pills but...

[Mikeybo]

It's funny because yesterday I was thinking of how long it will be possible to take pictures with our own eyes instead of using a camera.

Re:I dont like pills but...

[js3]

I think it is even funnier to think that you would print out of your butt

Re:I dont like pills but...

[YrWrstNtmr]

You already can. They are stored in a random access file system (known as the BFS), using a pulpy grey mass as the recording medium. I hear you can even store moving pics and sound as well. You can play them back internally, and you can output the sound portion at will.

The printing mechanism is still a bit rudimentary, using a mechanism similar to a large format plotter (moving a pen in X/Y coordinates). Some models do this better than others. Some are even extraordinary at this. A few work well in 3D space. Unfortunately, if you are saddled with a lower performing output module, you cannot yet buy an upgrade for it, nor install a new one. You are stuck with it as delivered.

"Bright" in What Sense?

[Simon G Best]

By 2030, there will be very little difference between 30-year-old and 120-year-old people, says Kurzweil. He's certainly a bright person...

So, either 94-year-olds today have a surprisingly youthful future to look forward to, or today's 4-year-olds are going to age awfully fast!

In a related story...

[capz loc]

In a related story, Ray Kurzweil has been hit by a bus. The coroner's report revealed that Kurzweil forgot to take his bus-repelling dietary supplement today.

Supplements

[Crash McBang]

I'm not sure that I agree with someone taking daily such an amount of pills. What do you think?

I think he has the world's most expensive urine.

Re:Supplements

[Anonymous Coward]

I've been drinking Kurzweil Urine(tm) for years, and I feel GREAT !

The world will come to an end

[alanbs]

Once nano-bots are inside our brains and can interact with out neurons, that will be the end of civilization. Once true virtual reality exists, not one man in the world will ever get married again, and the economies of the world will unravel (after a boost of course in some industries). Unlike The Matrix, only this will truly free man from his bondage.

Re:The world will come to an end

[Anonymous Coward]

The mods found this funny, but I agree with the parent poster.

I look forward to the day when I don't have to deal with real women and all the BS that comes with dealing with real women, but can still enjoy something that feels convincingly like meaningful intimacy.

I'm so sick of all the shit that I quit dating in 2001. There are still things I miss about it, though, and if VR would take care of that, I'm cool with it.

Shutter.

[jfisherwa]

Did anyone else blink their eyes at something and make a fake shutter noise inside of their head moments after reading this comment?

Come on, I can't be the /only one/.

Re:No More Roland Articles Please!!

[adamjaskie]

Ok, it's pretty much accepted that Roland is paying off Slashdot to get hits to his weblog or has some kind of deal with them.

While both Kurzweil and Roland make electronic keyboards and synthesizers of various shapes and sizes, I do not think the two companies would be happy about your confusion between them, nor would Roland be happy that you are insinuating that they are trying to make Kurzweil look like a nutjob.

Re:Why is this 'futurist' drivel in 'Science'?

[OnanTheBarbarian]

Incidentally, while he may think that he's 'really 40', his biological age of 56 is very, very obvious: who else but a baby boomer could be such a pioneer in this kind of pretentious selfishness?

I can at least hope that he has to stuff a reasonable portion of those pills up his ass.

Obligatory Dilbert quote:

[PHPhD2B]

Asok: "Can you think of anything Wally would do vigorously?"

Alice: "I'd rather not"

Re:Vision of the future

[NoOneInParticular]

Usually the speed of progress is measured by the amount of papers that are published in journals. A few guys at the Physical review letters at one point extrapolated the trend from the last 30 years and obtained the prediction that with current progress in science, in 2030 the speed with which shelf-space would be filled with the journal pages would exceed the speed of light. However, they could safely concluded that this wasn't a violation of general relativity as no actual information is transmitted in these pages.

Re:Resistance is futile

[wfberg]

Personally, I think Kurzweil's 20 year estimates are overly optimistic, although the general principles of what he talks about do hold up...

Of course you're forgetting that to his superiorly maintenanced body and mind 200 years may seem like only 20.. Just like the all-too-familiar trademarked Microsoft Seconds, where "38 seconds remaining" in the windows explorer actually means "see you next week, buddy".

Re:I have no problem with this, but....

[PoopJuggler]

Why do we have to constantly "improve" upon our existence?

Because if we don't, the commies will. And eventually the commies will become more powerful and come and take us over. Just like we took over Iraq because they are weak and we don't like them, the commies would come and take US over. If they have nanotech-enhanced soldiers, it gives them an advantage.

My career

[DrCode]

1980-2010: Software engineer
2010-2013: Law school (job was outsourced to India).
2014-2030: Lawyer
2030-present: Software engineer (India is outsourcing to US)

Re:the nut

[tomhudson]

I would put up a link to Amazon but I'm very unhappy with them right now.

You got me laughing on that one, for some reason :-)