The Economics of Innovation
August 6, 2001 by Ray Kurzweil
An examination of the changing nature of wealth, written for “The Futurecast,” a monthly column in the Library Journal.… read more
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Reflections on S1m0ne
August 25, 2002 by Ray Kurzweil
The movie Simone presents an “unrealistic notion of how technology is introduced to the world,” says Ray Kurzweil in this review. He examines this portrayal from the perspective of his own transformation at the TED conference into Ramona, the state of the art for real-time virtual personality transformation two years ago.… read more
Ray Kurzweil Responds to Richard Eckersley
February 3, 2006 by Ray Kurzweil
“Eckersley bases his romanticized idea of ancient life on communication and the relationships fostered by communication. But much of modern technology is directed at just this basic human need.”… read more
The Future of Life
March 30, 2003 by Ray Kurzweil
A coming era of personalized genetic medicine, breakthroughs that radically extend the human lifespan, nanomedicine, and the merger of our biological species with our own technology were among the future visions presented at TIME’s “The Future of Life” conference.… read more
Intelligence, Computer and Human: A Discussion with Howard Gardner
October 2, 2001 by Howard Gardner, Ray Kurzweil
Ray Kurzweil and Howard Gardner discuss education, technology, pattern recognition and collecting electronic parts on Canal Street.… read more
Another Formula for Intelligence: The Neural Net Paradigm
August 6, 2001 by Ray Kurzweil
The neural net approach to artificial intelligence explained, written for “The Futurecast,” a monthly column in the Library Journal.… read more
We Are Becoming Cyborgs
March 15, 2002 by Ray Kurzweil
The union of human and machine is well on its way. Almost every part of the body can already be enhanced or replaced, even some of our brain functions. Subminiature drug delivery systems can now precisely target tumors or individual cells. Within two to three decades, our brains will have been “reverse-engineered”: nanobots will give us full-immersion virtual reality and direct brain connection with the Internet. Soon after, we will vastly expand our intellect as we merge our biological brains with non-biological intelligence.… read more
The Age of Knowledge
August 6, 2001 by Ray Kurzweil
An illustration of the second industrial revolution written for “The Futurecast,” a monthly column in the Library Journal… read more
A myopic perspective on AI
September 2, 2002 by Ray Kurzweil
In a recent Red Herring magazine article, writer Geoffrey James said “pundits can’t stop hyping the business opportunities of artificial intelligence” and described AI as a “technological backwater.” Ray Kurzweil challenges this view, citing “hundreds of examples of narrow AI deeply integrated into our information-based economy” and “many applications beginning to combine multiple methodologies,” a step towards the eventual achievement of “strong AI” (human-level intelligence in a machine).… read more
Wolfram and Kurzweil Roundtable Discussion
February 24, 2006 by Ray Kurzweil, Stephen Wolfram
“The most dramatic possibility is the universe started from a simple initial condition that had some simple geometrical symmetry. It might be the case that if we turn our telescope off to the west, and look at the configuration of the universe in the west, it might be identical to the configuration of the universe in the east [...]“… read more
Will My PC Be Smarter Than I Am?
November 9, 2001 by Ray Kurzweil
Once we learn how to map the brain and make computers fast enough to simulate it, all bets are off.… read more
Testimony of Ray Kurzweil on the Societal Implications of Nanotechnology
April 8, 2003 by Ray Kurzweil
Despite calls to relinquish research in nanotechnology, we will have no choice but to confront the challenge of guiding nanotechnology in a constructive direction. Advances in nanotechnology and related advanced technologies are inevitable. Any broad attempt to relinquish nanotechnology will only push it underground, which would interfere with the benefits while actually making the dangers worse.… read more