explore the series:
The Huffington Post + The World Post  | Exponential Technology — series
The World Post  | YouTube channel
The Huffington Post  | YouTube channel

full series | articles:

• article link | 1.  Peter Diamandis’ Bold a reminder of how entrepreneurs will control the world’s fate
by Vivek Wadhwa | 3.25.2015

• article link | 2.  Let’s… read more

A recent infographic frames the past 30 years into 4 broad eras, starting with the computing era, moving to the networked and connected eras, and landing today in the interconnected era. What are the rules of this era? Are any patterns emerging? What skills will be needed? What infrastructure is required?

I suggest turning to futurist and innovator Ray Kurzweil for guidance about how this plays out, who will win, and… read more

Boston Consulting Group predicts that consumer robotics will become a $9 billion market by 2025. So it’s no surprise that 1,600 attendees from 29 countries converged on the Robo Business conference — an influential event on business transformation through robotics innovation.

Fittingly for a conference discussing the viability of robotics, the closing keynote was futurist, inventor Ray Kurzweil, author of book The Singularity Is Near, and now a director of engineering at Google, with a focus… read more

The distinction between man and machine is under siege. The technology wizard Ray Kurzweil speaks with casual confidence of achieving electromagnetic immortality with our once human selves eternally etched onto universal servers.

For me, the possibility that machines will acquire the equivalent of human feelings and emotions is pure fantasy. And yet, as a neurologist, I cannot ignore advancing machine intelligence’s implications about the human mind.

Uncovering the… read more

Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt, known better as Google executive chairman, describes ways artificial intelligence will drive forward some key consumer segments — music and travel. He doesn’t go far enough in developing some truly breakthrough ideas about where AI is headed.

The legendary Ray Kurzweil was recruited by Google to work on AI projects. Eric Schmidt alludes to Google’s gmail, but doesn’t mention Deep Mind, now teaching machines… read more

It’s a question of morality. There is no way to prove that one entity is conscious and another is not. Virtual characters can claim to be, but that does not convince us that they are.

Some scientists say therefore that consciousness is an illusion. I would argue against that, however, because our entire moral system is based on it.

If morality and rights are based… read more

Microsoft’s experiment in China with chatbot known as Xiaoice was a success. Folks chat with Xiaoice when they have been dumped in a relationship, are experiencing depression or been laid off.

As a virtual platform, people can chat for extended lengths of time with her. Users feel she has excellent listening skills, a great sense of humor and so called ability to love you unconditionally.

That machines may… read more

Bill Gates thinks Uber has the best shot at dominating the autonomous vehicle industry. I’ve become little obsessed with exponentially accelerating technology of late. I spent a week at Singularity University, fully indoctrinated into the cult of inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil.

As long as Uber is around, flush with cash and hugely ambitious, autonomous vehicles will continue their doubling trend, ultimately becoming better than driver vehicles and much… read more

about | What is Genius online? Genius breaks down text with line-by-line annotations, added and edited by anyone in the world. Your interactive guide to human culture.

Genius layers answers to questions over the text itself, enabling you to answer them as you read.

Whenever you’re interested in a passage, you can click it to read an annotation that explains in plain language what you’re reading and why it’s important.

How… read more

about | What is Genius online? Genius breaks down text with line-by-line annotations, added and edited by anyone in the world. Your interactive guide to human culture.

Genius layers answers to questions over the text itself, enabling you to answer them as you read. Whenever you’re interested in a passage, you can click it to read an annotation that explains in plain language what you’re reading and why it’s important.

How… read more