Seven years to immortality: Futurist Kurzweil promises a brave new world with AI and nanobots
In 1990, Ray Kurzweil predicted that by 2000, computers would outperform world chess champions and the age of portable computers and smartphones would commence. In 2010, he revisited his twenty-year-old predictions to see how many materialized. According to the data he provided in his article, out of 147 predictions, he believes 115 were wholly realized, 12 were partially fulfilled, and merely 3 were inaccurate (including the prediction anticipating the widespread usage of autonomous vehicles by 2009). Now, Kurzweil declares that we would gain immortality in the upcoming seven years.
2:24 PM EST, January 20, 2024
Seven years until an advanced AI and human immortality
Kurzweil argues that by 2030, we could "extend the average human lifespan by more than a year per year," eventually eliminating deaths from natural causes. This development would trigger other transformations reshaping our world.
Kurzweil envisions a future where nanobots circulate in our bloodstream, repairing tissues and directly dispense medication to infected regions. Our brains will connect to the cloud, allowing us to send movies, messages, or even thoughts using our minds and, importantly, back up our memories.
And after another 15 years, AI reaches "singularity"
Kurzweil earmarks the year 2045 for the development of artificial intelligence surpassing our current comprehension, not with dystopian fear, but optimism. He believes the artificial intelligence we establish will "augment our cognitive capacity a billion-fold by interfacing with it." According to this futurist's premise, we should not dread this future, but anticipate it as a period that will enhance us and ultimately render us "god-like".
Kurzweil substantiates his predictions with nothing more than observations of our technological progression. In addition to pointing out the significant role AI plays in our modern world, he cites examples like paraplegic individuals who can form sentences thanks to brain-connected electrodes. This isn't surprising given the accomplishments of companies such as Elon Musk's Neuralink. We will discover the accuracy of these predictions in about seven years.
