TECHNOLOGICAL ACCELERATION AND THE ROLE OF ART IN PREDICTING THE AFTERMATH OF SINGULARITY

Abstract

The technological advance of the last decades leads us to imagine a future where technological systems and artificial intelligence (AI) physically and intellectually surpass human intelligence (IH) reaching, in fact, to be able to improve itself without the need for human intervention. From the possibility of the emergence of Cyborgs, Post Humans, and the arrival of what experts have called Technological Singularity, we must allow ourselves to reflect on these concepts in order analyse the possible effects, the results that this rapid technological advance could lead us to, and the possible consequences that a hard superintelligence would bring with it. The study tries to probe the scope of Singularity and its fundamental aspect, the alteration of the technological ecology: the strong pace of innovation would continuously transform the world and the human being itself, making the forecasting effort extremely difficult. It presents definitions of singularity according to its main figures: Von Neumann, I. J. Good, Vernor Vinge, and Ray Kurzweil. It revolves around the idea that the technological acceleration will continue to state that humanity couldn’t control. In this case AI will surpass the human abilities. It also unfolds the role of art in predicting the aftermaths of Singularity. Since the scientists are not sure about the result after Singularity, the role of imagination becomes the proper tool for exploring the technologized future. Key words: Singularity, Technological Acceleration, Science Fiction, Vernor Vinge, and Ray Kurzweil