Technological singularity

In future studies, a technological singularity (also referred to as just the Singularity) is a predicted future event when technological progress and societal change accelerate due to the advent of superhuman intelligence, changing our environment beyond the ability of pre-Singularity humans to comprehend or reliably predict. This event is named by analogy with the breakdown of modern physics knowledge near the gravitational singularity of a black hole.

Early conceptions

Although commonly believed to have originated within the last two decades of the 20th century, the concept of a technological singularity actually dates back to the 1950s:

Related Topics:
20th century - 1950s

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:"One conversation centered on the ever accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life, which gives the appearance of approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue." —Stanislaw Ulam, May 1958, referring to a conversation with John von Neumann

Related Topics:
Stanislaw Ulam - John von Neumann

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This quote has been taken out of context several times and attributed to von Neumann himself, likely due to von Neumann's widespread fame and influence.

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In 1965, statistician I. J. Good described a concept even more similar to today's meaning of singularity, in that it included in it the advent of superhuman intelligence:

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:"Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an 'intelligence explosion,' and the intelligence of man would be left far behind. Thus the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make."'

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