Latest news with #Kurzweil
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientist Predicts Immortality Might Be Possible In The Near Future
We've all seen the movies. Sometime in a distant future, humans have solved the riddle of aging. The answer usually involves some sort of hard-to-understand science or some kind of mystical magic. However, scientists say that immortality for humans is leaving the world of fantasy and science fiction and becoming a reality. A recent article from Popular Mechanics reported that the key to living forever comes from merging biotechnology and artificial intelligence to make nanotechnology. In the article, futurist Raymond Kurzweil said that this nanotechnology will help 'overcome the limitations of our biological organs altogether.' The required nanotechnology is predicted to become a reality by the year 2030, according to Wired. How does this work? Kurzweil explains in an essay he wrote for Wired that once we reach old age, our bodies spontaneously reach a state in which they just start breaking down. This happens regardless of lifestyle. Kurzweil compares it to the rusting of a car in that 'metabolism creates waste in and around cells and damages structures through oxidation. When we're young, our bodies are able to remove this waste and repair the damage efficiently. But as we get older, most of our cells reproduce over and over, and errors accumulate. Eventually, the damage starts piling up faster than the body can fix it.' This is where the nanobots come in. According to an article from Columbia One, in the near future, humans might have nanobots flowing through our bloodstreams. These nanobots will repair cellular damage and link us to the cloud. The article reports that this will allow humans to increase their life expectancy for 'more than a year every year, thus allowing humans to become essentially immortal." At this time, nanobots solving the riddle of human aging is just one theory amongst many. However, Kurzweil has been known for making other accurate predictions about the future. In his book written in 1990, The Age of Intelligent Machines, Kurzweil predicted that by 2009, we'd all be using portable, personal computers and that most reading would be done on screens. As we can all attest to, this prediction was spot on. Will Kurzweil's predictions about nanobots stalling human aging be as accurate? Only time will Predicts Immortality Might Be Possible In The Near Future first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 7, 2025
Gulf Insider
01-07-2025
- Science
- Gulf Insider
A Scientist Says Humans Will Reach The Singularity Within 20 Years
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Futurists have long debated the arrival of the singularity, when human and artificial intelligence will merge, a concept borrowed from the world of quantum physics. American computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil has long argued that the singularity would likely occur around the middle of the 21st century, and with the rise of AI, his predictions are gaining more his book, The Singularity is Nearer, Kurzweil doubles down on those predictions and details how humanity's intelligence will increase a millionfold via nanobots (among other things).You don't exactly become a world-renowned futurist by making safe predictions. And while some of these past predictions haven't exactly come to pass (Back to the Future Part II, specifically), these ideas help expand our thoughts on what exactly the future might look like. And no one makes futuristic predictions quite like Ray Kurzweil. An American computer scientist-turned-futurist, Kurzweil has long believed that humanity is headed toward what's known as 'the singularity,' when man and machine merge. In 1999, Kurzweil theorized that artificial general intelligence would be achieved once humanity could achieve a technology capable of a trillion calculations per second, which he pegged to occur in 2029. Experts at the time scoffed at the idea, figuring it'd be at least a century or more, but with Kurzweil's timeline only a few years off—and talk of AGI spreading—that decades-old prediction is beginning to loom large. Source Yahoo
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Scientist Says Humans Will Reach the Singularity Within 20 Years
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Futurists have long debated the arrival of the singularity, when human and artificial intelligence will merge, a concept borrowed from the world of quantum physics. American computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil has long argued that the singularity would likely occur around the middle of the 21st century, and with the rise of AI, his predictions are gaining more credence. In his book, The Singularity is Nearer, Kurzweil doubles down on those predictions and details how humanity's intelligence will increase a millionfold via nanobots (among other things). You don't exactly become a world-renowned futurist by making safe predictions. And while some of these past predictions haven't exactly come to pass (Back to the Future Part II, specifically), these ideas help expand our thoughts on what exactly the future might look like. And no one makes futuristic predictions quite like Ray Kurzweil. An American computer scientist-turned-futurist, Kurzweil has long believed that humanity is headed toward what's known as 'the singularity,' when man and machine merge. In 1999, Kurzweil theorized that artificial general intelligence would be achieved once humanity could achieve a technology capable of a trillion calculations per second, which he pegged to occur in 2029. Experts at the time scoffed at the idea, figuring it'd be at least a century or more, but with Kurzweil's timeline only a few years off—and talk of AGI spreading—that decades-old prediction is beginning to loom large. Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue In his 2024 book, The Singularity is Nearer (a play on his 2005 book of the same name minus an 'er'), Kurzweil doubles down on these ideas in the modern era of artificial intelligence. Not only is he "sticking with [his] five years' prediction, as he said in a TED Talk, Kurzweil also believes that humans will achieve a millionfold intelligence by 2045, aided by brain interfaces formed with nanobots non-invasively inserted into our capillaries. 'We're going to be a combination of our natural intelligence and our cybernetic intelligence,' Kurzweil said in an interview with The Guardian, 'and it's all going to be rolled into one. We are going to expand intelligence a millionfold by 2045, and it is going to deepen our awareness and consciousness.'$13.99 at While this idea subscribes to a merger more akin to physical intervention to bridge the gap between man and machine, other philosophers and AI experts agree that some form of merger is likely inevitable, and in some ways, is already beginning. In July 2024, Oxford's Marcus du Sautoy and Nick Bostrom both expounded on the hopeful and harrowing possibilities of our AI future, and for both of them, a kind of synthesis appeared inevitable. 'I think that we are headed toward a hybrid future,' Sautoy told Popular Mechanics. 'We still believe that we are the only beings with a high level of consciousness. This is part of the whole Copernican journey that we are not unique. We're not at the center.' Of course, this 'Brave New World' of a hybrid AI-human existence brings with it a plethora of issues both political and personal. What will humans do for jobs? Could we possibly live forever? Would that change the very idea of what it means to be human? Kurzweil, like many other futurists, is relatively optimistic on this front. In that same interview with The Guardian, Kurzweil highlights the idea of a Universal Basic Income as a necessity rather than a fringe idea currently supported in more progressive circles, and AI will bring unprecedented advancements in medicine, meaning the very idea of immortality isn't out of the realm of possibility. 'In the early 2030s we can expect to reach longevity escape velocity where every year of life we lose through aging we get back from scientific progress,' Kurzweil told The Guardian. 'And as we move past that, we'll actually get back more years. It isn't a solid guarantee of living forever—there are still accidents—but your probability of dying won't increase year to year.' Just like Back to the Future Part II predicted flying cars, so too could these technology-fueled utopias crumble to dust as these dates inch closer and closer. But 25 years ago, Kurzweil predicted we'd be rapidly approaching a major moment in humanity's technological history at the tail end of this decade. Currently, no evidence suggests the contrary. Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Humans will be immortal by 2030, futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts—here's how technology could make it happen
The notion of immortality has captivated human imagination for millennia. From ancient myths of life elixirs to contemporary science fiction with characters overcoming death, the notion of eternal life has been a beguiling prospect. Until recently, immortality was quite often a philosophical or fictional endeavor. Yet, with progress in artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology, the horizon of life itself is being extended, turning a fantasy into a scientific debate. At the forefront of this revolution is Ray Kurzweil, a prophet thinker, inventor, and erstwhile Google engineer, whose recent prophecy has reawakened universal curiosity and debate. Humans could achieve immortality by 2030 through nanobots Kurzweil has forecast that by 2030, humans can accomplish what was previously considered impossible—biological immortality. The statement, though incredible, is not an imaginary one. Rather, it is underpinned by the rapid advancement of major scientific disciplines like nanotechnology, genetics, and robotics. The future of medicine, Kurzweil predicts, will be characterized by the emergence of microscopic machines called nanobots. These kind of small robots will help travel in the human circulatory system, continuously checking the body's status, healing the cells that are broken, and reversing the signs of aging. If realized, this technology might not only heal diseases before their appearance but also restore the human body on a cellular level, effectively stopping the aging process. Who is Ray Kurzweil by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Ray Kurzweil is no stranger to the realm of dramatic technological predictions. He is best known for his vision in anticipating the direction of digital innovation. Most of his predictions, made many years ago and considered unlikely at the time, have come true with astonishing precision. He famously predicted the emergence of the internet, artificial intelligence, and the merging of biology and computing, sometimes decades before they reached popular adoption. With a batting average of success—almost 86 percent of his 147 predictions have held true—Kurzweil has gained both praise and criticism. In 1999, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology, the highest award given by the American government to its innovators. His credibility does not only come from his professional success but also because of his hands-on approach to research and development of advanced technologies. How AI and human minds will merge to redefine intelligence by 2029 Together with this biological transformation comes the unprecedented evolution of artificial intelligence. Kurzweil thinks AI will hit its crucial benchmark by 2029, when machines will have human-level intelligence and will be able to pass the Turing test—a benchmark of a machine's capability to simulate behavior indistinguishable from a human's. He predicts that humans and machines will not just coexist, but will come together. The merger of human consciousness with AI would augment memory, perception, and decision-making to take human abilities past the natural biological boundaries. Human intelligence will multiply beyond imagination around 2045 At the heart of Kurzweil's prophecy is the idea of the Singularity, a theoretical point in time in the future where technological development accelerates to the point at which it radically changes human civilization. He predicts this transition to take place around 2045. Human intelligence will be raised a billion times as we start to integrate with our own inventions. This integration should bring about a new type of existence where consciousness is not limited to carbon-based tissue but can be uploaded, augmented, and even made to last forever. Kurzweil is not the only one imagining such a world. Tech innovators globally have seconded such thoughts. One of them is Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, who has also forecasted the emergence of super-intelligent machines by 2047. According to Son, the machines will learn on their own and potentially acquire emotional intelligence that can topple humanity's position at the pinnacle of the intellectual chain. SoftBank's creation of Pepper, a humanoid robot with the ability to sense human emotions, is an instance of how emotional computation is already making inroads. How the latest AI breakthroughs are reshaping society and raising alarms The world is already experiencing the initial stages of this revolution. In 2023, Google and Microsoft, among other leading tech companies, launched advanced AI-based chatbots, both intriguing and terrifying people. Although these developments brought concerns about the capabilities of AI, they also reflected its uncertain nature. Public opinion varied from enthusiasm at the potential of new abilities to fear about the social consequences of AI systems that learn, improve, and behave autonomously beyond the control of humans. In March 2023, a collective of scientists, engineers, and technology entrepreneurs led by Elon Musk signed a public letter demanding a pause in AI research. They said that existing AI systems are a serious threat to society and need to be properly regulated before they can be permitted to go further. What happens when death is no longer the end—questions we can't ignore While Kurzweil's vision of immortality is based on hope in the power of science, it is raising very fundamental ethical and philosophical issues. If human beings no longer age and die naturally, how will society manage population growth, distribution of resources, and economic balance? Will immortality only be an option for the rich, or will it be a right that everyone has? And, more fundamentally, what does our perception of life, purpose, and legacy do when death is no longer an unavoidable reality? These are not scientific questions alone—they are cultural, ethical, and profoundly human issues that we need to get ready to deal with. Also Read | Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja receives $139 million compensation package; know who is he, educational qualifications, net worth and more AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
