Singularity (technology)

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The term "technological singularity" is used in futurist circles to refer to the phenomenon and resulting effects of reaching a critical threshold of positive-feedback technological change.

Three Models

Eliezer Yudkowsky, co-founder of the Singularity Institute, has suggested that the term 'technological singularity' holds three distinct concepts[1]:

  1. Ray Kurzweil's singularity refers to the concept of rapidly accelerating change driven by technology;
  2. Vernor Vinge's singularity refers to the concept of rapidly accelerating change creating an event horizon-like barrier to social prediction;
  3. I.J. Good's singularity refers to the concept that intelligent agents able to improve their own intelligence may cause an intelligence explosion.
  1. [Introducing the "Singularity": Three Major Schools of Thought. Singularity Summit 2007.