ACHIEVING THE SINGULARITY

Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Christy VanArragon.

Voice 2

And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special method of broadcasting. It is easier for people
to understand - no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1

Every day, Ray Kurzweil swallows 160 vitamin tablets. These small, hard pills contain
healthy substances, usually found in food. But Kurzweil is eating huge amounts of vitamins.
Voice 2

Every week, Kurzweil goes to a medical center. The medical workers put a sharp needle in his
arm. Medicine slowly enters his blood, and travels through his whole body. This treatment
cleans chemicals and metals from his blood.
Voice 1

Kurzweil eats the best healthy food. He exercises every day. He is hoping to stay strong and
healthy for many years. Kurzweil has a particular reason to try to live as long as possible. He
is part of a small group of people preparing for one special event. They do not know when it
will happen. But they do not want to die before it happens. They call this event the
“Singularity”. Today’s Spotlight is on the Singularity.
Voice 2

In some ways, the Singularity is a simple idea. It is the idea that, in the future, computers will
become more intelligent than people. People now use computers as tools. Computers may
seem powerful. But they only do what people tell them to do. They follow their programs. But
scientists think that in the future, computers will make their own programs. They will not
depend on people. Computers will be able to think and act for themselves. The Singularity is
this event.
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Scientists have many theories about what this event will be, and how it will happen. However,
for many people, the first question is this: can computers actually be smarter than people? Can
computers act without people directing them?
Voice 2

Scientists call this computer ability “artificial intelligence” - that is, intelligence that people
create. Some computer programmers and scientists think that this IS possible. When people
first invented computers, the computers could only do a few things. The computers could only
run very simple programs, and they were very slow. Very quickly, people found ways to
make computers that could do more, and more! Computers now can operate more
complicated programs. They can operate more programs at one time. And computer
programmers can use this ability to make even stronger computers - computers that can do
even more complicated and difficult things. Many programmers, including Ray Kurzweil, are
working on programs to create artificial intelligence.
Voice 1

This idea may sound like science fiction - just a story, imagined by a writer. And many
writers HAVE imagined things like this. Even ancient Greek writers imagined machines that
were alive! Vernor Vinge is a science-fiction writer. In 1993, he was one of the first people to
use the name “The Singularity”. Then other writers, scientists, and thinkers began to use the
name too. They believed that it could happen.
Voice 2

Many books, films, and television shows have been written about the Singularity. These
stories ask important questions. What makes humans human? What does it mean to be alive?
Can computers and machines be alive?
Voice 1

One television show about this is called “Battlestar Galactica.” This story is set many years in
the future, after the Singularity has already happened. Computers become independent from
people. And the computers decide that people are corrupt and evil. The computers make
physical bodies – robots. And then the computers attempt to destroy all human life. But some
people survive. And they have many questions. What separates people from the computers
 ACHIEVING THE SINGULARITY

and robots? Most importantly, the show asks what makes any person moral? What makes a
creature able to understand right and wrong?
Voice 2

Other science fiction stories explore similar questions about the Singularity. They try to
understand human life by looking to the future. They imagine what the future may be like,
after the Singularity. Maybe you have seen or read stories like these.
Voice 1

There is a group of people who talk about these issues. They are the Singularity Institute. The
Institute formed in the year 2000. They meet every year. Scientists and futurists talk about
how to influence the Singularity. They believe it will happen - and it will happen soon. They
hope to prevent future problems. They support work to create friendly artificial intelligence.
Voice 2

Ray Kurzweil is part of this group. Kurzweil is a respected computer programmer. We talked
about him at the beginning of the program. He has also written several books about the
Singularity. He often makes predictions about the future. He uses his knowledge to guess
what may happen. He told the BBC,
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“We will be able to achieve human level artificial intelligence by 2029. It will be like human
intelligence, including emotions. We already use our technology to expand our physical and
mental abilities. This will expand those abilities more.”
Voice 1

Kurzweil also thinks that the Singularity will help humans to live longer. In particular,
Kurzweil is very interested in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the science of very small
things. This is mainly very small particles of things like silver. Nano particles of silver can
clean a wound. But scientists are also developing very small machines. These machines could
do many things - for example, cleaning dangerous chemicals from the environment. But
Kurzweil also believes that these nanobots can repair damage in the human body. And they
could do something even more surprising. He said,
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“We will have intelligent nanobots go into our brains, and connect directly with our brains.
They will make us smarter, and remember things better.”

Voice 2

Kurzweil even believes that in the future, computers may be able to save memories from our
brains. In this way, computers and people will come together, and make something new. This
is why he is taking so many vitamins, and trying other extreme health treatments. He does not
want to die before the Singularity happens.
Voice 1

However, many scientists disagree with Kurzweil. They do not believe the Singularity will
happen this way. They do not believe that computers will become as intelligent as humans.
Kurzweil’s ideas are very specific - many things will have to happen in particular ways. Other
scientists say that the future between humans and computers could develop in a very different
way.
Voice 2

What do you think? Do you think computers can ever be like people? Do you believe The
Singularity will happen? Share your comments on the script page for this program on our
website, at http://www.radioenglish.net.
Voice 1

The writer of this program was Johanna Poole. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices
you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced
by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at
http://www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘Achieving the Singularity’.
Voice 2

We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.