The Consequences of Singularity

While researching technological singularity this week, I kept finding myself barely able to comprehend the concept. This is not surprising in light of the fact that Singularity is based on the idea that technology will one day become so advanced that we cannot predict or fathom its future capabilities and how they will change the world. The easiest way I found to interpret Singularity is to look at novels, television shows, and films that have toyed with its implications. The Outer Limits, I, Robot, The Matrix, and Artificial Intelligence all imagine a future where technology has matched or surpassed human ability.

Most of these mediums focus on the potentially terrible consequences of Singularity on the human race. The Matrix and I, Robot both concentrate on super intelligent but emotionless robots who--in their pursuit of perfection and efficiency--endanger the human race. These types of films warn us that when humans create machines with superior intelligence and capabilities, we must not neglect to give these machines a conscience and the ability to see decisions and consequences in shades of gray as opposed to simple black and white. At present, most computers do function similarly to the potentially fatal machines in the aforementioned films, and it stands to reason that if humans develop these technologies too rapidly, we could end up with super-intelligent, but out-of-control machines that hold potentially disastrous consequences for humanity.

In contrast, the film Artificial Intelligence and the episode “Simon Says” of The Outer Limits T.V. series explore the consequences of creating machines capable of emotion. The child robots featured in these two pieces of media represent the potential to ascribe human emotion and even human memories to automatons. They present a different side of the Singularity coin, as they show what might be possible when we combine the emotions of human beings and the innocence and naivete of children in imperfect machines.

In A.I., the first robot with human-like emotions raises moral and ethical dilemmas. Once we make cognizant, self-aware, and emotional machines, we must decide what responsibility we hold to them. Ironically, in this situation it is human beings who become the mosters when they leave their childlike creations to fend for themselves. While the Outer Limits television episode also features a child robot, the implications of its creation are slightly different. “Simon” is a robot imbued with the memories of a man’s late son. In this scenario, the emotional childlike sensibilities of Simon are poorly matched with the strength and lack of physical senses of the robot, and the child’s tempermental nature causes disturbing issues in and of itself.

While these works are only extrapolations of still theoretical concepts, they present interesting dilemmas related to Singularity. If we do reach a point where tehcnological process are so advanced that the human mind cannot even comprehend them, how can we keep them under control and protect the livelihood of humanity?