Editor's Note: Yesterday we posted the Top 10 Reasons We Should Fear The Singularity. To date, all of the articles we have posted about the singularity have been cautionary. The article below is written by the same author as a counterpoint to the concerns he raised in his previous one. If we are going to be intellectually honest, we would do well to at least hear what the other side has to say about the potential benefits of this theoretical transformation in how we view what it means to be human.
Nikola Danaylov, Contributor
Some people fear flying. Others fear sky diving. Others still loathe crowded spaces or elevators. Some can even give you 10 reasons to fear the singularity. Whatever the case may be, the feeling of fear is both healthy and normal, though it may or may not be always justified. If you ask me, fearing something often means that you should do it. Growth is never easy. It always comes at the point of resistance and requires getting out of our comfort zone in order to outdo ourselves and reach new heights.
Take flying for example. It is inherently dangerous. The chance is high that if you get in trouble while flying you may lose your life. Still, I know people who have spent 30 years as professional pilots and claim that flying was not only the best time of their lives but also safer than driving.
So what makes the difference?
Nikola Danaylov, Contributor
Why do we fear the technological singularity?
Well, let me give you what I believe are the top 10 most popular reasons:
1. Extinction
Extinction is by far the most feared as well as the most commonly predicted consequence of the singularity.
The global apocalypse for the human race comes in many flavors but some of the most popular ones are: the supersmart terminator AI’s – a robopocalypse; nanotechnology gone rogue – the so called grey goo scenario, home-made Smart Weapons of Mass Destruction – used by terrorists and nihilists; genetic modifications or mutations – turning us into living-dead zombies; science experiments gone wrong – the Large Hadron Collider creating a black hole that engulfs the planet…
In short, the fear is that, as Bill Joy notoriously put it: The Future Doesn’t Need Us.
