The age of spiritual machines
by Ray Kurzweil · first published 1999
26% recommend52% neutral22% critical
Why HN recommends it
Readable futurist work with a detailed timeline of predictions for computing and machine intelligence; readers say it sparked their imagination and found many forecasts surprisingly accurate, even where it overreaches.
Common criticism: Predictions are uneven, and critics find it repetitive with his other books
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Imagine a world where the difference between man and machine blurs, where the line between humanity and technology fades, and where the soul and the silicon chip unite. This is not science fiction. This is the twenty-first century according to Ray Kurzweil, the inventor of the most innovative and compelling technology of our era. In his inspired hands, life in the new millennium no longer seems daunting. Instead, it promises to be an age in which the marriage of human sensitivity and artificial intelligence fundamentally alters and improves the way we live. More than just a list of predictions
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I highly recommend Kurzweil's "The Age of Spiritual Machines" for many predictions like these, with a detailed timeline. According to him, being able to simulate human-level intelligence on a computer is simple matter of having enough processing power, which he…
on “Brain Simulation Promised a Decade Ago Hasn't Succeeded” ↗…my way of thinking ( "Charlie Munger - The Psychology of Human Misjudgment", listed in the parent post is probably the best piece in this book.) The other book, which I read when I was 15 or 16, "The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence" by Ray Kurzweil was the other. Instead of looking at the universe through the question of why won't this work, I began thinking about problems as under what…
on “Ask HN: What books to read on developing mental models and increasing cognition?” ↗…Secondly, the things that were distant science fiction now exist or is within reach. The Star Wars/Star Trek view of the future and space travel mere decades later has become archaic. I happened to read "The Age of Spiritual Machines" by Ray Kurzweil over a decade ago. It completely changed my thought process in regards to much of life. (I doubt without it I would have been as strongly convicted about dropping out of college and starting…
on “Dolphins deserve same rights as humans, say scientists” ↗…intelligence is another process for information (ideas, culture, language, technology) to reproduce at a faster pace. Does information/ideas have wants? Does it want to be copied? Ray Kurzweil's book "The Age of Spiritual Machines" [1] describes this in more detail. Why do you think machine intelligence can't develop a need/want for anything? True AI wouldn't need to be programmed, it would be able to learn like humans do, by…
on “The A.I. Anxiety” ↗For what Kurzweil actually predicted around 2000, check out his book The Age of Spiritual Machines. It's wildly wrong about some things and overly optimistic about others, but still a pretty interesting read.
on “Ray Kurzweil predicts how technology will change humanity by 2020” ↗1. "The Age of Spiritual Machines" (2000) by Ray Kurzweil. This futurist book sparked my imagination at a young age as to what was possible with technology. Several of its predictions that have come true today. 2. "Creativity Inc." (2014)…
on “Ask HN: What three books impacted your career the most?” ↗I believe this article references the Unabomber. If it doesn't, then Ray Kurzweil's "The Age of Spiritual Machines" definitely does. It's a fascinating line of thought--though I obviously don't support the actions taken by its author. To clarify a little further, Bill Joy in this essay refers to Kurzweil who refers…
on “Bill Joy: Why the Future Doesn't Need Us (2000)” ↗…for fun. While some people may regard his books as thrillers, I consider them hard science fiction. I owe him my reading culture. 3. The age of intelligent machines. 4. The singularity is near. 5. The age of spiritual machines. ... all the above by Raymond Kurzweil These books introduced me to computer science.
on “Ask HN: Life Changing Books?” ↗I think it is. I just struck me - would be fun to re-read The Age of Spiritual Machines (Kurzweil, 1999.) I was so into it 26-27 years ago. The amount of ridicule this man has suffered on HN is immense.
on “I don't think AGI is imminent” ↗If you really want your mind blown look at how accurate Ray Kurzweil was from his 1999 book Age of Spiritual Machines The most striking thing is that almost all of his missed predictions were missed not because the technology was not available, but because society rejected or didn’t adopt that technology
on “Kevin Kelly's 2016 AI Predictions, 10 Years Later” ↗“The Age of Spiritual Machines” by Ray Kurzweil.
on “Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager?” ↗…of his conclusions, but he's had a pretty impressive career before becoming an author, and quite frankly he has the best track record out there on predicting the future. It's amazing how accurate his Age of Spiritual Machines predictions became, even if some of them were a year or two late. Google's self-driving car, ipads, Siri, Watson, Google Glass, etc. He seems to always get technological capability correct, but sometimes…
on “Ray Kurzweil's Dubious New Theory of Mind” ↗…talking about his books. He's a fascinating character, has been a prescient futurist for many decades, and his books are very readable - check them out! His big 3 are The Age of Intelligent Machines, The Age of Spiritual Machines, and The Singularity is Near. The last one is the most recent and popular, and is what I'd point people towards.
on “Ray Kurzweil predicts humans will be immortal, identical to AI by 2045” ↗Age of Spiritual Machines. Made me want to be a software engineer.
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗…and "The Singularity is Near" along with recent write-ups in WSJ, Time, etc. I think the mass population is starting to get doses of Kurzweil's vision of Singularity. I am currently reading 1999's "Age of Spiritual Machines" and was wondering what you guys think of his vision.. I for one believe his claims are plausible though a bit over optimistic even with exponential growth. Do you think we will see the next evolution…
on “Ask HN: Thoughts on Kurzweil and Singularity” ↗