Dawn of the Technological Singularity (With John Hawkins) Ep# 111

With the advent of ChatGPT and the start of a new AI arms race, futurists, philosophers and tech enthusiasts are starting to think where will all this technology lead us. Some claim that AI will bring about a new renaissance, others our doom, while some think it is the beginning of a technological singularity.

The singularity is an idea that I’ve discussed only a few times on the podcast, but as tech like AI, BCI, AR, fusion, genetic manipulation, and many more seem to have daily breakthroughs, maybe it is a bit more realistic than some critics claim. My guest and I discuss not only what the singularity may look like, but also some of the benefits and concerns that we may experience on the way to it and we are in the center of it.   

The conversation article: https://theconversation.com/futurists-predict-a-point-where-humans-and-machines-become-one-but-will-we-see-it-coming-196293

Counterpunch follow up article: https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/04/10/australia-and-darpas-quest-for-mind-control/

About The Guest John Hawkins is philosopher, poet and freelance journalist.  His work has appeared in publications around the world, including Rumpus, Cordite, Morning Star, the Australian. He is a regular contributor to CounterPunch magazine, a site for progressive politics, culture and the arts. His current research deals with the future of human consciousness in the age of AI. In addition, he is working on a novel.

Twitter: @CagedTechnology
Substack: https://tantricdispositionmatrix.substack.com/

TimeCodes:

00:03:14 - Interview starts
00:06:32 - Thoughts on ChatGPT
00:07:48 - What is the Technological Singularity
00:12:43 - Hive minds of the future
00:20:28 - The impact of quantum computers
00:24:34 - Will we be aware of the singularity?
00:33:37 - DARPA’s influence on the singularity
00:44:18 - Why are corporations so interested in BCI tech?
00:51:08 - Will most employees still be relevant in the future?
00:58:40 - What's the solution to controling runaway technology?
01:03:25 - Is there hope for the future?
01:06:13 - Conclusion