George Rebane

These posts highlight some current technological developments that confirm our increasing pace to the Singularity.

• Machine with a conscience
• Cars that drive themselves
• Robots to help the elderly

Machine with a Conscience?  The following is from ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), the world’s pre-eminent professional society for computer professionals.

Brandeis University neuroscience researcher Eliezer J. Sternberg’s new book, "Are You a Machine? The Brain, The Mind And What It Means to Be Human," explores the possibility that computers could attain consciousness and meld with humans. Sternberg says some experts believe that we are close to designing super-intelligent machines capable of thinking millions of times faster than we do, and that by the middle of the century $1,000 will buy a computer with processing power equal to the brain power of the entire human population. Computers will also be able to create virtual worlds that allow us to alter and escape the real world. "Instead of calling a friend on the phone, you will be able to meet him or her at a virtual Parisian cafe or at the top of a virtual mountain with a scenic view," Sternberg says. "This virtual life will be as detailed as real life in every way." In his book, Sternberg note that inventor and computer expert Ray Kurzweil and MIT scientist Marvin Minsky believe that evolution will ultimately combine man and machine, leading to a world where the line between man and machine is so vague that people will not make any distinction.

Read full article here.

Self-driving automobiles.  The following is reported by KurzweilAI.net.

Cars that drive themselves–even parking at their destination–could be ready for sale within a decade, General Motors Corp. executives say.

GM plans to use an inexpensive computer chip and an antenna to link vehicles equipped with driverless technologies.

The first use likely would be on highways; people would have the option to choose a driverless mode while they still would control the vehicle on local streets, Burns said.

He said the company plans to test driverless car technology by 2015 and have cars on the road around 2018.

Read full article here.

New Robots to Help Elderly.  The following is also reported by ACM.  As you read this, please consider the next step in applying this Japanese technology when such robots will soon start doing workplace tasks that are today done by the under-educated in the United States.

Japan, which has the world’s largest population of residents over 65 and the smallest proportion of children under 15, is currently on course for a population crisis unlike any in history, and while immigration and an increased birth rate would prevent the problem, many young women in Japan do not want children and the country is unwilling to accept large numbers of immigrants. The Japanese government is counting on advancements in robotics to supplement the dwindling work force. While humanoid robots such as Toyota’s violin playing robot and Honda’s ASIMO, which can dance and serve tea, are the most popular with crowds, service robots are the most likely to help Japan maintain its position in the global economy. Toyota recently announced that service robots will become one of its core businesses, and the government is heavily subsidizing the development of service machines. One of Toyota’s objectives is designing robots to help care for the elderly. Toyota predicts that in the next 10 to 20 years the most useful robots will be smart, highly mobile, wheelchair-like devices that bear little resemblance to the humanoid robots from the movies. However, many see robots as a quick fix and a politically expedient palliative that allows politicians and corporations to avoid discussing the difficult issues, such as Japan’s strong aversion to immigration and Japanese women’s increasing rejection of motherhood. "Robots can be useful, but they cannot come close to overcoming the problem of population decline," says Hidenori Sakanaka, the former head of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau and current director of the Japan Immigration Policy Institute.

Full article available here (you may have to register for free access Washington Post site)