Both Oars In Of human value

Mar 11, 2011

Chilled by yet another article by TIME’s tech writer Lev Grossman, I emailed one of my genius friends and asked, “What do you know about the Singularity?” I was comforted when my friend, who has a degree from MIT, as does the central figure of Grossman’s article, replied, “Never heard of it. Why?”

The Singularity, according to those who predict the end of the hegemony of human intelligence, is “when technological change becomes so rapid and profound” that “a rupture in the fabric of human history” occurs. In this particular case, the Singularity refers provocatively to the moment when computers will be more intelligent than humans and take the lead in everything.

Now, you can see why my tech savvy friend’s response comforted me. I thought I had missed a big moment in history, like when science fiction became reality. I figured if he had not heard of the Singularity then “I, Robot” was still fiction. Phew!

The prophet of humanity’s impending doom is Raymond Kurzweil. Kurzweil is an early enough boy computer genius to have lived largely in obscurity until adulthood — something current child computer prodigies don’t have to suffer. Although, apparently, Kurzweil did have an early appearance on a 60s game show called "I Got a Secret."

According to Grossman, greater importance should have been given to Kurzweil’s teenage game show appearance. His secret was that he had invented a computer that could write music. Apparently, this was the acceleration point of our end.  From that point, unbeknownst to most of us, we have been headed at an ever increasing speed towards the Singularity: the moment when computers will surpass their makers.

Grossman admits that the Singularity isn’t really new — “just newish.” Certainly, Kurzweil is not the only nor the first scientist to predict that one day man will out-do himself and God by creating a super, super supercomputer that is more intelligent than its creator. But, Kurzweil may be the first to add the promise of immortality in the mix as an extra bonus.    

Indeed, the Singularity isn’t new. It is the latest manifestation of the recurrent blasphemy that man will one day be greater than God. This time it is just nuanced by the fact that technology will be even greater than man. After the Singularity, machines will not only win Jeopardy; they will rule the world.

If you think it is a bit much to throw around the word blasphemy, consider this summation by Grossman of Kurzweil’s ultimate aspirations for advanced computing applied to the human genome: “Indefinite life extension becomes a reality: people die only if they choose to. Death loses its sting once and for all. Kurzweil hopes to bring his dead father back to life.”  

Perhaps you have joined me in a chill.

The allusion here to First Corinthians is as unmistakable as it is alarming. Christians believe that there has been a singular event in human history that stole the sting from death, but it was not a cousin of HAL or C-3PO that made it happen. It was Jesus, who also warned us that no student is greater than his master.  

Even if we leave God out of it and limit the basis for criticism to thought below the level of theology, Kurzweil is still less than convincing. He is making a critical philosophical error — or maybe it’s a devilish sleight of hand — when he confuses computing for thinking.

Humans think. Computers compute. These are not the same.

Abstract human thought is not merely the optimization of outcomes through rapid scenario comparisons — it is actually thinking.  It relies on values, not just rules. Therefore, human thought cannot be reduced to computing. 

A good example of this is Kasparov’s loss at chess to Deep Blue. Because of the unique nature of human values, only Kasparov was actually playing chess. Deep Blue was computing outcomes. Deep Blue did not compete; it worked until its work was finished. Only Kasparov was competing; only Kasparov knew he lost. 

Kurzweil is correct that over time machines have become quicker and more efficient at doing tasks heretofore only done well by humans. It is also true that technology is accelerating in its rate of advancement and becoming cheaper; however, machines will never master human values or humans themselves. No invention will be greater than its inventor.    

The price of purchasing a game that can beat me at chess: $19.99; the human value of actually knowing what winning is: priceless.