Rating: 
Summary: Exploding Evolution
Review: Author killed (SETI) aliens. Any civilization near us and more advanced would captured the Galaxy - Big way! We will capture it - probably more - the local Coma-Virgo Supercluster. Ray K. not only wrote a book - but a program. "2020 or 2030 prediction" is a realistic one. Especially because some new trends like "One Big Computer" arose since - supporting the whole idea. I cannot imagine anything what can avert this scenario except the nuclear war size catastrophe.
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Summary: A truly ming expanding view of the futue!
Review: The author paints a picture that can't help but make people think that it is an exciting time to be alive. Personally it convinced me to give up smoking since because I can now envision a future where dying will be a thing of the past. At times the auther will lose the layman who is not familiar with this topice and the notes in the back of the book are guaranteed to lose almost everyone but none the less this has to be considered a mind expanding vision of the future. If you enjoy science fiction this is for you because in this book fiction meets fact.
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Summary: Full of Contrasts and Insights
Review: This is certainly one of the most interesting books I have read in the recent years. Definitely it is controversial, as it can be seen from other reviews, but my impression of this book was quite strong. The rythm and style of the book is not homogeneous, but still skillfully stays stuck to the theme. I would divide it in two parts, one introductory, analytical and profound, with deep implications in philosophy, evolution and creation, and a second part, where a thrilling merging of man and machine is envisioned. His thought-provoking theories on the evolution of living beings and the development of intelligent species in the universe made my mind fly high and contemplate with awe the careful design of all creation, and specially the perfect (I still believe) human machine. However, according to his predictions, the perfection of the human machine by merging with its own artificially intelligent creatures is scary. I only hope we are "intelligent" enough to avoid being overtaken by our own creation. It is absolutely worth reading.
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Summary: The ultimate techno-optimist/the Unabomber's worst nightmare
Review: Ray Kurzweil is a genius, and he's been right before (i.e., he barely missed the date of Deep Blue's victory over Gary Kasparov, predicting it a decade before it happened). But does this mean he will be right again? If you like the human race just the way it is, you better hope that he has totally lost it, because if he's even partly right Homo Sapiens Sapiens is doomed, and in a relatively short time. On the other hand, if you don't think that humans are the greatest thing since...well...sliced bread or something, then you probably should hope that Kurzweil is right on target with his optimistic vision, because according to him in not too long we're all going to be living forever, but as a new, amazing hybrid species where there is no clear distinction between "human" and "machine", and where the universe is opened up to amazing opportunities for exploration and experience. Fascinating stuff, and Kurzweil presents it in an entertaining way. In a recent article in "Wired" magazine, and partly in reaction to Kurzweil, Bill Joy flashed a warning: extreme danger ahead, proceed only at grave risk. The danger? According to Joy, it is largely that what Kurzweil predicts, namely continued rapid technological development in the areas of computing, nanotechnology, and biotech, could easily lead to the extinction of mankind in the not-so-distant future (within a few decades at most). The difference between Kurzweil and Joy, basically, is that Kurzweil seems excited and even optimistic about the future, whereas Joy seems concerned and even pessimistic. Who is right? Does this really come down to a debate between techno-optimists and techno-pessimists? Between those who want change and those who fear it (like the neo-Luddite "Unabomber", for instance, who, except for the bombs, appears to be taken quite seriously - or at least his line of reasoning -- by both Kurzweil and Joy). Or is there some middle ground? Or are Kurzweil and Joy both totally off base (if not off their rockers)? What is the bottom line here? Well, in Kurzweil's view we are moving inexorably in a particular direction (namely, towards merger of man and machine). In "The Age of Spiritual Machines," Kurzweil lays out the direction. Specifically, Kurzweil sees technology continuing to advance rapidly in coming years, and even if his timetable is off by several decades, or even longer, we're still talking about some HUGE changes coming down the road not too far ahead. Is mankind ready for them, psychologically, ethically, politically, economically? Good questions, but Kurzweil doesn't really address them, instead just largely assuming that it will all just sort of work out. That people will embrace the new developments as they come along, and that the computers, as they gain intelligence and, eventually, sentience, will be willing to maintain us poor humans. Oh sure, there might be a brief flaring of misguided neo-Luddite movements, but they should be minor and not have much impact in the overall scheme of things. Of course, there are plenty of darker visions out there - see Star Trek's "Borg" collective, the Terminator, The Matrix, Total Recall, etc. In a way, I hope that Kurzweil is either TOTALLY right or TOTALLY wrong. I wouldn't want, for instance, his vision of computer/human hybrids with some sort of human underclass being exploited by the superior race. Or some type of situation where all individuality is lost. Or one where the machines basically decide that they don't need any extraneous life forms on the planet, and start systematically exterminating them. In other words, I hope that if Kurzweil is right about the technology part, that he's also right about the OPTIMISM part as well. Now if he could just convince the Bill Joys out there, I'd feel a lot better...
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Summary: The Age of Spiritual Machines
Review: Quite simply a fun read. Do understand this is a "Futurology" book, and one should not expect to find strong supporting evidence that strengthen his claims. However, he does provide reasonably acceptable support for the "Law of Time and Chaos" and "Law of Accelerating Returns." The vast majority of his contentions in the book's first half are highly controversial; but nevertheless well discussed and stimulating. The book's appendix, bibliography, and website addresses provide vast information for continued reading and thinking. ...; -Tyler Emerson
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Summary: A very good book, but...
Review: I enjoyed this book very much; there is no doubt Kurzweil is an engaging, convincing, and even daring author with an impressive track record for his predictions. However, I do have a couple of issues with one of his predictions. Kurzweil predicts that machine intelligences will exceed humans by the year 2020. I have two issues with this. Although Kurzweil does discuss the complexity of the brain, I believe he has oversimplified the problem. By this time Kurzweil maintains that most brain areas will have been scanned and reverse-engineered. Perhaps... but as I said, he has underestimated the complexity of the problem. For example, the human brain has about 15,000 major and minor brain centers, and after 100 years of research, not a single central neural code for a single brain center has ever been deciphered. So if Kurzweil's prediction relies on our figuring out the actual 'wetware,' good luck. Of course, machine intelligence of respectable power may become possible without our understanding how the brain does it, but in my opinion, these machine intelligences will not have the generality of their human counterparts, although they may be able to beat humans in certain specialist areas (such as chess and spectrology). I have another issue. Let's consider the difference between a human brain and a modern CPU in terms of the number of computing elements. Current microchips only have a few million transisters. A human brain has over 60 trillion neurons. Even if we start packing that many transistors on a chip, that's only part of the problem. Each neuron has between 10,000 and 100,000 different connections with other neurons (the figure Kurzweil quotes is too low). The total number of connections is therefore 60 trillion taken 10,000 to 100,000 at a time. As you may know, this becomes a very large number, being a "combinatorial explosion"-type problem. This means that the total number of connections in a human brain is probably greater than the number of atoms in the known universe. Or to put it another way, you could add up all the computer chips on earth and they probably wouldn't equal one human brain in terms of the total synaptic connectivity. This doesn't mean it won't happen, but this gives you some idea of the complexity of the organ Kurzweil is predicting a machine will soon exceed. To give another analogy, a human liver can catalyze about 2000 different biochemical reactions. The most sophisticated chemical factory in the world can't do even a small fraction of that. A human brain is orders of magnitude more complex, just in terms of the 'hardware.' This means that current computers will have to be thousands, perhaps, millions of times, more complex to emulate a human on this level. And we haven't even gotten to the issue of the 'software' or 'wetware,' of which, as I said, hardly anything is known. Perhaps machine intelligence will do it another way without all the hardware-level complexity a human brain has. Certainly they are faster than we are, by many orders of magnitude, but speed is not the same as power. We shall see...
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Summary: Overuses exponential....
Review: Does for "exponential" what Carl Sagan did for "billions".
Rating: 
Summary: Lacking depth sometimes, but still very interesting.
Review: Ray Kurzweil's "The Age of Spiritual Machines' is an intelligent look at what the future might be holding for us all. Like other similar titles - Visions by Michio Kaku comes to mind - Kurzweil tries to predict where science will take us. Unlike 'Visions' however, this book is considerably more focused on computer technology and artificial intelligence, and I would only recommend it if you're not looking for a much broader answer to the question of where we are headed. Kurzweil never intended to cover other matters, and reading the Prologue will be enough to understand that most of the book will explore the rising of machine intelligence to a level that will surpass the capabilities of the human brain. Kurzweil starts by describing the exponential growth of computer power, Moore's Law, and transistor-based computing. The present and the future are described until quantum effects start becoming a problem and a completely new kind of technology becomes necessary (some alternatives are mentioned, Quantum computation is of course, mentioned). The book proceeds to more metaphysical subjects, and questions if we can create another intelligence form more intelligent than ourselves. Can the created exceed the creator? It will then proceed to cover consciousness and feelings; Kurzweil gets philosophical in what in my opinion is one of the book's weakest chapters The methods available to solve a wide range of intelligent problems (when combined with heavy doses of computation) will follow, in a chapter that covers subjects from recursive formulas to neural nets, and of course, enough space is dedicated to Alan Turing, the father of all modern computers. Part 2 starts with my favourite chapter of this title; Kurzweil discusses how evolution has found a way around the computational limitations of normal neural circuitry. And from nature's lessons we move to ideas about molecular computing harnessing the DNA molecule itself as a practical computing device, now a possibility under investigation. I wish I had this book last year when I was doing some research on general quantum computing for college, Kurzweil fully managed to transmit the impact that future developments in these areas might cause, and the problems that will be caused by ultra-fast parallel computation (especially with cryptography). The port of slow mammalian carbon-based neurons to speedier electronic and photonic equivalents is covered with simplicity, but convincingly. Next comes the problem of the body. A disembodied mind will quickly get depressed, no matter how powerful. So what kind of bodies should our machines have, or later on, what kind of bodies will they provide for themselves? Part 2 ends with a few thoughts on the array of tasks that are now performed by computers, lacking sense of humour, talent for small talk and other endearing qualities, but still vital for tasks that previously required human intelligence: How much do we depend on modern technology? If all the computers stopped functioning, would chaos rise? Is our world too based on technology and vulnerable to global disasters? After 2009, the book truly starts facing the future. You will be shown how extremely cheap and powerful (compared to today's standards) computers will be imbedded in clothing and jewellery, among other items, surrounding us completely. Virtual personalities start emerging, and Kurzweil dares to predict real time translating telephones and even human musicians jamming routinely with cybernetic musicians. Also interesting, I thought, is the possibility of some sort of neo-Luddite movement growing around this time. Next stage is 2019. By this time, Kurzweil believes that a $1k computing device will be approximately equal to the computational ability of the human brain. Computers should be almost invisible, and will be everywhere. 3D virtual reality will reach good quality levels, and VR displays are embedded in glasses and contacts lenses, providing a new interface (and the main interface) for communication with other persons (via the future version of the Web). Interaction with computers is made through gestures and 2-way natural language. A few thoughts on relationships with automated personalities end the chapter. By 2029, Kurzweil's predictions turn to direct neural pathways that somehow have perfected some soft of high-bandwidth connection to the human brain. Ultra fast learning à-la-Neo from Matrix in less than 28 years? Kurzweil suspects so. Neural implants become widely available to enhance visual and auditory perception and interpretation, as well as memory and reasoning. People with physical problems and strongly helped by implants. Computers have "read" all available human literature and the discussion about legal rights of computers and what constitutes being human. Machines claim to be conscious. Around 2099, human thinking starts merging with the world of machine intelligence. There is no clear distinction between humans and computers. Most of the intelligences are not tied to a specific processing unit, but widely spread. This chapter's most interesting aspect is perhaps the discussion about software based humans, when compared to those still using carbon-based neurons. The use of neural implant technology provides enormous augmentation of human perceptual and cognitive abilities, creating some sort of division between first class and second-class humans. Kurzweil implies that those who do not utilize such "enhancements" will be unable to meaningfully participate in dialogues with those who do. Being alive no longer means what it used to mean. Life expectancy is no longer a viable term in relation to intelligent, machine-based intelligent beings. The books ends with a few thoughts on the fate of the whole universe, a part that is probably the weakest of the whole book, extremely pale when compared to Michio Kaku's "Visions" look. Kurzweil might do a good job describing a universe in which artificial intelligence and nanotechnology combine to bring longevity, but failed partially when discussing that longevity and the coming connections of computers with immortality, a subject that deserved a lot more attention and space in this book. Left me wanting more. You will find this book fascinating if you're particularly interested in what the future holds when it comes to computers. Kurzweil knows his science well and adding a bit of common sense and humour, is enough to result in a very enjoyable title. If the predictions turn to follow the expected timeline, well, frankly I don't care much, and I don't think it's very relevant to discuss it; Most of it will happen precisely as the author puts it, but it might take more or less time. This book is not complex, and has many references and notes; so even people with a poor background in computer science will be able to follow the author's ideas. Of course knowing what's behind it will make your experience a lot richer. You also get a decent glossary, very valuable if you're new to the subject. Overall, a good book, but lacking depth in some areas (especially machine based existence and immortality). Sometimes too over simplified. Still, check it out and see where we're heading. Combine it with Neuromancer, Visions and a few more technical titles and you will wish you could live 300 years...then again, maybe not. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: The Age of Overly Fanciful Authors
Review: Kurzweil certainly has high hopes for the future, but his hopes are grounded nowhere in the present. He oversimplifies everything from evolution to the human brain. His visions are nothing more than impractical science fiction. I don't think anyone doubts that someday computers will have the processing power of the human brain, but that does not equate intelligence. Our brain is probably the most evolved thing on the planet, and mankind would be foolish to think they can improve on that in the span of a century. There is far too much we don't understand about ourselves to make the majority of this book a reality in this century. Overall, the book was entertaining, but not too informative.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Flawed, Interesting...
Review: Kurzweil's book is interesting, especially for those who want an easily readable, breezy introduction to the world of artificial intelligence. The author has a nice knack for using metaphors that get complicated concepts across. That is also one of the flaws of this book, for sometimes the metaphors oversimplify at best, or mislead at worst. Kurzweil has an unbridled enthusiasm for thinking machines, and his sense of excitement in speculating on where the latest developments in this field will lead us certainly comes through. So this book is quite unlike many others in the artificial intelligence field, which tend to get bogged down in complex analysis while losing the sense of wonder behind the technology. On the other hand, Kurzweil is perhaps overly "gung ho" on the potential for smart computers. He addresses mainly the "benefits" side of the coin here, and tends to downplay or ignore the possible costs to human existence. This bias is very clear when he presents a long quote about the dangers of human beings becoming too dependent on technology that thinks. Turn the page, and -- surprise -- the author of the quote is Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber. Thus Kurzweil uses the "guilt by association ploy," suggesting that anyone who objects to the development of synthetic consciousness can be classified in the "fringe element" along with the Unabomber. Very unfair! While most of us deplore what Kaczynski did to get his points across, that does not mean that all of his ideas are horrendous as well. In fact, Bill Joy, an author who lost colleagues to the Unabomber, makes this point in his Wired article, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us." We must be careful not to define anyone who questions the value of technological progress as just another "nut." But then again, Kurzweil can pull the reader right back with a fascinating example of how artificial minds may serve us in new ways. He writes about the potential for "downloading" human consciousness, for instance -- is this a step towards attaining immortality? I agree with the other readers who have asserted that many of Kurzweil's speculations are overly optimistic. He presents examples of poetry "written" by a computer, but they are not so impressive when you consider that the computer was given data on "style" of real human poets. Considering that, this creative achievement by a machine is closer to what current word-processing programs do than to what a human author experiences. I don't want to sound too critical here, because the fact is that I really enjoyed this book, even while disagreeing with many of the author's conclusions. I would in fact highly recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued with the impact of artificial intelligence on human nature. It is certainly the sort of book that will inspire spirited (pun intended) debates among those who like the idea of conscious computers and those who are leary of same. And that's the very good thing about this book -- it will spur necessary debate over an extremely important issue, and we all stand to benefit from that.
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