Ray Kurzweil 30-minute interview, February 15, 2017, by James Bedsole

[@warioland523]

This guy has to be one of the best futurists on the planet if not the best. His predictions were either partially correct or completely correct. He has a very good track record when it comes to this and I don't doubt him even for a second.

[@joebloggs7395]

I love listening to this guy!!

[@PlaneToTheBrainES]

Very true. People forget very quickly about how life was 5 or 6 years ago.

[@monkeyrobotsinc.9875]

ray is my own personal jesus christ

[@thesingularity2206]

Thanks James! I appreciate the updated interviews!

[@Dylan-zg2jl]

I fucking love Ray Kurzweil. It's entirely possible he's wrong about certain things, but if so, I can only see it being the timing that's off, if that. He really seems to have a phenomenal grasp of - as well as act as a bridge between - humanity and technology, and I've never heard anyone else even come close to explaining where things are headed with anything close to his eloquence and (I feel) his vision!

[@waqqodonkey]

love listening to Ray talk!

[@petershanks3049]

Old ? you say lol - would love to be doing some of the stuff he is dealing with at his age and looking as good as that and still able to explictitly convey his points relating his previous suggested predictions - i find it hard to believe that some of you still doubt this guy ( he is a genius - a pioneer - and i'd have to say the very 1st person who has gone public making such predictions and having them come true we have had many before but none quite as profound as he - the way he still talks about the brain and his level of understanding i find truly inspriring you can just tell its his passion and thank god for that :-) Many thanks for the upload

[@491LittleWings]

Very interesting. More people have to hear this.

[@shyamdasd6963]

Man he looks younger than he looked in 5 years back

[@maizimbleman1852]

Google's leading futurist, Ray Kurzweil, thinks his diet can help him live forever. He says he spends "a few thousand dollars per day" on diet pills and eating right, which equals about $1 million a year. According to Caroline Daniel of The Financial Times, Kurzweil's breakfast includes: berries (85 calories for a cup) Ray Kurzweil's immortality diet - Business Insider www.businessinsider.com/ray-kurzweils-immortality-diet-2015-4

[@AlexToussiehChannel]

Calico is working! lol

[@maizimbleman1852]

Will he live to be a 1,000 years old? Live for ever: Scientists say they’ll soon extend life ‘well beyond 120’ In an office not far from Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, with a beard reaching almost to his navel, Aubrey de Grey is enjoying the new buzz about defeating ageing. For more than a decade, he has been on a crusade to inspire the world to embark on a scientific quest to eliminate ageing and extend healthy lifespan indefinitely (he is on the Palo Alto Longevity Prize board). It is a difficult job because he considers the world to be in a “pro-ageing trance”, happy to accept that ageing is unavoidable, when the reality is that it’s simply a “medical problem” that science can solve. Just as a vintage car can be kept in good condition indefinitely with periodic preventative maintenance, so there is no reason why, in principle, the same can’t be true of the human body, thinks de Grey. We are, after all, biological machines, he says. His claims about the possibilities (he has said the first person who will live to 1,000 years is probably already alive), and some unconventional and unproven ideas about the science behind ageing, have long made de Grey unpopular with mainstream academics studying ageing. But the appearance of Calico and others suggests the world might be coming around to his side, he says. “There is an increasing number of people realising that the concept of anti-ageing medicine that actually works is going to be the biggest industry that ever existed by some huge margin and that it just might be foreseeable.” www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/11/-sp-live-forever-extend-life-calico-google-longevity

[@squamish4244]

He dyes his hair and wears contacts. It might even be a wig. He looks like a 70-year-old man otherwise.

[@Ricardo-jg3jf]

Vinegar.

[@phildaniels7623]

Anybody else noticing how much younger he's looking each year?

[@shyamdasd6963]

Phil Daniels yes and he's 69 years old

[@phildaniels7623]

creepy

[@astral1956]

Phil Daniels yes. the hair. wondering if it's graft or natural. if it's natural. man.

[@shyamdasd6963]

Amaar Naraen it seems natural to me.

[@jaapbadlands]

The starkest question I have is: how will brain interfaces put in provisions for us to filter thoughts before 'releasing' them out? Will software perhaps need to white-list our thoughts so only certain commands can be pushed? I guess so but they'll also be able to collect and potentially analyze all of our brainwaves, so this will need to be addresses.

[@sandroroque3933]

Our brain already has the ability to allow or stop actions we imagine. All our [re] actions start in the brain. It'll take a lot of research to figure out where in our brain resides this trigger, it may not be the same for all our actions, but it is surely there. We will tap that response just as any other.

[@thydimov9909]

finnaly someone who has actually interesing question - i think it will be something like just telling to the voice on the back of your head - yeah give that guy my memories of the last night but dont send him the part when i .... you get the idea but im interested in seeing how this will end up

[@utubekullanicisi]

Most pessimistic people don't know shit about the world.

[@templeray5692]

I can state flatly that heavier than air flying machines are impossible. - Lord Kelvin, 1895

[@Filmfanatiken]

I non´t know what pills he is eating. But he looks younger and younger for every year!

[@Gaur1983]

Blood plasma transfusions from teenagers is the latest anti-ageing treatment for old rich folk. Maybe, we're seeing the results of that,here.

[@renethomas724]

His book, "Transcend" talks about his longevity program and the 3 Bridges to Immortality - ow.ly/Dy4q30iOPHD

[@thydimov9909]

not exactly but kinda true

[@templeray5692]

every year that passes it looks like ray kurzweil knows whats hes talking about .and people has call him a crack pot no hes no crack pot but he is a really smart guy .might be off on some of his predictions on the time frame but its looks like the singularity is on its way before 2045 or by 2045.

[@NiekKuijpers]

Do you really believe that? I'm at least 95% sure it wont happen by then. Wanna bet 1000 euros?

[@vivekbuddhbhatti]

if anyone doesn't know he is 69 y.o. in this video.

[@philosophyandwritings4627]

Hey!My question is do we should hybrid thinking now or at the end(when we have nanobots in brain --we connect the cloud) or at the big computer--singularity times ? ... past times i thinking at chaotic but i am confuse now -- and how can do science and philosophy and art without thinking _? thx a lot for answers...--5234

[@cawfeedawg]

I wonder what happens when you dont play your cloud bill and you are forced back to being just an ordinary human.. will you miss yourself? Feel like you have lost something? Could be an interesting short film or story

[@omegasrevenge]

Would probably look the same as not having internet access today. *PTSD intensifies*

[@ozmuzo739]

IS it just me or does he sometimes remind you of Peter Gregory -Silicon valley?

[@jcpe4629]

Ray is a little Benjamin Button;-)))

[@Leader2light]

There is a big difference between everyone getting cell phones vs brain surgery.

[@jonwizard3989]

The people who are Artistic already have that talent!

[@adriankaniewski6013]

No. Słucham Słucham dalej buduj tą opowieść

[@adriankaniewski6013]

Narrazie coś na wyprużnienie byście coś wymyślili

[@zackandrew5066]

great

[@chase_447]

Why does the best known futurist and head engineer at google have a fossil running Windows 7 on his desk...?

[@illuminate4622]

Does it also have a HDD? Weird he's using so old tech.

[@josseppie]

Great interview. One thing I learned is that we should enter life 3.0 or the nanotech revolution sooner then I had thought. By 2025-2030 not 2030.

[@KabzieMusic]

He looks fantastic for 69

[@emmanuelnsanga]

He literally takes about 20 pills a day to try to postpone old age.

[@p3tr0114]

Funny how Kurzweil refers to the internet as "All human knowledge."

[@angelablackthorne3026]

The Internet now does contain practically everything we know, (along with a bunch of other useless crap) granted that you have access to things like JStor, except for people's personal experiences of human life, and as we know there is actually a great deal of that as well. Pretty much all of human knowledge is available on the Internet. AI will understand more about us than we do.

[@sammylol]

I wonder what Ray's political views are.

[@xeli1994x]

He voted trump

[@sammylol]

Can you prove that?

[@xeli1994x]

Trump will bring the singularity faster ... hes a smart business man...Ray knows that

[@mycount64]

+Immortal Bounce i hope he did not program trump...

[@cawfeedawg]

probably libertarian

[@hac5x3]

Looks like he's using an old version of Windows. What kind of futurist is he, exactly?

[@abdicolestudios8899]

hac5x3 it’s an S curve give it time

[@VictorAlexanderFiltenborg]

nice format, I like this interview. Soon we will be able to compare his predictions of 2019 from his book The Age of Spiritual Machines which I read at the time of publishing (1998); SPOILER they are way off (as was his predictions of 2009).. I still follow Kurzweil from time to time though but be a little realistic (and allow yourself to be critical of his HYPOTHESIS of the coming decades)

[@squamish4244]

He was way off because time has never been on his side. He was born about a generation too early.

[@VictorAlexanderFiltenborg]

Here is just most of one section of Kurzweils predictions. The other sections are Education, Disabilities, Communication, Business and Economics, Politics and Society, The Arts, Warfare, Health and Medicine, Philosophy. *2019* *The Computer itself* Computers are now largely invisible. They are embedded everywhere-in walls, tables, chairs, desks, clothing, jewelry, and bodies. People routinely use three-dimensional displays built into their glasses, or contact lenses. These "direct eye" displays create highly realistic, virtual visual environments overlaying the "real" environment. This display technology projects images directly onto the human retina, exceeds the resolution of human vision, and is widely used regardless of visual impairment. The direct-eye displays operate in three modes: [description of the three modes follow, omitted by me] In addition to the optical lenses, there are auditory "lenses," which place high-resolution sounds in precise locations in a three dimensional environment. These can be built into eyeglasses, worn as body jewelry, or implanted in the ear canal. Keyboards are rare, although they still exist. Most interaction with computing is through gestures using hands, fingers, and facial expressions and through two-way natural-language spoken communication. People communicate with computers the same way they would communicate with a human assistant, both verbally and through visual expression. Significant attention is paid to the personality of computer-based personal assistants, with many choices available. Users can model the personality of their intelligent assistants on actual persons, including themselves, or select a combination of traits from a variety of both public personalities and private friends and associates. Three-dimensional nanotube lattices are now a prevalent form of computing circuitry. The majority of "computes" of computers are now devoted to massively parallel neural nets and genetic algorithms. Significant progress has been made in the scanning-based reverse engineering of the human brain. it is now fully recognized that the brain comprises many specialized regions, each with its own topology and architecture of interneuronal connections. The massively parallel algorithms are beginning to be understood, and these results have been applied to the design of machine-based neural nets. It is recognized that the human genetic code does not specify the precise interneuronal wiring of any of the regions, but rather sets up a rapid evolutionary process in which connections are established and fight for survival. The standard process for wiring machine-based neural nets uses a similar genetic evolutionary algorithm. A new computer-controlled optical-imaging technology using quantum-based diffraction devices has replaced most lenses with tiny devices that can detect light waves from any angle. These pinhead-sized cameras are everywhere. Autonomous nanoengineered machines can control their own mobility and include significant computational engines. These microscopic machines are beginning to be applied to commercial applications, particularly in manufacturing and process control, but are not yet in the mainstream.

[@VictorAlexanderFiltenborg]

*2019* *Philosophy* There are prevalent reports of computers passing the Turing Test, although these instances do not meet the criteria (with regard to the sophistication of the human judge, the length of time for the interviews, etcetera) established by knowledgeable observers. There is a consensus that computers have not yet passed a valid Turing Test, but there is growing controversy on this point. The subjective experience of computer-based intelligence is seriously discussed, although the rights of machine intelligence have not yet entered mainstream debate. Machine intelligence is still largely the product of a collaboration between humans and machines, and has been programmed to maintain a subservient relationship to the species that created it.

[@squamish4244]

Yeah. He was way off. My point is that Kurzweil is rushing the dates as fast as he can, because the clock is ticking down on him. If he was 30 years younger he might be adding 10 or 20 years to his predictions because he wouldn't be personally invested in the precise dates at which all of this stuff comes true. (If it can come true.) He was more or less right about the Turing Test though. Machines can easily pass it now, but it's no longer recognized as an accurate gauge of Strong AI.

[@VictorAlexanderFiltenborg]

No way a computer of today can pass a Turing Test. I totally get what you mean by the personal investment BUT MARK MY WORD we will see Kurzweil's gravestone ;) Have nothing against the dude but people should realize that he is a futurist (and his approach to predicting the future is rather illusive to say the least). There is a difference between prediction and speculation and Kurzweil jumps more than a few steps acting like he is predicting when he is speculating. "We will be immortal" "Computers will be self conscience". Immortality understood in a pure materialistic and atheistic sense of course

[@kautilya21]

Is he wearing a hair system? I remember he used to be at least a NW 5-6.

[@646879]

I appreciate what youdid for Stevie Wonder.....now your goal should be making Thorium reactors our second generation atomic source of energy

[@kutaytezcan5148]

Thorium is clean, more efficient and safer then Uranium. I can not believe how politicians make wrong decisions with peoples money. Either they are not consultant enough or they just make decisions for personal intrests. Now there is enough thorium in the world to generate energy for many generation. We need to spread the word and take action to force goverment to use taxes for better energy resources.

[@illuminate4622]

Kutay Tezcan we have two Uranium nuclear power plants in Finland. What benefits would it have to replace them with Thorium? Can you specify?

[@corduroy99]

my man ray, looks weird and kinda comical with that rug.

[@PONYBOYonline]

Jesus didn't want our brains and computers to mix. Just kidding. Yes he did :)

[@jeffreymanhattan9375]

:)

[@adriankaniewski6013]

Za każdym razem kiedy myślę że jestem bliski wyprrużeniu myśle o całym procesie i nie mogę się wysrać

[@AnalogTube1]

If tech-bio-Ai doesn't figure out how to diagnose and cure corruption and manipulation as AI expands, the general population are in trouble and Ray's "optimism" will be looked at with squinted eyes. This kinda stops me from seeing him with the reverence that other people do.

[@malenradi4482]

🙌

[@colinmaharaj]

WOW! all those vitamins.... he grew hair, yes I see he has stopped aging

[@tarantala111]

It's a toupee - duh

[@computerminalcom387]

He has aged like the rest of us. Save your money. Expensive Urine (A.K.A Vitamins) won't make or keep you young or healthy. They only make Vitamin manufacturers' bank accounts healthy!

[@arthurandrostylez2630]

It is obvious, he has not been injected with nanobots.

[@abdicolestudios8899]

He looks the same as he did since 2002

[@thepro08]

so how did he grow is hair back? elon musk also did the same??????

[@DTR89]

It's simply called a hair transplant

[@randomgamingstuff1]

Stem cells maybe >.

[@Eytan-zg4fq]

Ray kurzweil, don't we have a right to hear some update about your work in Google? You have been working there for almost 5 years! Don't you have ANYTHING to tell us about your team achievements or about your progress with the AI project? Why don't you say anything about that?

[@ChristianHunter]

Eytan1987 Do we have "a right to hear some update about [his] work [at] Google"? NO! We have a right to assemble peaceably, for example, not to the work done by this individual.

[@JamesBedsole]

For an update on Ray, see this August 2 article in Wired.com: WHAT IS RAY KURZWEIL UP TO AT GOOGLE? WRITING YOUR EMAILSwww.wired.com/story/what-is-ray-kurzweil-up-to-at-google-writing-your-emails/

[@ThisIsMe360vr]

The internet gave you global access to Information, mobile devices provided individual rapid access to it (for both input and output). Now, #360video in #VirtualReality devices gives you global access to Experience ! #VR provides individual rapid access to it, and #360degree cameras are the input. Together 360, VR, the internet and mobile, will kick-start the next major shift in how humans learn and interact digitally and social. Are you ready for the next new Medium, #360VR ? Adapt quickly, #AR, Autonomous vehicles and #AI are about to be added to the mix too.

[@AlexToussiehChannel]

Unfortunately 360 VR videos don't give you rapid access to experiences much more than just a very, very improved experience of a video. But you still can't feel and you still feel your real life body instead of the avatar you are playing and you feel your real life environment so it's just not the same as being where the VR Video wants to say you are.

[@ThisIsMe360vr]

Haptic feedback and other sensory hijacking increases immersion. You believe what you want to believe. :-)

[@ThisIsMe360vr]

I disagree. Most people are visual, and for those who need to 'feel', haptic feedback is now an available add-on. Sensory hijacking is getting better everyday. :-)

[@JazzHarmonica]

Wow this cat is smart. Thank you. "Neocortex?"

[@angelablackthorne3026]

Literally the "new brain' that is evident only in mammals. "The neocortex is a part of the brain of mammals. It is the top layer of the cerebral hemispheres, 2-4 mm thick, and made up of six layers, labelled I to VI (with VI being the innermost and I being the outermost). The neocortex is part of the cerebral cortex (along with the archicortex and paleocortex - which are cortical parts of the limbic system). It is involved in higher functions such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and in humans, language. The neocortex consists of grey matter surrounding the deeper white matter of the cerebrum. While the neocortex is smooth in rats and some other small mammals, it has deep grooves (sulci) and wrinkles (gyri) in primates and several other mammals. These folds serve to increase the area of the neocortex considerably. In humans it accounts for about 76% of the brain's volume" -Science Daily Glossary of Reference terms

[@emmanuelnsanga]

The part of the brain that does higher level processing. So, the cerebellum controls primitive movement, but the motor cortex (part of the neocortex) controls things like the act of dancing. Or the prefrontal-cortex controls things like abstract decision-making.

[@CauliflowerEars1]

"We do a pretty job of keeping things private"? What's he smokin?

[@johannesschroter8984]

CauliflowerEars1 ever heard of blockchain?

[@legolas66106]

Yeah a neat little tech that is pretty much in its infancy but is finally seeing the beginning of widespread usage. It hasn't got anything to do with Google's current track record of privacy though, and it isn't invented by Google either.

[@sevenkrauser1615]

He repeats himself a lot. Is that just old age?

[@ronsmith6414]

Repeating is for those with IQ's below 145.

[@sevenkrauser1615]

He repeats himself in the self interview, with the same two minute long message. I don't find Ron's explanation satisfying.

[@tangobob11]

You're right, he does repeat certain passages in the exact same terms which is not really the idea behind making something more evident to a lesser intellect like the others are saying.

[@randomgamingstuff1]

@@ronsmith6414 if his narrative is right, why change it? If hes able to tell the story hes been telling for the last 40 years and for it to be relevant today is only more evidence of genius ;)

[@Shahalud]

Super special Engineer at google... and he only has one computer monitor? cooooome on google, splurge a little.

[@cqubes2452]

Ray, are you alpha testing Google Brain with those useless antiques on your desk?

[@rocking4joy]

really windows? :(

[@CauliflowerEars1]

"You don't hear about major privacy breaches from major corporations, Apple, Microsoft Google." - Ray's never heard of Edward Snowdon or the alphabet soup? Maybe its that the privacy breaches are so big now he thinks they don't count any more.

[@Moonlitzer]

I guess that depends on your version of "major" privacy breaches. You think what Snowden revealed is the top of the ladder? I'm saying this with emphasis to not sound condescending, but it doesn't exactly take an Einstein to understand hierarchies of surveillance and data storage when it comes to using a cellphone (especially with GPS, bluetooth, and camera functions). Paranoia plays its role, but it's precisely what Mr.Kurzweil speaks of eloquently here about "updating" our neocortical functions. There will be a a newer hierarchy of cognition, perception, that will greatly reduce out frustrations and anxieties and overall understanding of our lives. Our behaviors should be modified for the benefit of the whole, as opposed to a more singular view as it is now.. Ironically.. But I really don't know much. I work retail and play classical piano. I do, however, appreciate men like Mr.Kurzweil who offer insight into this work for me to learn more about what we are heading towards!

[@CauliflowerEars1]

Moonlitzer I didn't hear anything about updating our paradigm of constant war, media-psy-terrorism and ever increasing centralization of political power. I only heard about submitting ourselves to the central host so Daddy can look after us by giving us extra intellect. You call me paranoid, I call you naïve. Pays your money and takes your choice. I'll not be joining the borg anytime soon.

[@CauliflowerEars1]

Elvis Andrumora My problem is not so much what he says, as much as what is not said. The singularity will be a perfect relection of the intentions and unconscious paradigms of the sum of the people who have the most power in creating it. Some of the most powerful people have orchestrated armies of "intelligence" workers to build bots and hacks to spy on and implicitly and explicity control our lives. As things stand this will become a major part of our future. I may not sound it, but I am optimistic for the future, but we must heal our broken and inadequate paradigms. I agree that if all we have is playdough, some people would find a way to weaponize it. Imagine when they can program the singularity to have direct broadband access into our most intimate selves. We need to heal ourselves and others, overcome our traumas and fears. This is a prerequisite to building a peaceful and inclusive future reality.

[@squamish4244]

Or Facebook researching teenagers' behaviour to find out when they are most psychologically insecure. But just for pure research purposes, they insist. No profit motive.

[@TheReferrer72]

What he means is the power of exponential, well his predictions are going to have to take a back seat. The world is debt is rising exponentially when this crises hits technological progress will crawl.

[@Michael-cl9mb]

Peter Edwards also polution is increasing exponentially, check out co2 or nuclear waste and the drawdown of natural environments is heading rock bottom. oceans dead in 30 years.

[@BiggySeth]

Kurzwiels Law of Accelerating returns has never been effected by war or economic collapse. Innovation has always pushed on.

[@wstaq]

CIA are gonna love it

[@novaordemdesantiago1890]

wstaq of course ! Instead of hacking smart tv's they will simply hack YOU.

[@cawfeedawg]

actually it will give everyone the power of the cia.. which will equalize things better.. we can all spy on each other and the governments.

[@AndreiSamiir]

he repeats the same 3 ideas over and over..

[@josseppie]

Information technology is basically one idea. Why it is easy to understand and predict.

[@cawfeedawg]

thats because people are stupid and you have to beat them over the head until they get it.

[@thydimov9909]

yeah thats the point of the interview - to teach stupid people and busy people about the stuff that he wrote in his books but faster and in a more easy and accessible form

[@jonhart7630]

Ray is very good at selling the upside of AI. Doesn't really go into what is going to happen to the countless millions of people who are going to lose their jobs. They are saying there is going to be a "Universal Basic Income" for everybody but I think that is being optimistic. Why would the ruling elite want billions of useless eaters who don't contribute anything?

[@thydimov9909]

what do you need a job for if you can 3d print any item you want you get free healthcare (nanobots) all the knowledge on the internet, free food (i dont thnik the "ruling elite" would want everybody else to starve to death for no good reason. The other thing is that there won`t be ruling elite - why would there be? The AI can easily be as smart as everybody else on the world so why would it let some really dumb individuals compared to it rule the world ? Think about it - if you had a little colony of people that are almost brainless but they still think they know whats best for them and do it but its destorying their habbitat (cutting the forest, polluting the air and the water, not caring enough of the global warming) would you let them rule themselves or would you help them out (and in your way replacaing their ruling elite) ? Think about it.

[@davidporterrealestate]

9:00 only technology can overcome it. Completely wrong - obviously he hasn't studied human nature

[@chase_447]

how is human nature going to solve drought, disease, famine, and aging?

[@braxx02]

Why would artificial intelligence have any desire to do so?

[@braxx02]

why would we expect it to want to do anything for us? why should we?

[@CalumnMcAulay]

we are programming it - its not some mysterious intelligent agency that manifests out of nothing. we are creating it to solve the worlds problems

[@joecowan608]

whatever, Ray.