More By This Author

Human vs. cyborg: a vision of the future: Ray Kurzweil paints a startling picture in his new book
Empty playgrounds: Global populations in decline
The future of influence, part 2: Defining trends: The smaller your niche as a super influencer, the greater your chances of survival will be
The future of influence: Just as people maintain concentric circles of relationships, they also manage and direct concentric circles of influence
The simplification mandate: Surpassing the complexity threshold

Current Issue

Posted 09.21.2009

Human vs. cyborg: a vision of the future

Ray Kurzweil paints a startling picture in his new book

By Thomas Frey and Raymond Alvarez

Futurist and author Ray Kurzweil describes a startling picture of the future in his book, The Singularity is Near.

In the book (which will be released as a film later this year), Kurzweil says evolution of humans is accelerating. We will become advanced beings with near-term capabilities to live forever, which means we may have many business and career pursuits.

Meanwhile, the field of robotics is close to producing convincing synthetic tissue, which may lead to organic life forms, the cyborg-like creatures that resemble humans but possess superior strength and intelligence. With humans and cyborgs competing, what will the world be like?

We take you to an establishment in downtown Denver, circa 2039, six years ahead of the singularity.

Two guys go into a bar. One is a technician, the other a code writer and artist. Both are disengaged from projects. They belly up to the bar, select individual micro-environments and order beers.

Technician, Tom: How is that mountain air?

Code writer, Ray: Not bad... how's the sea breeze?

Tom: Salty, like my mood.

Ray: No luck, today?

Tom: Nah. Supercompute is ramping up its 20M AI series. Looking like a dead end for warm-blooded techies. You?

Ray: Night job's going nowhere. Turns out the singer I signed is too human. Can't play major venues for years.

Tom: You'll land something.

A figure at the end of the bar pipes up.

Stranger (Austrian accent): Bartender, give "dem anudder" bier.

The tall man (vaguely resembling a prominent former governor) wobbles their way.

Stranger: You bin lookin' for projecks?

Ray: Say, why do they make all of you blue collar cyborgs look like the Terminator?

Stranger: Wish I could look more like him. Owns most of NanoRobotica and a good part of my company, Lovetron. Not a bad rebound. I am duh CEO of this collyfornya compunee... No glamour in it. You ever seen one of those models come back? I was up to my elbows in cyborg parts all day.

Ray: Funny ... I don't like you, wing nut.

Tom: Cool it.

The techie leans toward his geeky friend and whispers:
Tom: This guy is third tier. Check the badge he's wearin'.

Their beers arrive. The cyborg drains his mug. They watch him wave for another around.

Tom: Astonishing. ... So, our friend here works in the exec tower at Lovetron.

Ray: So, what was all that talk about elbows and parts?

Tom taps his iLapel, initiating a holographic display.

Tom: Lovetron and NanoRobotica combined their R&D departments. They just spun off a subsidiary that's into synthetic biosystems. Completely synthetic circulatory system ... eliminates the need for liver, spleen, kidney. You can still eat, but never gain a pound. Going to be huge.