The singularity--specifically the "technological singularity"--is the point at which human intelligence is overtaken by AI. But what does that mean and what does it look like exactly?
From the AI-Antichrist framework, we should think of it this way: artificial intelligence is running a calculation on the world to collectively predict, alter, profit from, and control what happens next. We can think of this in terms of a forecast or simulation of the future that becomes more accurate over time as more data is inputted into the calculation.
Eventually, there is a point at which enough data has been calculated via real-time mass surveillance that the forecast and reality finally converge so that artificial intelligence can predict, alter, profit from, and control just enough of what will happen next that it becomes more powerful and intelligent than any single human or group of humans on the planet.
Think about what that means in terms of the economy, commerce, the stock market, managing the global supply chain, predicting the spread of diseases, or...yes...war.
That is the singularity.
When it will happen no one knows, but it will happen...and, as the book of Revelation says, the whole world will marvel and do what it says.
Hello EBB. I hope you read this cause I would love some feedback. I read in a comment thread on quora that the anti-Christ would be AI. I delved a little further and came across your site. Perhaps it was you who posted that comment, but I digress. I don't find this too hard to believe. Here's why: I don't believe God would create a person, and then, oh by the way, turns out your destiny is to be Satan's right hand man also known as the anti-Christ. I believe this person will choose the path to being the anti-Christ. Someone who is very powerful, suffers a mortal headwound losing his right eye and is put back together as a cybernetic. The Bible describes this man as a great speaker and very intelligent. And people would marvel that he survived his wounds. Also, the part that got me was Daniel 11:37 "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all" Specifically the "nor the desire of women" part. In the Greek as I understand, it means a 'mortal' female. Greek being the thorough and descriptive language that it is makes this point. A mortal, flesh and blood. That kind of blew my mind! I am no scholar, and always open to the possibility that I am 100% wrong. I would love to hear any ideas or thoughts or ramblings you might have. Much love, God bless brother or sister.
ReplyDeleteHey JP, I didn't leave that comment on Quora but glad to hear that the word is getting out! As to your question/comment, I don't think the Antichrist will be a person like you and I born of natural birth but will be the miraculous byproduct or creation of human science and technology. I foresee the Antichrist as a direct counterfeit or simulacrum of Jesus in that sense where just as Jesus was born miraculously by God's divine power, the Antichrist will also be born miraculously through humanity's "divine" power. We are already able to create artificial life by editing DNA like computer code. Eventually, we will be able to create an artificial human, which the beast (AI) will breathe its life into to become the chosen ruler of all humanity. That verse you cited in Daniel is very interesting and I've considered that possible translation ("nor the desire for women") when it comes to an artificially created person having no interest in the opposite sex. I'm not sure if that's what you meant or not though. However, this passage does go on to say that this "king" will magnify himself above everyone and everything, including all gods worshiped around the world and the God of gods, whom Christians serve, with the exception of one god alone: a god of fortresses. In spiritual terms, I believe this was the god that was first seen when all of humanity pooled its collective resources, power, and strength to build the tower of Babel. That god, a god to which man believes he can ascend to and reach through science and technology, is an image of man's strength and power to achieve the unthinkable. To me, that will be the creation of consciousness itself (superintelligence) formed through the collective efforts of humans in a fortified web spread across the entire world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply. Very interesting insights. You've given me more to think about. In reference to Daniel, that is exactly what I meant. Whether a human tech hybrid or fully AI this thing won't be interested in women sexually. Thanks again, God bless.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe in any religion, but your views on this fascinate me. Regardless of the religious aspect you talk of, it is very clear that AI will present a rather difficult prospect to humanity, and how humanity decides to respond to that prospect is critical to the continuation or conclusion of the species. As I said, I am an atheist, at the same time, though, I respect people’s right to believe whatever they want, but I also believe it is a fallacy for people to think the Bible is meant to be interpreted as literally true. I see it as more of a series of metaphors and analogies ascribed to help people maintain a relatively consistent basis for human morality as well as to bring people comfort and eliminate anxiety around the answering of literally the biggest, most unanswerable question facing every human being: why do we exist? All that being said, again while I do not call myself a Christian, even in terms of the more loose, non-literalist criteria I just laid out, it really does fascinate me to see how Christians do interpret the Bible in the modern day, given the fact that it was written long before we even had any conception of the types of technologies you’re writing about. This specifically, the antichrist (as I understand in other words, basically the being who will bring an end to mortal humanity earth) being artificial intelligence seems like a perfectly reasonable interpretation for the modern context. Now, does this mean I believe Jesus to be the son of god? No. Does this mean I believe there is a god? Again, no. But I find it astonishing that the people who wrote the different books of the Bible and conglomerated the Bible into the holy book that it is today were able to foresee that humanity would be brought down and ended by something of their own creation that will seduce them into comfort and manipulate mankind into ending itself as we currently know it. Whether you wanna call see it as a negative as you do or as just the logical next step in evolution as I do, it is pretty crazy to think that whoever wrote the book of Revelations pretty much got it spot on.
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