Singularity (technology)

The term "technological singularity" is used in futurist circles to refer to the phenomenon and resulting effects of reaching a critical threshold of positive-feedback technological change.

Three Models

Eliezer Yudkowsky, co-founder of the Singularity Institute, has suggested that the term 'technological singularity' holds three distinct concepts:

1. Ray Kurzweil's singularity refers to the concept of rapidly accelerating change driven by technology;
2. Vernor Vinge's singularity refers to the concept of rapidly accelerating change creating an event horizon-like barrier to social prediction;
3. I.J. Good's singularity refers to the concept that intelligent agents who are able to improve their own intelligence will cause an intelligence explosion.