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In the last article of this series I wrote about technological singularity, which is a theory that technology will eventually advance so quickly that the future will be unimaginably different than it is today. I mentioned the fact that it is very possible that in the distant (or not so distant) future, a computer might be built that could outsmart a human being! So if the singularity may be looming in the future, how would human beings get over that initial first hurdle of creating a computer that is smarter than humanity? Theorists reason there are two ways: amplifying the intelligence of human brains until we are smart enough to come up with this computer, and artificial intelligence.

In the last article of this series I wrote about technological singularity, which is a theory that technology will eventually advance so quickly that the future will be unimaginably different than it is today. I mentioned the fact that it is very possible that in the distant (or not so distant) future, a computer might be built that could outsmart a human being! So if the singularity may be looming in the future, how would human beings get over that initial first hurdle of creating a computer that is smarter than humanity? Theorists reason there are two ways: amplifying the intelligence of human brains until we are smart enough to come up with this computer, and artificial intelligence.

Taking a human brain and increasing its intelligence seems like it may be a long way off in the future, but there are a number of ways that scientists can do this even today. After all, in laboratories, it is pretty easy for scientists to genetically modify mice. Granted, they are just mice, but genetic modification of the human brain could be an option for the future. Then there are nootropic drugs, which are drugs, supplements and foods that have the capacity to improve mental functions. Refer to the field of psychopharmaceuticals if you don't believe that these are around.

Direct brain-computer interfaces exist, which are basically direct communication pathways between a brain and an external device. Monkeys have been able to control robotic arms simply by using their brains! One final example is mind uploading, which scientists are exploring now. This is the process of scanning a biological brain in detail and copying its state into a computer system. If this ever came about this would mean immortality for anyone who wanted to have their minds uploaded. Their consciousness would remain in the realm of the internet long after their biological bodies have died.

Then we go back to the idea of artificial intelligence, where smarter and smarter computers keep on being built by humans until we have a computer that is smart enough to design another computer that is smarter than itself. Theoretically, every computer that is smarter will design an even smarter computer, until they have outsmarted human beings.

Either way, it seems as though we are approaching the point of a very intelligent, self programming computer soon. Currently, there are a number of computers who are responsible for making very important decisions regarding the human race. The United States Navy tells us that as military robots become more complicated, we should focus more attention to the ramifications of their ability to make autonomous decisions. Military robots potentially hold the lives of other people in their hands, and yes, they do make their "own" decisions. Some people believe that the leaps and bounds that we are already making with Artificial Intelligence should include an effort to make AI friendly and humane. It is definitely worth considering! To be continued in the next article, "What Happens After Humans Design A Computer That Can Outsmart Them?