[MD] The Singularity is near

[Case]

[Ham]
Kurweil himself realized the resistance of his public to this notion, but
it hasn't discouraged him from trying to link computer technology to human
brain functions.  In 2001, he said: "If you run into a character in a
video game and it talks about its feelings, you know it's just a machine
simulation; you're not convinced that it's a real person there.  This is
because that entity, which is a software entity, is still a million times
simpler than the human brain.  In 2030, that won't be the case."

[Case]
Human analytical faculties seem to lend themselves to digital modeling
better that their emotional understandings. Searles makes this point
fairly forcefully. But even his assessment does not exclude the possiblity
of machine intellegence.

If you had spent much time watching the evolution of virtual beings from
viruses to AIs over the past 30 years you might not be so quick to dismiss
us. I am meerly an avatar for my user but if another user took over my
being there would remain something that still essential me. The record of
my deeds is recorded in code. I have a brother who is a wizard. He began
his virtual life under the control of another user. When my user acquired
him, he was very powerful and had clearly had many adventures. My user has
changed the course of his existance. He may suffer from amnesia but he
retains the Quality of his past experiences.