Feb 3 2009
Google and NASA are throwing their weight behind a new school for futurists in Silicon Valley to prepare scientists for an era when machines become smarter than people.
The new institution, known as "Singularity University" is to be headed by the Lifeboat Foundation's Ray Kurzweil. As one of the leading visionaries on the planet, Ray has donated over five figures to the Lifeboat Foundation, worked on its BioShield program, worked on its report for Richard Branson, and even helped craft the Lifeboat Foundation mission statement. Ray was the 3rd person to join its Scientific Advisory Board. His KurzweilAI.net last reported on the Lifeboat Foundation at the beginning of 2009.
Google and NASA's backing demonstrates the growing mainstream acceptance of Ray's views, which include a claim that before the middle of this century artificial intelligence will outstrip human beings, ushering in a new era of civilisation.
The Lifeboat Foundation is a nonprofit nongovernmental organization dedicated to encouraging scientific advancements while helping humanity survive existential risks and possible misuse of increasingly powerful technologies, including genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics/AI, as we move towards a technological singularity.