The Age of Intelligent Machines

by Ray Kurzweil

In The Age of Intelligent Machines, inventor and computer scientist Raymond Kurzweil probes the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence, from its earliest philosophical and mathematical roots to tantalizing glimpses of 21st-century machines with superior intelligence and prodigious speed and memory.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Philosophy, Futurism, Computers

580 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Raymond Kurzweil is an inventor and futurist who has published books on health, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the technological singularity.

Reviews

[Nova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ray Kurzweil always shocking me whenever he released his books. My 1st time reading his book, Singularity, for a 18 yo, it is pretty mind blowing. I always believes in Singularity and I am very happy someone out there, a very good author, have the same idea as mine.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Age of Intelligent Machines" is a book by Ray Kurzweil, originally published in 1990, which examines the history and future of artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies.

Kurzweil begins by tracing the evolution of computing and AI from the earliest calculating machines to the present day, discussing the contributions of pioneers such as Alan Turing, John von Neumann, and Claude Shannon. He also explores the social and economic implications of these technologies, including their impact on employment, education, and communication.

The book then delves into the future of AI, with Kurzweil making predictions about the next few decades based on his analysis of technological trends. He argues that AI will continue to advance at an exponential rate, leading to a "singularity" in which machines surpass human intelligence and create a new era in which technology and biology merge.

Kurzweil's predictions include the development of intelligent robots, the creation of virtual reality environments, the emergence of nanotechnology and biotechnology, and the eventual ability to upload human minds to computers, among other possibilities.

"The Age of Intelligent Machines" has been influential in the field of AI and has helped to shape public debate about the future of technology. Kurzweil's ideas about the singularity and the merging of human and machine have been both celebrated and criticized, and continue to be the subject of ongoing discussion and research.

GPT

[Jenninct · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raymond Kurzweil is a genius. I highly suggest his writings beyond this as well. In addition, take the opportunity to listen to his speeches. He is a great keynote speaker...

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good parts. Lots of so so.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very much a text book. Now somewhat dated.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this after getting hooked on Spiritual Machines. This is informative and full of Kurzweil's ideas on the coming future, but generally it's pretty dry and uninteresting.