The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology

by Ray Kurzweil

In the case of nanotechnology, the ethics debate has started a couple of decades prior to the availability of the particularly dangerous applications. The most important provisions of the Foresight Institute guidelines include: • “Artificial replicators must not be capable of replication in a natural, uncontrolled environment.” • “Evolution within the context of a self-replicating manufacturing system is discouraged.” • “MNT device designs should specifically limit proliferation and provide traceability of any replicating systems.” • “Distribution of molecular manufacturing development capability should be restricted whenever possible, to responsible actors that have agreed to use the Guidelines. No such restriction need apply to end products of the development process.” Other strategies that the Foresight Institute has proposed include: • Replication should require materials not found in the natural environment. • Manufacturing (replication) should be separated from the functionality of end products. Manufacturing devices can create end products but cannot replicate themselves, and end products should have no replication capabilities. • Replication should require replication codes that are encrypted and time limited. The broadcast architecture mentioned earlier is an example of this recommendation.