Softbank CEO: The Singularity Will Happen by 2047
The CEO of Japanese telecommunications giant and internet multinational Softbank is at it again. Masayoshi Son has been consistent with his predictions as to when the technological singularity will occur. This time, Son predicted that the dawn of machines surpassing human intelligence is bound to occur by 2047 during a keynote address at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Son famously made the same prediction at the 2016 ARM TechCon, when he revealed that Softbank is looking to make the singularity happen.
“One of the chips in our shoes in the next 30 years will be smarter than our brain. We will be less than our shoes. And we are stepping on them,” Son said during his MWC address. In fact, he expects that a single computer chip will have an IQ equivalent to 10,000 by that point in time. That’s far beyond what the most intelligent person in the world has (roughly 200). “What should we call it?” he asked. “Superintelligence. That is an intelligence beyond people’s imagination [no matter] how smart they are. But in 30 years, I believe this is going to become a reality.”
Sound like every single human-vs-machine sci-fi flick you’ve seen? Son doesn’t quite think so.
Instead of conflict, he sees a potential for humans to partner with artificial intelligence (AI), echoing the comments Elon Musk made in Dubai last month: “I think this superintelligence is going to be our partner,” said Softbank’s CEO. “If we misuse it, it’s a risk. If we use it in good spirits, it will be our partner for a better life.”
Already, individuals are working to ensure that the coming age of super synthetic intelligences is, indeed, one that is beneficial for humanity. Case in point, Braintree founder Bryan Johnson is investing $100 million to research the human brain and, ultimately, make neuroprostheses that allow us to augment our own intelligence and keep pace with AI. This will be accomplished, in large part, by making our neural code programmable.
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