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Who is the author Kevin Kelly and why does he think he has a greater hold on this issue than luminaries like Ray Kurzweil?
by tech-historian 5y ago
Who is the author Kevin Kelly and why does he think he has a greater hold on this issue than luminaries like Ray Kurzweil?
- mindcrime 5y agoTo the first half of your question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Kelly_(editor) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Kelly_(editor) To the second half: Dunno. Good question.
- cowpig 5y agoAppeals to authority are not convincing
- mindcrime 5y agoThis isn't a formal debate, and authority is useful especially as a "first pass" filter, or in terms of establishing Bayesian priors. The key, IMO, is not to assume that the mere existence of authority guarantees that someone is right. But in either case, it's certainly valid to ask the question "why should I take Kevin Kelly seriously on this topic?"
- cowpig 5y agoI don't agree in this context. The author wrote an entire article about his position, and dismissing it entirely because some "luminary" disagrees is not an interesting response. OP didn't even bother to point out how or why Kurzweil purportedly disagrees.
- tech-historian 5y agoI thought it was obvious. Clearly it was not. Ray Kurzweil is a futurist who has spent multiple decades researching this topic and has written multiple books on it. His bio speaks for itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil
- mindcrime 5y agoI guess I interpreted tech-historian's post a little differently than you. Likewise, I don't support dismissing Kelly's article out-of-hand, based on Kurzweil's position. But I do think it's fair to raise the issue in terms of "why should one take Kevin Kelly seriously on this?"
- AnimalMuppet 5y agoWhy is Ray Kurzweil considered a luminary in this context? Sure, he talks a lot. He makes grand statements. Is there any reason to take him seriously in this context? He sure seems to believe, and to want to believe. But actual evidence that he's going to be right any time soon? That seems to be missing.
- enord 5y agoEverybody wants to be the Fox Mulder of their story.
- tech-historian 5y agoIt's clear you're not familiar with Kurzweil's work in AI (or his background in general). He's written multiple books on the topic over multiple decades, including the seminal "The Singularity is Near". He's devoted his life to the study of this field. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singularity_Is_Near https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singularity_Is_Near
- zaybqp 5y agoThank you for enlightening us with the new knowledge of this wonderful luminary. I have learned so much from these URLs. Do you have any more recommendations on what we should read next? I find myself deeply enthralled by his fascinating claims and I want to seek out more of his teachings.
- 6gvONxR4sf7o 5y agoHe's also written books on how much of your diet should be fat, and similar topics. I've never been able to tell if he's worth taking seriously. My instincts say no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_10%25_Solution_for_a_Healthy_Life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_10%25_Solution_for_a_Healt... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage:_Live_Long_Enough_to_Live_Forever https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage:_Live_Long_En...
- AnimalMuppet 5y ago
- aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago>luminaries like Ray Kurzweil This is satire, right?