singularity

Terms from Artificial Intelligence: humans at the heart of algorithms

Page numbers are for draft copy at present; they will be replaced with correct numbers when final book is formatted. Chapter numbers are correct and will not change now.

The term singularity is used to refer to a potential point in time when AI becomes intelligent enough to design even better AI, and hence lead to an uncontrolable spiral far exceeding human capability to comprehend or control. This may be itself regarded as a positive thing, a 'next stage of evolution', transcending humanity, or as a threat to humanity itself.

Used on Chap. 24: page 585