Ray Kurzweil

In my view, we are going to achieve this goal instead through the combination of a free economic system with the emerging technologies of the twenty-first century. For example, by the 2030s, renewable energy technologies such as solar power will provide our energy needs at very low cost (we have 10,000 times more free energy hitting the Earth from the sun than we need, and the use of solar energy is expanding exponentially). Vertical agriculture consisting of AI controlled factories using hydroponic plants for fruits and vegetables and in-vitro cloned muscle tissue for meat, will be able to provide all the food we need at very low cost. Three-dimensional printing will provide the physical objects we need such as clothing, and modules to snap together a house for pennies a pound. Information-based technologies, including biotechnology and nanotechnology, will keep us healthy. Open source versions of all of these information-based products will be almost free. The financial economy will be based on proprietary forms of these information products allowing people to live very well with free open source versions. (2019) source Unverified

Adopting a universal basic income for all people can help society think creatively with new ideas, develop new industries — and free-up people to work on important future projects. This practical social support program can grow as science & technology rapidly evolve, becoming part of world abundance. source Unverified

AI is the pivotal technology that will allow us to meet the pressing challenges that confront us, including overcoming disease, poverty, environmental degradation, and all of our human frailties. We have a moral imperative to realize the promise of these new technologies while mitigating the peril. But it won’t be the first time we’ve succeeded in doing so. When I was growing up, most people around me assumed that nuclear war was almost inevitable. The fact that our species found the wisdom to refrain from using these terrible weapons shines as an example of how we have it in our power to likewise use emerging biotechnology, nanotechnology, and superintelligent AI responsibly. We are not doomed to failure in controlling these perils. Overall, we should be cautiously optimistic. While AI is creating new technical threats, it will also radically enhance our ability to deal with those threats. As for abuse, since these methods will enhance our intelligence regardless of our values, they can be used for both promise and peril. We should thus work toward a world where the powers of AI are broadly distributed, so that its effects reflect the values of humanity as a whole. (2024) source Unverified