technological singularity en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌtɛknəˈlɑd͡ʒɪkl̩ ˌsɪŋɡjəˈlɛɹɪti/ (General-American)
- /ˌtɛknəˈlɒd͡ʒɪkəl̩ ˌsɪŋɡjʊˈlæɹɪti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Popularized by Vernor Vinge in 1993, by analogy to the gravitational singularity in black holes, where the conventional laws of science are thought to no longer apply, resulting in a breakdown of predictability.
Meanings
-
A hypothetical future event in human history caused by the ever-increasing ability of new technology to speed up the rate at which new technology is developed.
For the consequences for humanity, if a technological singularity did indeed occur, would be seismic. What are these potentially seismic consequences? What sort of world, what sort of universe, might come into being if a technological singularity does occur?
2015, Murray Shanahan, The Technological Singularity, MIT Press, →ISBN, page xx:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| technological singularities | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
Omega Point · posthumanism · transhumanism
Synonyms
Singularity · singularity · Kurzweil singularity
Translations (5)
fi teknologinen singulariteetti (technological singularity) · fr singularité technologique (technological singularity) · de technologische Singularität (technological singularity) · es singularidad tecnológica (technological singularity) · pl osobliwość technologiczna (technological singularity)