Kurzweil continues to share his visions for the future, and his latest prediction was made at the most recent SXSW Conference, where he claimed that the Singularity — the moment when technology becomes smarter than humans — will happen by 2045. Sixteen years prior to that, it will be just as smart as us. As he told Futurism, “2029 is the consistent date I have predicted for when an AI will pass a valid Turing test and therefore achieve human levels of intelligence.”

Kurzweil’s vision of the future doesn’t stop at the Singularity. He has also predicted how technologies, such as nanobots and brain-to-computer interfaces like Elon Musk’s Neuralink or Bryan Johnson’s Kernel, will affect our bodies, leading to a possible future in which both our brains and our entire beings are mechanized.

This process could start with science fiction-level leaps in virtual reality (VR) technology. He predicts VR will advance so much that physical workplaces will become a thing of the past. Within a few decades, our commutes could just become a matter of strapping on a headset.

Eoin Treacy's view

Technological innovation is occurring not only at a rapid pace but is affecting many different areas at once. Nvidia’s CEO believes the CPU is going to be left in the dust by the GPU which is being used in everything from VR to Ethereum mining, artificial intelligence systems and self-driving cars. At the same time, the evolution of cloud computing and quantum computing means the market for computing as a service is on a growth trajectory. 

However, if the ambitions of Kurzweil and Musk regarding neural linking are to be realised, a much better understanding of the immune system is required. That is why the advances being made in immuno-oncology are so important. We need to conquer the immune system before embarking on a future where everyone is connected to massive computing power or more colloquially; become cyborgs. 

By solving for intelligence, at least in some respects, that could help level the playing field for workers.