Ray at the panel discussion. Will his new film have wide appeal?
The battle lines are already being drawn around Ray Kurzweil’s new documentary. The Singularity is Near, based on the book of the same name, discusses the future of accelerating technology while presenting a fictional narrative about an artificial intelligence based on Kurzweil himself. We were very sad to miss the movie’s Sonoma Film Festival debut on April 16th, but there are two reputable reviews of the premier and the panel discussion that followed. Sonoma News was less than flattering of Kurzweil’s film, calling it narcissistic and self-congratulatory, comparing it unfavorably to a documentary about Wavy Gravy the clown. H+ Magazine, a futurist site of some renown, praised the film as a “total blast to sit through.” Maybe there’s little surprise that a singularity-friendly site enjoyed the movie while a traditional media source was turned off by it. Yet if the documentary is supposed to proselytize, as so much of Kurzweil’s work seems aimed at doing, shouldn’t we worry more about what the traditional movie reviewers think?
I’ve read The Singularity is Near, I’ve watched a lot of Kurzweil’s presentations, and I keep track of his predictions. While I understand why, financially, I should be the documentary’s target audience, philosophically it doesn’t make much sense – I’m already interested in the Singularity. That’s why it’s disappointing to see Sonoma News prefer the loving tribute to Wavy Gravy rather than a serious film about the future. Admittedly anybody might have lost to the “clown” because he is a a truly phenomenal social commentator, but c’mon, we’re talking about new forms of (artificial) life here! Will the film be unappealing to an average viewer? We probably won’t know for certain until the final cut makes it to theaters. In the meantime, I would love for anyone who attended the Sonoma Film Festival premier to tell us what they thought of the movie in the comments below. Is this a film to bring the Singularity to the masses or is it a total dud? Or is it just a nice romp for those of us who are already fascinated by the concept? Let me know.
[image credit: Sonoma News]
[source: Sonoma News, HPlus Magazine]
Comments
I’ve been a fan of Kurzweil’s for years, but I just started a review of all of his major 2009 predictions to see how close he was in 1999. The results aren’t too positive for him. If he missed so much about 2009, how likely is it that he got 2029 or any other year more correct?
I’ve been a fan of Kurzweil’s for years, but I just started a review of all of his major 2009 predictions to see how close he was in 1999. The results aren’t too positive for him. If he missed so much about 2009, how likely is it that he got 2029 or any other year more correct?
I am more interested in why they are releasing in theaters? Where I live, they won’t show. Why not host all their movies on a site and let me pay to stream them. IMDB lists Ray in about 9 productions and I can’t find a way to view them. Keeping people away from what they want is not exactly the futurist mantra, I want a more updated distribution media.
I am more interested in why they are releasing in theaters? Where I live, they won’t show. Why not host all their movies on a site and let me pay to stream them. IMDB lists Ray in about 9 productions and I can’t find a way to view them. Keeping people away from what they want is not exactly the futurist mantra, I want a more updated distribution media.
This is a demonstration of what little power Kurzweil or any of his people have in predicting the future. (That also applies to all of us, of course).
There were several promises that the movie will be out ‘in the fall’ last year, then early this year, this summer, etc. Hasn’t come true, so far.
Reminds me of the continual prediction that we will hit a threshold point, in 15 years, regarding our expected lifespan. In 15 years, we will be adding at least one year, EVERY YEAR, to our expected lifespan. Logically, that makes us immortable, barring freak accidents.
The problem? They have been using this 15 year prediction for several years now. Exactly when does it become 14 years, or 10?
Sorry, everyone. I’m as much Kurzweil fan as the next guy, but am just annoyed at having to wait so long for this.
This is a demonstration of what little power Kurzweil or any of his people have in predicting the future. (That also applies to all of us, of course).
There were several promises that the movie will be out ‘in the fall’ last year, then early this year, this summer, etc. Hasn’t come true, so far.
Reminds me of the continual prediction that we will hit a threshold point, in 15 years, regarding our expected lifespan. In 15 years, we will be adding at least one year, EVERY YEAR, to our expected lifespan. Logically, that makes us immortable, barring freak accidents.
The problem? They have been using this 15 year prediction for several years now. Exactly when does it become 14 years, or 10?
Sorry, everyone. I’m as much Kurzweil fan as the next guy, but am just annoyed at having to wait so long for this.
It is not important to question whether there will be a singularity or not. The key point is that there could be one. Although skeptics have merit in some of their arguments, they should be able to accept that we are entering a time of change, and therefore changes need to be made to our current systems.
I hope this film will concentrate on not just inspiring many people to imagine their future lives, but cause leaders to make singularity-friendly decisions to ensure the safety of the human race from itself.
It is not important to question whether there will be a singularity or not. The key point is that there could be one. Although skeptics have merit in some of their arguments, they should be able to accept that we are entering a time of change, and therefore changes need to be made to our current systems.
I hope this film will concentrate on not just inspiring many people to imagine their future lives, but cause leaders to make singularity-friendly decisions to ensure the safety of the human race from itself.
@bob
I definitely agree about it not being what we’ll expect. I just don’t agree about the exponential pace. That’s just wishful thinking. None of the stuff in the opensource hardware community is really anything that couldn’t be build 20 years ago. It’s all basic electronics. Take the maker bot, it’a a glue gun, a couple of stepper motors and a processor that would make a z80 seem quick… I’m not saying it’s not really cool. It’s just not particularly high-tech and definitely not a sign of accerating development. And it might even be a huge paradigm shift when everyone get’s one of those, but there is no exponential speed-up. Just a shift.
Furthermore not to be pedantic, but a gradual thing is the exact opposite of exponential…
@bob
I definitely agree about it not being what we’ll expect. I just don’t agree about the exponential pace. That’s just wishful thinking. None of the stuff in the opensource hardware community is really anything that couldn’t be build 20 years ago. It’s all basic electronics. Take the maker bot, it’a a glue gun, a couple of stepper motors and a processor that would make a z80 seem quick… I’m not saying it’s not really cool. It’s just not particularly high-tech and definitely not a sign of accerating development. And it might even be a huge paradigm shift when everyone get’s one of those, but there is no exponential speed-up. Just a shift.
Furthermore not to be pedantic, but a gradual thing is the exact opposite of exponential…
It is pointless to try and predict what the Singularity will mean. It won’t be a sudden dichotomy, It will be in succesive stages, more of a gradual thing.
It is already happening with the Internet. Open Source software, now Open Source hardware. Thousands and even Millions of people are contributing small efforts that are doing things that were considered impossible even a decade ago.
We tend to think in a linear manner. These things are increasing the pace of that to an exponential rate, and are taking turns that are completly unexpected.
We will have to wait to find what the future will bring. The only sure thing is that it won’t be what you expect.
It is pointless to try and predict what the Singularity will mean. It won’t be a sudden dichotomy, It will be in succesive stages, more of a gradual thing.
It is already happening with the Internet. Open Source software, now Open Source hardware. Thousands and even Millions of people are contributing small efforts that are doing things that were considered impossible even a decade ago.
We tend to think in a linear manner. These things are increasing the pace of that to an exponential rate, and are taking turns that are completly unexpected.
We will have to wait to find what the future will bring. The only sure thing is that it won’t be what you expect.
@Fletch
No the singularity means a bunch of completely deluded people believing in something that will never happen. In the future, there will be no hyper intelligent ai. Ai sure, hyper intelligent no. We will still have diseases, wars, death and all other unpleasant things we have right now. These things are part of life.
The singularity is a religion with Kurzweil at the center expanding his ego.
@Fletch
No the singularity means a bunch of completely deluded people believing in something that will never happen. In the future, there will be no hyper intelligent ai. Ai sure, hyper intelligent no. We will still have diseases, wars, death and all other unpleasant things we have right now. These things are part of life.
The singularity is a religion with Kurzweil at the center expanding his ego.
@Jasmine Sunshine — And you completely miss the entire point of just what the “Singularity” is. It means that the “Wavy Gravy” guy’s humanitarian efforts will no longer be needed, because soon after the Singularity hits us, human issues such as blindness get solved permantently, and eventually the human form will become a thing of the past.
@Jasmine Sunshine — And you completely miss the entire point of just what the “Singularity” is. It means that the “Wavy Gravy” guy’s humanitarian efforts will no longer be needed, because soon after the Singularity hits us, human issues such as blindness get solved permantently, and eventually the human form will become a thing of the past.
WAVY GRAVY is a humanitarian activist and hero to many.
I’m sorry but you clearly didn’t see his film.
Check out his organization Seva http://www.seva.org and the over 2 million blind people in poor places like Bangladesh and Cambodia whom Seva has restored eyesight to.
Or the thousands of Native Americans they are working with every year to help prevent the epidemic of diabetes.
Wavy Gravy founded that organization and is still very involved. Please educate yourself before you slander someone publically.
Aaron Saenz, I believe you owe Mr. Wavy Gravy a public appology for using him as an example to make your point.
Maybe make a donation to Seva to show you care.
Check it out…for only $50 you can restore sight to a blind person! http://www.seva.org/gifts
WAVY GRAVY is a humanitarian activist and hero to many.
I’m sorry but you clearly didn’t see his film.
Check out his organization Seva http://www.seva.org and the over 2 million blind people in poor places like Bangladesh and Cambodia whom Seva has restored eyesight to.
Or the thousands of Native Americans they are working with every year to help prevent the epidemic of diabetes.
Wavy Gravy founded that organization and is still very involved. Please educate yourself before you slander someone publically.
Aaron Saenz, I believe you owe Mr. Wavy Gravy a public appology for using him as an example to make your point.
Maybe make a donation to Seva to show you care.
Check it out…for only $50 you can restore sight to a blind person! http://www.seva.org/gifts
Best movie of the year! Hands down. It will make you think and then think and then think some more. This Sonoma reviewer is a crack-head!
Best movie of the year! Hands down. It will make you think and then think and then think some more. This Sonoma reviewer is a crack-head!
About all I can see wrong with the movie, is that it’s a documentary. It’s darn hard to believe documentaries in theaters. It should have been a television release.
About all I can see wrong with the movie, is that it’s a documentary. It’s darn hard to believe documentaries in theaters. It should have been a television release.
I live in Marin and saw the film in Sonoma. AWESOME!!! It will blow your mind! Can’t wait to see it again!
I live in Marin and saw the film in Sonoma. AWESOME!!! It will blow your mind! Can’t wait to see it again!
Wow, Joe is right!! Shame on The Singularity Hub for not doing their homework!
Wow, Joe is right!! Shame on The Singularity Hub for not doing their homework!
Have not seen the film. I’ve read “the singularity is near” and after seeing ten plus straight line log graphs am convinced Kurzweil is right. The problem I have with Kurzweil’s talks is that they rehash his arguments to fit the time frame of the talk. In any given talk less than 5% will be material I’m not familiar with.
Have not seen the film. I’ve read “the singularity is near” and after seeing ten plus straight line log graphs am convinced Kurzweil is right. The problem I have with Kurzweil’s talks is that they rehash his arguments to fit the time frame of the talk. In any given talk less than 5% will be material I’m not familiar with.
Wait when is Transcendent Man coming out? I still want to see that one!
Wait when is Transcendent Man coming out? I still want to see that one!
Yeah, confused. So this is NOT Transcendent Man? He wants two documentaries floating around out there that are essentially about him? I guess…
Love the ideas, but that whole Ramona thing gives one the impression that Kurzweil has some unresolved sexual issues.
Yeah, confused. So this is NOT Transcendent Man? He wants two documentaries floating around out there that are essentially about him? I guess…
Love the ideas, but that whole Ramona thing gives one the impression that Kurzweil has some unresolved sexual issues.
David Bowling reputable? How is he a reputable film reviewer? This is his first ever film review. He has a backround in environmentalism and I’m guessing is anti-technology. Also he has complaints posted on the Internet for his sensationalizing stories. I’m afraid Unfortunately when you combine these elements plus the fact that the film was very well received (I was there) then it’s clear to see that this “review” was anything but reputable.
Don’t believe everything you read! Just because it’s printed in a small town paper doesn’t make it true.
David Bowling reputable? How is he a reputable film reviewer? This is his first ever film review. He has a backround in environmentalism and I’m guessing is anti-technology. Also he has complaints posted on the Internet for his sensationalizing stories. I’m afraid Unfortunately when you combine these elements plus the fact that the film was very well received (I was there) then it’s clear to see that this “review” was anything but reputable.
Don’t believe everything you read! Just because it’s printed in a small town paper doesn’t make it true.
After reading this post, I headed over to the Sonoma News article expecting the worst, but I found David Bowling’s review to be surprisingly articulate, touching and humorous (“But Ramona isn’t granted her wish until self-help megastar Tony Robbins (I’m not making this up)…”, lol).
Even if the technological singularity is a plausible concept, Kurzweil simply may not be the right man to promote it. Being a brilliant inventor doesn’t automatically making you a marketing genius, and as Bowling points out, Kurzweil comes off as superficial and cerebral to people who want some mystery and spirituality in their lives (which Wavy Gravy exemplifies in a non-traditional religion way).
My argument would be that brain augmentation could enhance spirituality, if awe and wonderment could be consciously controlled. This is, after all, what Wavy Gravy and others in the hippie subculture tried to control through psychedelic drugs, which worked sometimes, but turned out to be unpredictable. Perhaps we can do better.
“superficial and cerebral ”
How can that be possible ?
In my opinion it’s one or the other.
Easy, he can be cerebral by just attending the rational part of the singularity, when it will have profound social, emotional and maybe spiritual consequences (in the broad not necessarily religious sense)
This makes his presentation also superficial as he is not really digging into what will REALLY will mean for us.
After reading this post, I headed over to the Sonoma News article expecting the worst, but I found David Bowling’s review to be surprisingly articulate, touching and humorous (“But Ramona isn’t granted her wish until self-help megastar Tony Robbins (I’m not making this up)…”, lol).
Even if the technological singularity is a plausible concept, Kurzweil simply may not be the right man to promote it. Being a brilliant inventor doesn’t automatically making you a marketing genius, and as Bowling points out, Kurzweil comes off as superficial and cerebral to people who want some mystery and spirituality in their lives (which Wavy Gravy exemplifies in a non-traditional religion way).
My argument would be that brain augmentation could enhance spirituality, if awe and wonderment could be consciously controlled. This is, after all, what Wavy Gravy and others in the hippie subculture tried to control through psychedelic drugs, which worked sometimes, but turned out to be unpredictable. Perhaps we can do better.
“superficial and cerebral ”
How can that be possible ?
In my opinion it’s one or the other.
Easy, he can be cerebral by just attending the rational part of the singularity, when it will have profound social, emotional and maybe spiritual consequences (in the broad not necessarily religious sense)
This makes his presentation also superficial as he is not really digging into what will REALLY will mean for us.
I’m a great fan of Kurzweil, including his “The Sigularity is Near”, and watch any of his presentations I come across, because he’s brilliant, and he’s correct, and expresses himself very well. That said, I’ve had the same sense of self-promotion in his web site and elsewhere, that’s a turn-off, so it does’t surprise me to hear this comment. It’s too bad.
I’m a great fan of Kurzweil, including his “The Sigularity is Near”, and watch any of his presentations I come across, because he’s brilliant, and he’s correct, and expresses himself very well. That said, I’ve had the same sense of self-promotion in his web site and elsewhere, that’s a turn-off, so it does’t surprise me to hear this comment. It’s too bad.
I was at the premiere. I thought the movie was enjoyable. The fictional storyline was a little bit cheesy, which would probably turn off some mainstream viewers.
When it comes out on DVD, I’ll definitely give it to people, but not without some explanation.
Mostly, I’d specify that the fictional storyline is probably not what the future will look like, but it’s there to dramatize some of the concepts.
It probably would have been stronger if it had been more like The Secret in execution, where there’s not a single fictional storyline – just short clips to dramatize the concepts, but no single cohesive story.
That way, the focus would have been much more on the interviews, which were the best part.
I was at the premiere. I thought the movie was enjoyable. The fictional storyline was a little bit cheesy, which would probably turn off some mainstream viewers.
When it comes out on DVD, I’ll definitely give it to people, but not without some explanation.
Mostly, I’d specify that the fictional storyline is probably not what the future will look like, but it’s there to dramatize some of the concepts.
It probably would have been stronger if it had been more like The Secret in execution, where there’s not a single fictional storyline – just short clips to dramatize the concepts, but no single cohesive story.
That way, the focus would have been much more on the interviews, which were the best part.
I think very few people have heard about the Singularity, and many of those who have doesn’t understand it. I realize the book sold well, but it’s not enough to read the book, you need to grasp the implications of the exponential growth.
So the world will not wake up until we are in the midst of the Singularity.
Why the World should “wake up” ?
Unless you want to say that is very interesting to “see” and anticipate the fast changing world ?
The world may never wake up to it. The singularity is what’s going to be in the future — when you’re in the middle of it, it’ll seem “normal.” In Stross’ novel Accelerando, he has four characters arguing about whether the singularity has happened, will happen, or is even possible. These four characters are uploaded posthumans in a virtual bar — and they still can’t agree on if the singularity is even possible.
I think very few people have heard about the Singularity, and many of those who have doesn’t understand it. I realize the book sold well, but it’s not enough to read the book, you need to grasp the implications of the exponential growth.
So the world will not wake up until we are in the midst of the Singularity.
Why the World should “wake up” ?
Unless you want to say that is very interesting to “see” and anticipate the fast changing world ?
The world may never wake up to it. The singularity is what’s going to be in the future — when you’re in the middle of it, it’ll seem “normal.” In Stross’ novel Accelerando, he has four characters arguing about whether the singularity has happened, will happen, or is even possible. These four characters are uploaded posthumans in a virtual bar — and they still can’t agree on if the singularity is even possible.
The biggest problem is that there is no way to get information about his documentaries. Last year, there was “Transcendent man” that was showed in multiple festivals and then vanished. I never could buy a DVD or download the movie anywhere. I really wanted to show it to my friends and my family but I just can’t get my hand on it.
I remember IGN made a pretty good review of “Transcendent man” when it was at Tribeca in 2009. http://movies.ign.com/articles/979/979104p1.html
It’s a good review. I do think it seems like a good documentary. Anyway, I can’t wait to be able to FINALLY watch and show some Singularity movies to my friends.
The biggest problem is that there is no way to get information about his documentaries. Last year, there was “Transcendent man” that was showed in multiple festivals and then vanished. I never could buy a DVD or download the movie anywhere. I really wanted to show it to my friends and my family but I just can’t get my hand on it.
I remember IGN made a pretty good review of “Transcendent man” when it was at Tribeca in 2009. http://movies.ign.com/articles/979/979104p1.html
It’s a good review. I do think it seems like a good documentary. Anyway, I can’t wait to be able to FINALLY watch and show some Singularity movies to my friends.