Part 2/8:
At the heart of Kurzweil's vision is the concept known as the Singularity, a moment when artificial intelligence (AI) surpasses human intellect and begins to evolve independently. This isn’t just a futuristic theory; it’s an inevitability rooted in what Kurzweil refers to as the Law of Accelerating Returns, which suggests that technological advancement is not linear but exponential. The speed at which technology grows can be observed as it evolves from cumbersome computing machines of the past to the pocket-sized smartphones of today, capable of extraordinary functions.