This volume contains a selection of authoritative essays exploring the



central questions raised by the conjectured technological singularity.



In informed yet jargon-free contributions written by active research



scientists, philosophers and sociologists, it goes beyond philosophical



discussion to provide a detailed account of the risks that the singularity



poses to human society and, perhaps most usefully, the possible actions



that society and technologists can take to manage the journey to any



singularity in a way that ensures a positive rather than a negative



impact on society. The discussions provide perspectives that cover technological,



political and business issues. The aim is to bring clarity and rigor



to the debate in a way that will inform and stimulate both experts and



interested general readers.