Part 13/15:
The Discourse on the Singularity: Gradual or Sudden?
The concluding segment debates whether the AI singularity—a point of irreversible transformation—will be abrupt or gradual. Goertzel and Bloom agree that while the event might seem sudden from a distant perspective, it is more accurately viewed as a punctuated, evolutionary process—similar to phase transitions in physical systems or biological evolution.
Howard Bloom points out that humans tend to view changes as discontinuities, but history suggests otherwise. Technologies like writing or the internet are cumulative steps rather than abrupt ruptures, and AGI development may follow this pattern as well.