The Age of Spiritual Machines

When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence

By: Ray Kurzweil

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Bold futurist Ray Kurzweil, author of The Singularity Is Near, offers a framework for envisioning the future of machine intelligence

Imagine a world where the difference between man and machine blurs, where the line between humanity and technology fades, and where the soul and the silicon chip unite. This is not science fiction. This is the twenty-first century according to Ray Kurzweil, the “restless genius” (The Wall Street Journal), “ultimate thinking machine” (Forbes), and inventor of the most innovative and compelling technology of our era. In his inspired hands, life in the new millennium no longer seems daunting. Instead, it promises to be an age in which the marriage of human sensitivity and artificial intelligence fundamentally alters and improves the way we live.

More than just a list of predictions, Kurzweil’s prophetic blueprint for the future guides us through the inexorable advances that will result in:
• Computers exceeding the memory capacity and computational ability of the human brain (with human-level capabilities not far behind)
• Relationships with automated personalities who will be our teachers, companions, and lovers
• Information fed straight into our brains along direct neural pathways

Eventually, the distinction between humans and computers will have become sufficiently blurred that when the machines claim to be conscious, we will believe them.

©Ray Kurzweil, 1998; ©1998 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“The Age of Spiritual Machines will blow your mind. Kurzweil lays out a scenario that might seem like science fiction if it weren’t coming from a proven entrepreneur.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Kurzweil offers a thought-provoking analysis of human and artificial intelligence and a unique look at a future in which the capabilities of the computer and the species that invented it grow ever closer.”—Bill Gates

“Tantalizing—sometimes terrifying. . . . a welcome challenge to beliefs we hold dear.”—Boston Globe

“Kurzweil’s broad outlook and fresh approach make his optimism hard to resist.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This is a book for computer enthusiasts, science fiction writers in search of cutting-edge themes and anyone who wonders where human technology is going next.”—The New York Times

Love this Audiobook

Sad to see the book end. Amazing book, amazing and well spoken reader for the audiobook version.

Outdated but still fascinating.

This is a good short read if you want to know where we are going.

interesting read but very short

I was definitely surprised when it ended abruptly.

The descriptions of neutral networks and evolutionarily algorithms were clear and educational.

Excellent work!

I absolutely love this book! A must read for anyone interested in understanding ourselves, quantum computing, the Future and all of mankind!

Off by a few decades, but prescient

First, super worthwhile read.
Kurzweil’s vision of the potential that technology presented in the late 90’s was astounding. His logical next steps led to things like smartphones and tablets almost precisely on time. His expectations of where things would had as technology improves seem to be spot on, albeit some years early. Advancements in AI, nanotech for bio engineering, and evolution of visual technologies and worlds (metaverse) are on the horizon.
Kurzweil is a techno optimist, and despite minor errors in the rate of tech advancement, the blind spot in his predictions feel like his non-accounting for people’s love of entertainment and the way things are. Oddly his predictions on sexual experience advancements will probably come far faster than the advancement in thinking around education and knowledge economics. The next 5 years will be very telling as AI starts to achieve its potential and broad consumer applications are advanced.
I’m eager to see more of the vision Ray sees.

Outdated, but a good read nonetheless.

Would you listen to The Age of Spiritual Machines again? Why?

Ray Kurzweil makes predictions that are interesting to listen to and compare to the present reality, so this could be entertaining to listen to in 20 years again.

Any additional comments?

For those in the field of artificial intelligence, this book does not really bring in much exciting until the last half hour. For those not in the field, I am not sure how intelligible this book is. Attempts to write in both a technical and a poetic way, and though it succeeds sometimes, he fails just as often. When this book came out, it would have been fantastic. If you want to learn about how people in the past think the future would be, just read "Neuromancer".

Personal Favorite

Would you consider the audio edition of The Age of Spiritual Machines to be better than the print version?

Both versions are amazing! Kurzweil hits the nail on the head.

What about Alan Sklar’s performance did you like?

He was awesome to listen to! I had to adapt, but once I listened to the audiobook, I was looking for similar titles with the same narrator.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I read it in 2015. I knew going into the material that Ray Kurzweil was making outlandish predictions with the utmost accuracy. While reading (about halfway through), I was really intrigued. His other titles are also very good. If you haven't had the opportunity, check out the title, "How to Create a Mind" By Ray Kurzweil.

Not the same as the book

The overall book is great, but the narrator left out the man and woman dialogue at each check-in along the time line. That was my favorite part of this book when I read it 19 years ago.

Interesting Theories

Would you listen to The Age of Spiritual Machines again? Why?

This is one book worth multiple listens due to the theories laid out by Ray Kurzweil. There are many barriers to achieving the path he foresees for the human race and the path may meander. However, I can see the potential and each of the steps provide a set of ethics to chew over.

A good read, could have been more technical

I enjoyed hearing his ideas, it was amusing hearing his predictions now that we have reached them. No, we still don't have flying cars, but quite a lot of other things were spot-on.
I had hoped it would have been a little more technical, discussing algorithms and neural networks etc, but it was a good listen none the less.