Transcendence

They say there's power in Boston.

Some phone service in Denver.

But things are far from what they were.

Maybe it was all inevitable.

An unavoidable collision between mankind and technology.

The Internet was meant to make the world a smaller place.

But it actually feels smaller without it.

I knew Will and Evelyn Caster better than anyone.

I knew their brilliance.

Their dedication to what they believed in.

And to what they loved.

The time has come for us to pause

And think of living as it was

Into the future we must cross Must cross

I'm not sure what the point is.

Copper shields the electromagnetic radiation.

Yeah, I know how it works. I'm asking "Why?"

Sanctuary.

Nothing gets through. No signals of any kind.

- You see? Dead zone. Nothing. - Uh-huh.

Sure, but you could just turn it off.

Yeah, but fewer distractions is what you wanted, right? Isn't it?

Yeah. That's what I wanted.

- Come on. We'll be late. - For what?

- Hey, you know what? - What?

I really think I'm starting to make progress on this.

Hey. You need to get dressed.

I don't know why you bother with these proofs.

Only three people in the world even care.

Because it's fun.

- You sure you're up for this? - No. Not remotely.

Really? Will, it's important.

I know, but your donors are fools.

They sit there in a daze, waiting for me to say "commercial application."

It kills me.

Well, the "fools" there today could fund us for the next five years.

- In that case I have every reason to behave. - Yes.

But if this goes well, promise me that I'll never have to do this ever again.

- Never. Promise. - Okay, I promise.

- Really? - Sure, I promise.

Ha, ha. You're lying.

Happy birthday, dear Erin

Happy birthday to you

Jason. Other side of the stage.

You'll do a camera and sound check together.

You'll do the first block, followed by McRae, Llewellyn.

- And, ah, then the main event. - Max.

- Ev, how are you? - Good.

- Ready to sing for your supper? - I'm sorry to put you through it.

Dr. Caster? Sorry. Would you mind?

Sure thing.

Thanks.

You have groupies? Why don't I get groupies?

Dr. Waters, would you like a run-through?

- Yes. I'll see you backstage. - All right.

Important distinction.

This created brain is self-sustaining.

And it's capable of emotional expressivity...

...and of self-awareness.

The effort to develop a strong artificial intelligence...

...has led to significant advancements in the field of neural engineering...

...as well as our understanding of the human brain.

But while some focus on the still-distant dream of a thinking computer...

...I believe the journey...

...to be more important than the destination.

My priority is to use my colleagues' accidental insights...

...to develop new methods for the early detection of cancer...

...and in the hopes of finding a cure for Alzheimer's.

Simply put, to save lives.

"A new type of thinking is essential...

...if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels."

Albert Einstein said that more than 50 years ago.

And it couldn't be more relevant than it is today.

Intelligent machines will soon allow us...

...to conquer our most intractable challenges.

Not merely to cure disease, but to end poverty and hunger.

To heal the planet.

And build a better future for all of us.

I don't know anybody who is doing more to make that future a reality...

...than our next speaker. But then again, I'm probably biased.

Please welcome my partner in science and in life...

...Dr. Will Caster.

Thank you very much.

My wife has always been eager to change the world.

But I'll just settle for understanding it first.

For 130,000 years...

...our capacity for reason has remained unchanged.

The combined intellect of the neuroscientists, engineers, mathematicians and...

...hackers...

...in this auditorium...

...pales in comparison to even the most basic AI.

Once online, a sentient machine will quickly overcome the limits of biology.

And in a short time, its analytical power will be greater...

...than the collective intelligence...

...of every person born in the history of the world.

So now imagine such an entity...

...with a full range of human emotion. Even self-awareness.

Some scientists refer to this as "the Singularity."

I call it "Transcendence."

The path to building such a super-intelligence...

...requires us to unlock the most fundamental secrets of the universe.

What is the nature of consciousness?

Is there a soul?

And if so, where does it reside?

Dr. Caster?

Yes, sir? You have a question?

So you want to create a god?

Your own god?

That's a very good question.

Um...

Isn't that what man has always done?

Oh, it's relentless.

Look, and now he's pretending he's not enjoying it.

Yap, yap, yap.

Pleasure.

Thank you.

Professor?

You're all slaves!

Hours ago, this facility was attacked.

We can now confirm at least five people are dead, 12 people have been injured.

This incident is related to a series of simultaneous attacks...

...that took place today in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C...

...all of them targeting major computer and research labs...

...in the field of advanced artificial intelligence.

No one has claimed responsibility...

No, he's all right. He was very lucky. The bullet only grazed him.

Yup. Okay. Take care.

They hit AI labs all over the country.

Tom Casey's dead.

And they took out Joseph's entire team at Livermore.

What about Joseph?

He's all right.

Actually, he's at your office with the FBI.

Joseph.

Max.

My God, Will.

You forgot to teach us how to dodge a bullet, didn't you?

How did they even get inside your lab?

One of my programmers.

All that security, and he waltzes in with a poisoned cake.

Dioxin, we think.

Oh. This is Agent Buchanan with the FBI.

Hey.

How do you do?

I've been following your research, Dr. Caster.

Agent Buchanan is a close partner in my cyber-defense work at Livermore.

Um, is there somewhere we can all talk?

- Could go to my office. Just down here. - Great.

Revolutionary Independence From Technology. RIFT.

Till 2 years ago, it was all about the disconnect.

People texting instead of talking to each other.

Social media as an invasion of privacy.

They made a big deal of putting smartphones in blenders.

- But I'm afraid we all missed the real threat. - Yeah.

This guy, Joel Edmund, was with me for a year.

The guy who shot Will was working on campus since August.

They infiltrated their targets and then coordinated their attacks.

That's insane.

An hour ago they claimed the murders and released their manifesto.

"Artificial intelligence is an unnatural abomination and a threat to humanity."

They're determined to stop any attempt at what you call "Transcendence."

So this isn't over?

Actually, that's why I'm here.

We lost decades of research and development today.

For right now, Will, your lab is the only one that can wake up a strong AI.

- So the Defense Department is asking... - No, no, no.

I'm not letting the government in.

We've never taken their money. No.

Will, they just want to know if the work is on track.

It's important to all of us.

We've heard a lot about the PINN Project, Dr. Caster.

Is there any way we could have a look?

Do I have a choice?

Yes, of course you do.

So these are state-of-the-art quantum processors.

You won't find faster computational power anywhere else in the world.

Good evening, Dr. Tagger.

It's seen old faculty pictures of you.

Good evening, Donald Buchanan.

- It knows me? - Of course it does.

DMV records, social media.

PINN, tell Agent Buchanan about yourself.

I am PINN...

...a Physically Independent Neural Network...

...invented by Dr. Will Caster.

Can you prove that you are self-aware?

That's a difficult question, Dr. Tagger.

Can you prove that you are?

You can't program a machine to be self-aware.

We have no idea how our own consciousness works.

That is your opinion. You just happen to be wrong.

Evidently, Casey managed to solve that dilemma.

He sent us his research just before he was killed.

Soon as it's packed up, we'll send it over.

I think you'll find that we'll be helpful partners.

You all right, Will?

- No, he needs rest. I think we're done here. - MM.

- I'm so sorry. - No, that's fine.

Okay.

Will, hey, hey.