Ex-Google engineer says humans will achieve immortality in 7 years; here's how netizens reacted

A former Google engineer and prominent futurist, Ray Kurzweil, has made a bold prediction that humans will achieve immortality in the next seven years, thanks to the help of nanorobots. Kurzweil, who has received numerous awards for his contributions to technology, believes that with the current advancements and expansions seen in genetics, robotics, and nanotechnology, “we’ll soon have nanobots running through our veins.” He claims that these microscopic robots will fend off aging and illness and repair our bodies on a cellular level, ultimately leading to everlasting life.

Kurzweil’s comments resurfaced online in a two-part YouTube series by tech vlogger Adagio. In his 2005 book, ‘The Singularity Is Near,’ Kurzweil had predicted that technology would allow humans to achieve everlasting life by 2030. He had also stated that nanorobots would be able to run through our veins in the near future, and his recent prediction only reinforces his previous claims.

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The 75-year-old computer scientist is a public advocate for the futurist and transhumanist movements and has written books on various topics such as health, artificial intelligence (AI), and futurism. He has a track record of making accurate predictions, including consumers’ ability to design their own clothes with precise measurements and style requirements from their home computers by 1999 and the world’s best chess player losing to a computer by 2000.

Kurzweil also believes that by 2045, humans will merge with the artificial intelligence we have created, multiplying our effective intelligence by a billion-fold. This phenomenon is call ‘The Singularity’. He is confident that AI will achieve human levels of intelligence by passing a valid Turing test by 2029.

While many would want to believe the former Google employee, there’s healthy scepticism among people across the globe. Here’s how some people reacted to the predictions:  

We’re in 2023. There are still so many diseases that don’t have cures. They can barely prevent hair loss. But I’m supposed to believe they’re going to make us immortal? 😂

— choc (@choc) March 29, 2023

It’s no way you can make some one immortal, you’d have to be able to survive anything . Like a fall from the highest mountain to be deemed truly immortal. Not just live for an extra 100 years. But that would be nice

— Fresh Carter (@RealLaFresh) March 30, 2023

Immortality in this sense doesn’t mean your body will live forever…. But they will store your personality somewhere.

— A.G.B (@D_Gen_R8_) March 29, 2023

Who in their right mind would want to stay here forever????

Personally I can’t wait to shuffle off this plane of existence for the next adventure because it’s not great here!

— Hannah Carter (@HannahC68959767) March 29, 2023