What if we have the trajectory of technological progress incorrect? Say, if instead of the rate of technological advance being exponential its actually sigmoidal (or something similar), which I think is possible. For example, in many chemical reactions the rate of reaction accelerates as the reaction happens due to more free energy. But then the acceleration slows due to the lack of available reactants. I think a similar thing could be afoot with technological advance, given that faster machines require more power, which will eventually deplete the available resources, or perhaps create so much waste heat, as to slow down the machines themselves. The most powerful processors today have a heat flux equitable to a nuclear reactor. A fast enough processor will melt itself. Maybe these machines will figure out how to minimize energy input and maximize energy extraction (from the Sun, for example) and cooling efficiency, but still, I don't think its a given that technological advance can accelerate forever. Nothing is infinite, nor can be. Maybe we're on the upslope of a sigmoidal curve and are extrapolating too far into the future based on a small sample size.
It is an interesting proposition. However, the main problem with that is that we know of too many alternative energy sources (e.g., solar, fusion) that could easily give us the energy capabilities necessary to continue acceleration for centuries or millennia or indefinitely. The capability of producing AI and merging with technologies that will enhance our own biology are only decades away (really they are already happening). Information technology, and technology more generally is very predictable. Also, we don't have a small sample size. Technology has existed for over 2 million years. Since its inception, the growth of it has been exponential. There is really no reason to expect that the growth is sigmoidal. Furthermore, I feel like the analogies with exponential growth in other evolutionary processes is relevant. Biological evolution itself seems to evolve exponentially. For 1.5 billion years of the 3.5 billion years life has been on Earth, it was single-celled. For the other half we have the explosion of diversity that we see today. The way I see it. What is going to happen in the 21st century is analogous to the transformation of life from single-celled to multi-celled. I think we are creating a globally interconnected brain (i.e., most likely via some future improved internet that is incorporated into our consciousness). We aren't just going to merge with technology and AI, we are also going to become an even more interconnected superorganism than we already are. Time, space, etc. will become irrelevant in every respect within our species. All of the technologies that will make this a reality are already in existence and are developing rapidly. For example: HUBSKI. I have met none of you, yet I feel a strong bond with many of you. We share ideas nearly instantaneously, collaborate creating better projects than we would have, if we could only rely on our immediate networks in physical reality (e.g., thenewgreen podcast and hopefully theadvancedapes podcast too!). This is happening everywhere, Hubski is but one small example. One of the best examples to date is Wikipedia.