Will machines take control

Ray Kurzweil is well aware that the concept of a technological singularity (the idea of the emergence of a superintelligent technology that will take control) doesn't fit well into the average person's world view. So in his book, The Singularity Is Near, he presents an elaborate and careful argument in favor of his thesis that some sort of technological singularity is going to occur around the middle of this century. He's drawn a lot of exponential curves showing the rate of advance of various aspects of science and technology, reaching toward infinity in 2040-50. His Singularitarian vision is relentlessly positive, involving humans becoming integrated with various technologies - enhancing our brains and bodies, living as long as we want to, and fusing and networking with powerful artificially intelligent minds.