I believe the merging Sam is referring to here is augmenting human intelligence with non-intelligent (but better) machines. Kurzweil talks about this as well, and was one of the original options in Vinge's "Singularity" (https://edoras.sdsu.edu/~vinge/misc/singularity.html)
> Unless we destroy ourselves first, superhuman AI is going to happen... Perhaps the AI will feel the same way [that intelligence is singular] and note that differences between us and bonobos are barely worth discussing.
He's referring to a superhuman artificial intelligence, not merely an augmented human intelligence.
He's referring to a superhuman artificial intelligence, not merely an augmented human intelligence.