Reading machine went from $20,000 to free app
Kurzweil's print-to-speech reading machine for the blind originally cost $20,000 as a large device and is now available as a free smartphone app.
Snapshot · Moonshots with Peter Diamandis
Why AGI Is Close but Not Here Yet | Ray Kurzweil | EP #261
Explore episode
Jun 3, 2026
Where this was said
What Kurzweil Is Most Proud Of: The Reading Machine for the Blind
At 1:21:54 · chapter starts 1:21:50
The final audience question asks Kurzweil how he measures his life. He answers: the reading machine for the blind — now a free app that was once a $20,000 device — because it exemplifies giving people capabilities they never had.
Wars in Ukraine Have Been Transformed by AI Decision-Making
Kurzweil noted that the wars in Ukraine have changed dramatically over the last few years because of AI integration. AI is already embedded in real-world decision-making at the highest stakes — not a future scenario.
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