Talk:Singularity Group
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On 8 September 2022, it was proposed that this article be moved from Singularity University to Singularity Group. The result of the discussion was moved. |
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Could someone please update the Singularity University logo to the most current version?
editFull disclosure, I'm staff.
Correct logo can be found here (links to file in website). Thanks!
[done]
How does Singularity University plan
editTo harness the power of the open web in order to further its mission (to assemble, educate and inspire a cadre of leaders who strive to understand and facilitate the development of exponentially advancing technologies and apply, focus and guide these tools to address humanity’s grand challenges)?
Here are a few ideas:
- Start a
MediaWikiMindTouch Deki that the millions of talented individuals who share the SU goals and vision but may not have the time or resources to attend in person can use to network, learn and advance key technologies. This wiki can also serve as an interface between the core SU activities and outreach programs.
- Create a new graphical, general purpose communication and computation system designed to replace written natural language with a regular, unambiguous, flexible and computationally useful technology.
Admittedly, the second idea is a bit more ambitious. I do think, however, that natural language is one of key fundamentally inadequate obsolete technologies that is preventing us from reaching goals like those of SU.
How is SU different from Space Tourism?
editSpace tourism is an enterprise in which rich individuals pay exorbitant sums to take a civilian ride on a space ship. Singularity University costs so much that it seems somehow akin to space tourism. Notice that the first forty students are heavily subsidized. As the poet said, "Something is rotten in Denmark." 67.150.9.179 (talk) 04:24, 4 August 2009 (UTC) Mentifex
- For one, that has nothing to do with changing the article, and two, it's nothing like space tourism. However, I'm not about to debate that. (talk) 15 August 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.199.115.195 (talk)
Does Singularity University belong in Wikipedia's University category?
editIt's not actually a university, that's just its name. If I called my figure skating classes skating university, would they go in the University category? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.229.20.206 (talk) 21:23, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
- I'm in total agreement. Removing from "university" category. Westeros1994 (talk) 21:55, 27 June 2011 (UTC)
Why not neutral?
editI cant seem to find what is biased inside the article, there is more to write about likes its origins, motives, objectives, etc but what is written now is mostly data, like the people in it and the subjects they work about. Also, most data is cited, so the need for more references in my opinion is a bit overreacting. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.236.186.186 (talk) 01:00, 18 July 2011 (UTC)
Proposed new section
editIt might be worth adding a mention to this.
- Singularity University is the subject of the 2016 documentary The University, [1] directed by Matt Rutherford and featuring Stephen Hawking, Buzz Aldrin, Shimon Peres, Ashton Kutcher, Will.i.Am, and Michio Kaku. The University charts the birth of Singularity University and was funded via IndieGogo with $98,084, 327% of its original goal.[2]
Thoughts? Omnipodin (talk) 09:16, 17 September 2016 (UTC)
- Needs RS coverage. SingularityHub is hardly independent of the subject, after all - David Gerard (talk) 11:01, 17 September 2016 (UTC)
- What is "RS coverage"? Inkwzitv (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:14, 2 January 2020 (UTC)
- WP:RS
- I believe the concern is more Wikipedia:Identifying and using independent sources to avoid using the article as a soapbox. --Ronz (talk) 01:19, 2 January 2020 (UTC)
- What is "RS coverage"? Inkwzitv (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:14, 2 January 2020 (UTC)
References
- ^ The University Film
- ^ Crowdfunding Begins for Documentary Film Charting the Birth of Singularity University. SingularityHub, September 2, 2014.
Controversy in lead
editThis edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Hi there, my name is Valeria. I'd like to request that the following sentences be removed from the lead. Singularity Group is no longer called "Singularity University", and therefore the first sentence is not relevant, while the second sentence does not appear to adhere to WP:NPOV, specifically WP:UNDUE:
"Although it deploys the word "university" in its branding, the company is not an accredited university and does not provide traditional university qualifications. The company has also been mired in controversy since its founding, facing allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination."
Thanks for your help! Valeria at SG (talk) 17:56, 9 June 2022 (UTC)
- Welcome. You've not provided any references to support your changes. That's almost always the first step. Please familiarize yourself with the relevant content policies. I've left you a detailed introduction on your talk page. --Hipal (talk) 15:45, 10 June 2022 (UTC)
- As mentioned by Hipal, the edit request must follow some rules. To be precise, WP:EDITREQ can be referred to. I am closing the request. Valeria at SG, you can raise another request following the edit request guideline. Chirota (talk) 16:34, 10 June 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, Chirota, thank you for the above advice. I wrongly assumed that since the lead calls the company "Singularity Education Group", sources would not be needed. I've opened a new, more detailed request below. Valeria at SG (talk) 16:59, 13 June 2022 (UTC)
Lead Request
editThis edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest was declined. |
Hello, Valeria here.
I'd like to request the removal of the following sentences from the lead: "Although it deploys the word "university" in its branding, the company is not an accredited university and does not provide traditional university qualifications. The company has also been mired in controversy since its founding, facing allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination."
Singularity Group is no longer called "Singularity University", nor does it use the term in its branding, but instead partners with the International University of Applied Sciences, according to the company's own website: https://www.su.org/about. The first sentence, therefore, no longer applies. The second sentence does not appear to adhere to WP:NPOV, specifically WP:UNDUE, with language such as "mired in controversy". The controversial events in the company's history are covered in the article below in a neutral, factual tone, which seems more appropriate for an encyclopedia.
Thanks for your help with this, Valeria at SG (talk) 17:01, 13 June 2022 (UTC)
- You didn't indicate any references, other than their own website. References for the current content should be examined and compared to any new references, to determine what should and should be included, and how much weight given each. Using their own website as a reference is problematic in itself, and rarely trumps any other references. --Hipal (talk) 17:03, 14 June 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal thanks for getting back to me! I realize that in most cases a company's website is not considered a valid reference, but in this case the sentence is referring to the company's branding- "deploys the word university in its branding"- so the company's branding material would likely be the most relevant and accurate source to negate this. I would also suggest that WP:ABOUTSELF applies here. The sentence in question does not currently cite a reference, so the proffered source was not meant to replace an existing one, but simply to demonstrate that the current statement is inaccurate. Looking forward to your thoughts, Valeria at SG (talk) 15:11, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
It's looking like it comes from your own statments, all former or current references:
- https://web.archive.org/web/20090203214522/https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8b162dfc-f168-11dd-8790-0000779fd2ac.html
- https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Unique-university-coming-to-Bay-Area-this-year-3252362.php
- https://www.chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3592/founder-of-singularity-university-talks-about-his-unusual-new-institution
- https://web.archive.org/web/20090905030450/http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090829/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_singularity_university
I'll dig further when I have time --Hipal (talk) 16:37, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
What we need are references that give in-depth analysis, not these warmed-over press releases/announcements. --Hipal (talk) 16:43, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
- Hi Hipal,
- Yes, the company used to be called Singularity University, but has since changed its name. The source I linked to above states this, and according to WP:ABOUTSELF the company's website should be an excellent source for Wikipedia to establish the name change. The sources you brought up here are from before the name change, so the sentence in question may have been accurate at one point, but no longer is. Hope this clarifies things. Thanks again, Valeria at SG (talk) 15:36, 21 June 2022 (UTC)
- If most of the best references refer to it by the old name, then we'll need to make the old name clear. --Hipal (talk) 16:02, 21 June 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, OK, what would be the best way to do that? To add a clarifying sentence to the article establishing the name change?
- For example changing the existing sentence in the lead to read: "It was founded in 2008 as Singularity University by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil at the NASA Research Park in California, United States[1] and renamed Singularity Group in 2021."? Valeria at SG (talk) 18:22, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
- Which references refer to it as something other than Singularity University? --Hipal (talk) 23:21, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, none of the old references refer to it as Singularity Group.
- Let's look at this another way. I still believe the controversy sentence reads more like commentary than a neutral summary of the article, but setting that aside for now, perhaps the following would be a better compromise? I've rearranged the structure slightly, removed non-neutral language such as "Although", and added notable initial investors as follows:
- Singularity Education Group (using the public names Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive educational programs, a business incubator, and innovation consultancy service.[2][3]
- It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil at the NASA Research Park in California, United States,[4] and was originally sponsored by Google, Nokia and Autodesk, among others.[5][6][7]
Although it deploys the word "university" in its branding,The company is not an accredited university and does not provide traditional university qualifications.
- It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil at the NASA Research Park in California, United States,[4] and was originally sponsored by Google, Nokia and Autodesk, among others.[5][6][7]
The company has been mired in controversy since its founding, facingThe company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding.[8]
References
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Kulkarni, Nitish (30 September 2015). "Singularity University Launches Accelerator To Seize Academia's Innovation Monopoly". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ John Hagel III and John Seely Brown (2013-09-26). "When the professor works at Google". Fortune.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Vance, Ashlee (June 12, 2010). "Merely Human? That's So Yesterday". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Nokia Supports Singularity University as Fifth Corporate Founder". Nokia Research Center. November 10, 2010. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013.
- ^ "Autodesk Increases Support for Singularity University to Corporate Founder Level". MOFFETT FIELD, Calif.: Autodesk. February 12, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Alt URL Archived 2015-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McBride, Sarah (2019-11-12). "Silicon Valley's Singularity University Is Cutting Staff, CEO Exits". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
Looking forward to your thoughts, Valeria at SG (talk) 20:41, 6 July 2022 (UTC)
- The "mired in controversy" summarizes multiple references, correct? --Hipal (talk) 20:29, 7 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, not exactly. It summarizes a Bloomberg article by Sarah McBride, who is the only journalist to have covered these controversies (some of which are alleged) to date. My proposed language doesn't eliminate the allegations or the source from the lead (though perhaps someone should take a deeper look at that as well), but simply removes the non-neutral, non-encyclopedic summarization "mired in" for balance and accuracy. Appreciate your time on this. Valeria at SG (talk) 14:03, 11 July 2022 (UTC)
- Investigative journalism. Do we have anything else remotely close to the quality and depth of coverage? --Hipal (talk) 22:05, 11 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, not exactly. It summarizes a Bloomberg article by Sarah McBride, who is the only journalist to have covered these controversies (some of which are alleged) to date. My proposed language doesn't eliminate the allegations or the source from the lead (though perhaps someone should take a deeper look at that as well), but simply removes the non-neutral, non-encyclopedic summarization "mired in" for balance and accuracy. Appreciate your time on this. Valeria at SG (talk) 14:03, 11 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, I'm not sure what you mean. Why would another source be needed in order to fix the non-neutral language here? Valeria at SG (talk) 15:22, 12 July 2022 (UTC)
- If it is the best reference we have, then downplaying it would be a clear POV violation. If there are other references of similar or better quality, then we need to make sure they are given comparable treatment, and any differences in POV from them would need to be addressed. --Hipal (talk) 16:23, 12 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, I'm not sure what you mean. Why would another source be needed in order to fix the non-neutral language here? Valeria at SG (talk) 15:22, 12 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, ah, I see. How about these:
- https://fortune.com/2013/09/16/when-the-professor-works-at-google/,
- That's currently the second reference. It's not independent, rather public relations for SU. --Hipal (talk) 16:35, 14 July 2022 (UTC)
- https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/business/13sing.html?pagewanted=all,
- That's currently the fifth reference. Mostly about Technological singularity, with considerable discussion of Ray Kurzweil, as well as discussion of the recent SU 9-day course. I don't see any real analysis of SU. What significant POV(s) do you think it provides? --Hipal (talk) 16:25, 14 July 2022 (UTC)
- https://www.wired.com/2012/08/singularity-university-upgrade/
- Currently the twelfth reference. Documents SUs plans to change their focus and offerings. Again, no analysis of SU. What significant POV(s) do you think it provides? --Hipal (talk) 16:17, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
- https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2015/03/13/la-singularity-university-nouvel-ovni-de-la-silicon-valley_4593042_3234.html?xtref=https://www.google.com/?
- Thanks, Valeria at SG (talk) 12:13, 14 July 2022 (UTC)
- Thank you.
- I feel like I'm wasting my time when you offer the Fortune piece, which is a public relations piece. --Hipal (talk) 16:37, 14 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, I'd really like to keep the discussion focused on the non-neutral language itself; as far as I understand it, Wikipedia is supposed to summarize events as they occurred, not offer loaded commentary (as per MOS:LABEL). I appreciate that we have reached an impasse in this regard. Thank you again. Valeria at SG (talk) 12:33, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
- We don't appear to agree on what neutral means. --Hipal (talk) 16:11, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
- Hipal, I'd really like to keep the discussion focused on the non-neutral language itself; as far as I understand it, Wikipedia is supposed to summarize events as they occurred, not offer loaded commentary (as per MOS:LABEL). I appreciate that we have reached an impasse in this regard. Thank you again. Valeria at SG (talk) 12:33, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
The current language is good NPOV article content, give or take a few words' tweak or clarification. SPECIFICO talk 16:39, 18 July 2022 (UTC)
- Not done: This doesn't seem like it's going anywhere. Denied for god's sake. Quetstar (talk) 02:20, 20 July 2022 (UTC)
Break for clarity
editSPECIFICO, thanks for taking a look at this. You mentioned a few tweaks, and I wonder if you saw my last suggestion above, which included the removal of leading words such as "although" and "mired in" (according to MOS:LABEL), and the inclusion of notable initial investors as follows:
- Singularity Education Group (using the public names Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive educational programs, a business incubator, and innovation consultancy service.[1][2]
- It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil at the NASA Research Park in California, United States,[3] and was originally sponsored by Google, Nokia and Autodesk, among others.[4][5][6]
Although it deploys the word "university" in its branding,The company is not an accredited university and does not provide traditional university qualifications.
- It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil at the NASA Research Park in California, United States,[3] and was originally sponsored by Google, Nokia and Autodesk, among others.[4][5][6]
The company has been mired in controversy since its founding, facingThe company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding.[7]
References
- ^ Kulkarni, Nitish (30 September 2015). "Singularity University Launches Accelerator To Seize Academia's Innovation Monopoly". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ John Hagel III and John Seely Brown (2013-09-26). "When the professor works at Google". Fortune.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Vance, Ashlee (June 12, 2010). "Merely Human? That's So Yesterday". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Nokia Supports Singularity University as Fifth Corporate Founder". Nokia Research Center. November 10, 2010. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013.
- ^ "Autodesk Increases Support for Singularity University to Corporate Founder Level". MOFFETT FIELD, Calif.: Autodesk. February 12, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Alt URL Archived 2015-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McBride, Sarah (2019-11-12). "Silicon Valley's Singularity University Is Cutting Staff, CEO Exits". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
Is this what you had in mind? If not, would love to hear your suggestions. Thanks again. Valeria at SG (talk) 14:01, 28 July 2022 (UTC)
- My edit, (didn't mark changes, but it should be easy to follow). Thanks for the ping.
Singularity Education Group (also called Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive training programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services.
It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil. Its initial corporate sponsors included Google, Nokia and Autodesk. Although the company uses the word "university" in its branding, it is not an accredited university and has no academic programs or accreditation..
The company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding.
- I think that the article should state the company's statement of its core mission at the beginning of the second sentence/paragraph. Do you have such text that could go in a single sentence there, before "it was founded...."?
SPECIFICO talk 14:37, 28 July 2022 (UTC)
- SPECIFICO, thanks for this! My apologies for the delay, I've been away. Your version of the lead looks fine to me, please do update it in the main article. As for a mission statement, does this work: Our mission is to positively impact a billion people by working with entrepreneurial leaders to create or change companies and communities.[1]? I thought this might be considered promotional and therefore didn't propose it initially. Will leave it to you neutral parties to decide.
- I think that mission statement is too general and self-promoting. It could be the mission statement of a fast food company or a pharmaceutical company. I will copy the other text. SPECIFICO talk 12:49, 4 August 2022 (UTC)
- SPECIFICO, thanks for this! My apologies for the delay, I've been away. Your version of the lead looks fine to me, please do update it in the main article. As for a mission statement, does this work: Our mission is to positively impact a billion people by working with entrepreneurial leaders to create or change companies and communities.[1]? I thought this might be considered promotional and therefore didn't propose it initially. Will leave it to you neutral parties to decide.
- SPECIFICO, thanks for this! I'm not sure what would be most suitable, but this is a longer company descriptor- perhaps something from here would be more appropriate?
Singularity Group is a global impact organization that looks into the future to help leaders better understand how exponential technology will shape businesses and societies in the years ahead. Through a deeper understanding of the accelerated pace of change and the role that technology plays in it, these leaders create tremendous positive impact that improves the wellbeing of people and the health of the plane.
- Or this, from the company's website, maybe with the language toned down-
...commitment to helping individuals and organizations better understand and apply technology to solve grand challenges and build a better future.
- Also, the last bit of my message may have been lost due to my formatting. I've added another small edit request below with some suggested tweaks and additions to the History section. If you have a moment to look at those as well, I'd love your feedback. Thanks again, Valeria at SG (talk) 19:11, 4 August 2022 (UTC)
References
- ^ "singularity university launches new enterprise to create positive impact for a billion people". www.su.org. June 9, 2021.
- Also, I recently put up a new edit request below with some small changes and additions to the article. Would be grateful if you could take a look at that as well.
- Thanks again for your help! Valeria at SG (talk) 12:20, 4 August 2022 (UTC)
- I don't think that's suitable content for an encyclopedia. It's way too promotional verging on parody. The content you suggest below seems like trivia. Further improvements would need to be sourced to third parties that convey the significance of the content to parties not affiliated with the organization. SPECIFICO talk 20:03, 4 August 2022 (UTC)
- SPECIFICO, thanks for taking a look at these. I'm not sure how a mission statement could be anything but promotional- do you have examples from other articles that might give me better context? If not, I'm fine to leave the lead without a mission statement.
- I also just noticed that the spacing and order of statements in the current lead are not exactly the same as the one you proposed, would you be able to fix that?
- As for the request below, I believe all of the proposed additions are backed by third-party sources, but they may be lost in the ref box since I copied the existing section from the article as well. The proposed sources are refs 1-5, which include Insider, GeekWire, Ted.com, an Asian news site, and the LA Times. The changes are minor, but I believe improve both structure and clarity for the reader. I've made sure to avoid any promotional language or information in the proposed text. Thanks again for your time on this! Valeria at SG (talk) 12:16, 5 August 2022 (UTC)
- Here is a mission statement:
That's the mission statement of the Shoah Foundation. Do you think that one is promotional? Not really, right?Our mission is to develop empathy, understanding, and respect through testimony.
- Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and Singularity Group has yet to make much of a mark in or on the world. I doubt the article can be significantly improved along the lines you would like to see. Any reader who is interested can go to your website and engage there. SPECIFICO talk 12:36, 5 August 2022 (UTC)
- Here is a mission statement:
- As for the request below, I believe all of the proposed additions are backed by third-party sources, but they may be lost in the ref box since I copied the existing section from the article as well. The proposed sources are refs 1-5, which include Insider, GeekWire, Ted.com, an Asian news site, and the LA Times. The changes are minor, but I believe improve both structure and clarity for the reader. I've made sure to avoid any promotional language or information in the proposed text. Thanks again for your time on this! Valeria at SG (talk) 12:16, 5 August 2022 (UTC)
- SPECIFICO, that's fine, thank you for your help. Much appreciated. Can I just ask that you complete the edit to the lead to reflect the version you suggested above:
Singularity Education Group (also called Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive training programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services.
It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil. Its initial corporate sponsors included Google, Nokia and Autodesk. Although the company uses the word "university" in its branding, it is not an accredited university and has no academic programs or accreditation..
The company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding.
- Thanks again for your time, Valeria at SG (talk) 12:10, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
- Hello. I am OK with the current version. Of course, other editors may be willing and able to work further on this. SPECIFICO talk 13:03, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
- Are the changes to the first sentence emphasizing it's notability, or confusing it by being a soapbox focusing on recent events? --Hipal (talk) 19:40, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
- Hello. I am OK with the current version. Of course, other editors may be willing and able to work further on this. SPECIFICO talk 13:03, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
- Thanks again for your time, Valeria at SG (talk) 12:10, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
Suggestions for History section
editThis edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Hi there, I'd like to propose a few additions and tweaks to the History section as follows:
- Remove the subsections/timeline
- Add the following at the end of the first paragraph: In 2009, Ray Kurzweil announced the founding of Singularity University as part of a TED Talk.[1]
- Add: In 2016, startup X2AI partnered with Singularity University and the Field Innovation Team to pilot a psychotherapy bot treatment for refugees.[2]
- Add re Series B funding: ...and supported by Boeing, Silicon Valley Bank, TAL Education Group, Mukita and PeopleFund. WestRiver Group’s founder and CEO Erik Anderson was named chairman of Singularity University as part of the announcement as well.[3]
- Add: In 2020, Steve Leonard was appointed CEO of Singularity University.[4]
- Add to the Controversies section: According to Diamandis, attendees were tested at least five times during the conference, doctors were on-site, and intravenous vitamins and therapies that claim to boost immunity were provided. “I thought creating a COVID ‘immunity bubble’ for a small group in a TV studio setting was possible,” Diamandis, later wrote in a blog post. “I was wrong."[5]
The removal of the subsections and could look something like this, with my proposed additions in yellow:
History
Singularity was founded as a non-profit and initially offered an annual 10-week summer program called the Graduate Studies Program (GSP), it was aimed at individuals wanting to understand how they could use technology to tackle global challenges. Its original Corporate founding partners and sponsors included Google,[6] Nokia,[7] Autodesk,[8] IDEO,[citation needed] LinkedIn,[citation needed] ePlanet Capital,[9] the X Prize Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation and Genentech.[10] Google subsequently ended its grant of $1.5 million annually.[11] In 2009, Ray Kurzweil announced the founding of Singularity University as part of a TED Talk.[12] The company announced a number of Associate Founders[13] including Moses Znaimer, Barney Pell, Sonia Arrison Senkut, David S. Rose, Keith and Mariela Kleiner, Klee Irwin, Dan Stoicescu, Reese Jones, Peter L. Bloom, Geoffrey Shmigelsky, Georges Harik and Rob Nail. Rob Nail was appointed CEO in 2011.
In 2012, Singularity University began the process for conversion to a for-profit benefit corporation.[14] In 2013, the new for-profit corporation incorporated as "Singularity Education Group" and acquired the descriptive "Singularity University" as its trade name.[15]
In 2016, startup X2AI partnered with Singularity University and the Field Innovation Team to pilot a psychotherapy bot treatment for refugees.[16] In 2018, faculty leaders noted that the company was focused only on profit; "it's lost its soul...It’s become a moneymaking corporation."[17] Also that year, Singularity Education Group announced a Series B funding round led by WestRiver Group and Boeing worth $32 million[18], and supported by Boeing, Silicon Valley Bank, TAL Education Group, Mukita and PeopleFund. WestRiver Group’s founder and CEO Erik Anderson was named chairman of Singularity University as part of the announcement as well.[19]
In 2019, Singularity acquired Futurism News[20] and the Uncommon Partners innovation consultancy.[21] SingularityThe company also moved its headquarters from the NASA Research Park at NASA Ames to Santa Clara,[22] and Singularity added new Country Partner franchises in Brazil[23] and Australia.[24] In 2020, Steve Leonard was appointed CEO of Singularity University,[25] and in 2021, Futurism was sold to Recurrent Ventures.[26]
References
- ^ "A university for the coming singularity". www.ted.com.
- ^ "People in refugee camps are starting to see a bot for therapy". Insider. March 23, 2016.
- ^ "Boeing helps lead new $32M investment in Singularity University, explores deeper partnership". GeekWire. February 15, 2018.
- ^ "Founding CEO of SGInnovate to Lead Singularity University". www.finews.asia. February 5, 2020.
- ^ "Why a California scientist hosted superspreader event amid a deadly COVID-19 surge". LA Times. February 17, 2021.
- ^ Vance, Ashlee (June 12, 2010). "Merely Human? That's So Yesterday". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Nokia Supports Singularity University as Fifth Corporate Founder". Nokia Research Center. November 10, 2010. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013.
- ^ "Autodesk Increases Support for Singularity University to Corporate Founder Level". MOFFETT FIELD, Calif.: Autodesk. February 12, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Alt URL Archived 2015-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Asad Jamal". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012.
- ^ Leuty, Ron (February 6, 2012). "Genentech, Singularity University ink deal". San Francisco Business Journal. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- ^ McBride, Sarah (2018-02-15). "Silicon Valley's Singularity University Has Some Serious Reality Problems". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ "A university for the coming singularity". www.ted.com.
- ^ "Singularity University Founders". singularityu.org. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
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- ^ "People in refugee camps are starting to see a bot for therapy". Insider. March 23, 2016.
- ^ "Silicon Valley's Singularity University Is Close to Flunking Out". Bloomberg.com. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- ^ High, Peter. "Singularity University Raises Venture Capital From Boeing And WestRiver Group". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- ^ "Boeing helps lead new $32M investment in Singularity University, explores deeper partnership". GeekWire. February 15, 2018.
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The addition to the Controversy section would likely be most appropriate following the existing text.
Looking forward to your thoughts, Valeria at SG (talk) 14:04, 28 July 2022 (UTC)
- @Valeria at SG: That looks much cleaner than the current section. Here are my specific suggestions for improving your proposed replacement section above:
- Specify the date of founding
- Mention that Google's 1.5 million in annual funding ended after 5 years
- Italicize "Futurism News" and "Futurism"
- I hope you find these suggestions helpful. — The Transhumanist 22:49, 11 August 2022 (UTC)
- The Transhumanist thanks for your feedback! Your suggestions make sense to me. Should I implement the changes now, or wait for you/another editor to do so?
- I'd also like to ask about the lead, which was discussed above as well but was never fully implemented. The language which was initially agreed upon was:
- Singularity Education Group (also called Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive training programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services.
- It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil. Its initial corporate sponsors included Google, Nokia and Autodesk. Although the company uses the word "university" in its branding, it is not an accredited university and has no academic programs or accreditation.
- The company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding.
- As it currently reads, the lead does not mention the founders or the date of founding.
- Thanks again for your input, Valeria at SG (talk) 12:37, 15 August 2022 (UTC)
- @Valeria at SG, SPECIFICO, and Hipal: I highly recommend that you read Wikipedia:Conflict of interest, so that you understand the reasoning of editors you communicate with about this article, the subject of which you have external involvement with.
- You should also read Wikipedia:Edit requests, which explains the process to follow when it would be a conflict of interest for you to edit a particular article. It starts out "Edit requests are requests for edits to be made to a page where editors cannot or should not make the proposed edits themselves." It also explains that consensus should be reached on changes that would be controversial.
- Easily verifiable facts (like a founding date), and typographical edits such as italicizing titles, are examples of non-controversial edits, and so waiting for consensus on those is not expected. Editors can help you with those without delay.
- By the way, what specific date in 2008 was Singularity University founded?
- We should try to avoid ambiguity, whenever possible. You wrote that the corporate sponsors "included" and then listed three. Were there other initial corporate sponsors? If so, who were they?
- Have the allegations against the company ever been proven? Are there, or were there, any cases or lawsuits filed against the company? What are/were they? What were the findings and decisions made?
- Typically, it's not the company that does the embezzlement; rather, the company is usually the victim of getting ripped off by somebody within or working for the company. Who embezzled what? Was the perpetrator caught? Were they brought to justice (tried, convicted, and sentenced)? What are the details of the embezzlement (so that the situation can be clarified)? Please include sources, so that everything can be verified.
- Why was the Google grant terminated? What was the initial pledge by Google (that is, how long was the grant specified to go on for, or was it open-ended)? What type of grant was it (was it part of a grant program, and if so, what was that program's name)?
- The more details you can provide, with sources, the better the article can be.
- I hope you find the above suggestions and questions helpful. — The Transhumanist 10:07, 17 August 2022 (UTC)
- Hi The Transhumanist, thanks for this. I have read these guidelines and believe I am following them closely. My understanding is that my edit requests serve to bring new ideas or suggestions to the community, and editors are welcome to do with them as they see fit. If you think the additions and changes I've proposed above are relevant, or partially so, then you would make the edits to the article. If others have different ideas, they would edit as well, as is the dynamic nature of Wikipedia. You mentioned several other areas for improvement, and I will look into those further as well, but it will likely take me some time to find sources to support the information you're looking for. In the meantime, I'd love to work on these improvements to the existing text, so if you think my ideas have merit, please feel free to run with them.
SPECIFICO, sorry to have accidentally pulled you back into this. I appreciate you taking a deeper look at the article and would genuinely like to help improve it, so any ideas you may have in that area would be very helpful- I'm happy to put in the work.
- Pinging And So It who also made some recent edits to the page, in case they have additional ideas or feedback on my above request as well.
- Thanks again for your help, everyone. Valeria at SG (talk) 12:32, 18 August 2022 (UTC)
::::::I just added some requested sources. What are the specific changes you want comments on? And So It (talk) 13:00, 18 August 2022 (UTC)Banned user SPECIFICO talk 20:45, 22 August 2022 (UTC)
- And So It, thanks for adding those sources. My requests address the history section and the lead, as detailed above (with highlights) at the top of this section. Specifically, it proposes a restructure of the existing section and the addition of a few details. The Transhumanist originally thought the idea had merit, so if he has any further feedback, that might be useful as well.
- I would also appreciate if someone would make these final changes to the lead, as previously agreed upon above:
- Singularity Education Group (also called Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive training programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services.
- It was founded in 2008 by Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil. Its initial corporate sponsors included Google, Nokia and Autodesk. Although the company uses the word "university" in its branding, it is not an accredited university and has no academic programs or accreditation.
- The company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding.
- The lead does not currently mention the founders or founding year. I believe the above language provides all relevant context while remaining neutral and balanced.
- Thanks for taking a look, Valeria at SG (talk) 12:28, 22 August 2022 (UTC)
- This edit request was still showing as open 8 months later. It appears the last bit for what was wanted in the lede had been partly answered, some bits thought not required and some reworded but overall I believe this request to be answered.— NZFC(talk)(cont) 22:30, 4 April 2023 (UTC)
Requested move 8 September 2022
edit- The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
The result of the move request was: moved. Ran for 14 days. no participation. (closed by non-admin page mover) – robertsky (talk) 18:19, 22 September 2022 (UTC)
Singularity University → Singularity Group – Hi. Singularity University is now called "Singularity Group", as seen on the organization's website [1] and in the following articles: [2][3] Thanks! Valeria at SG (talk) 15:41, 8 September 2022 (UTC) — Relisting. – robertsky (talk) 17:01, 15 September 2022 (UTC)
- Note: WikiProject California has been notified of this discussion. – robertsky (talk) 17:01, 15 September 2022 (UTC)
- Note: WikiProject Education has been notified of this discussion. – robertsky (talk) 17:01, 15 September 2022 (UTC)
Why is this in category "Transhumanist organizations"?
editThis article is in the category "Transhumanist organizations", but nothing in it explains how the organization is related to transhumanism.
If Singularity Group is involved in transhumanism in some way, the article should mention it. If it is not, then perhaps it should be removed from the category. TTK (talk) 02:06, 17 November 2022 (UTC)
- Done Category removed. SpencerT•C 22:09, 12 March 2023 (UTC)
NPOV problem with the lead
editI don't want to reopen the lengthy, contentious discussion above about the lead paragraph, the SU name and the accreditation. But I do want to propose the removal of two words in the paragraph that are both inflammatory and incorrect. The sentence "The company has faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination since its founding" is simply untrue. The company was founded in 2009, and the very first allegation of any kind came a decade later, as noted in the single source supporting this statement, in one article in Bloomberg news. The three separate issues (one of each) are all in the past (not ongoing, as "has" would imply), were related to individual people who were separated shortly after the allegations were made, and I believe that an objective, NPOV observer would not agree that this subject is so integral to the topic that it warrants being the second sentence of the entry. Because it is clear that various contributors here have axes to grind here, I'm not suggesting the elimination of the fact (which is, indeed, a fact). But I believe that sentence should read "In 2019 a number of employees of the company faced allegations of sexual assault, embezzlement, and discrimination." and that it should be moved to the end of the History section. Yorker (talk) 16:07, 25 April 2023 (UTC)