# Before the next century is over, human beings will no longer be the most intelligent type… by Ray Kurzweil > "Before the next century is over, human beings will no longer be the most intelligent type of entity on the planet." > **— Ray Kurzweil**, *The Age of Spiritual Machines (1999), excerpt candidate* Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: The Age of Spiritual Machines (1999), excerpt candidate.