A while ago I watched this youtube video by Kurzgesagt about the idea of reality as we know it being a simulation. The thought process behind the video stayed with me until this day, since I thought it was a really good philosophical topic. Let's discuss:
Do you think technological process will stop anytime soon? Yea... Neither do I. In the last fifty years, we've seen a crazy acceleration when it comes to technology. Computers kept getting smarter, thinner and cheaper to the point where it's almost crazy to think about that we still walked around with walkmans only 25 years ago. The technological revolution has changed the world forever, and we might only be in the early stages of what's possible.
In the last few years there's a lot of interest in quantum-computers and artificial intelligence. only a few years ago, AlphaGo, a computer program designed to beat the most played and strategic game on earth (Go!) managed to win against the world champion in unbelievable fashion: 4-1. Before the match nobody doubted that Lee Sedol would take an easy victory over AlphaGo. After game one though, the whole world was shocked to see how precise and creative the machine was playing. It was unlike anything the Go-community had ever soon. The AlphaGo-team had created software that was able to outsmart the human brain. That's a frightening idea to think about. It was the first sign that artificial intelligence, a brain created by humans, could become smarter and more creative than his designer(s).
So artificial intelligence is powerful, that's for sure. But let's remember the technological development is still in it's early stages. If artificial intelligence has already proven it can be smarter (in some ways) than the human mind, then what's to stop them from taking over the power from their creators? What if, thousands and thousands years ago, we already went through a technological revolution where we lost control over our creations? What if those creations created the ability for themselves to operate autonomous? At that point... everything could be possible.
I do believe that one day AI will become more powerful than the human brain will ever be. And i'm not sure if we are smart enough to "contain" the things we create. So if someone told me somehow, somewhere in our history the AI took over our world and created simulations in which we live now, I couldn't argue with them. I would be able to believe them.
But what if all that is true? What if we live in a simulation of our artificial Gods? I couldn't care less... Simulation or not, I will still try to make the best out of life and... have a good time.
Thanks for reading.
I seriously consider this as an option.. Funny fact: when I was a child, I often wondered if we humans on planet earth could possibly be play puppets from a giant being lol...
Haha yea it sounds a bit crazy but if you thibk about it, it could totally be possible. We'll probably nevzr know though :p.
Wasn't human kind living in simulated realities in Matrix?
There is an event called "singularity", which will happen when an AI will self-improve to the point when will exceed any human intelligence. There is even a "Singularity University".
I've read about AlphaGo. Makes you wonder what will come next.
Living in a simulated reality? I don't look forward for the moment. But will I know if that happens?
If you're interested in the AlphaGo-project, you should look up the documentary about it on Netflix. really worth the watch and it makes you think about how far we've already come with the development of AI. Thanks for your response!
AlphaGo is really just a an example we and most people can grasp (just like DeepBlue in the past for chess), because it means a direct competition between man and machine. Human mind is more complex than winning in a game. But we will witness this 'singularity event' during our lifetime.
This is actually a topic I read and think about. You did great explaining it.
If this is true it has a lot of implications in how we see life. I also think about different reasons we would be here (if we where more then only a digital identity). Maybe the AI didn't put us in unwillingly, maybe we are just a person playing a game. For the game to be interersting we have to forget there is life beyond here.
Also if we are in a digital world it would be interesting to find out if we are able to change the rules from this perspective. Clean the waters for example or rewrite diseases into something fun.
All if that is theoretically possible yea, and it's a fun idea to think about. Who knows maybe we'll find a bug in their crazy calculations and suddenly the sun becomes green or something... :D
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You should loik uo the AI robot Sophia and her brother.. they have frightening conversations about humans. Also a lot of AI robots talk about singularity and that it will happen in 2029 (not sure about the date, while it was a week ago I watched it; maybe 2039). Also I had the thought that maybe the blockchain and bitcoins are created by AI, because Sophia already created her own and we don't know who created it. With the money in blockchain AI really can controll and know what everybody is doing... really makes me afraid of the future. It is happening faster than most of the people can imagine; before they noticed we are taken over by robots and then they think; huh what happened.
I hope it was possible to follow me, because I really did not made my mind up about it while there are almost no people who I can talk about it with. Most people think about 'conspiracy theories' then.