Nick Bostrom

They all lose interest in running computer simulations.

They all lose interest in running computer simulations.

But if both of those fail, then we end up with a third possibility that

But if both of those fail, then we end up with a third possibility that

that we are almost certainly currently living in a computer simulation created by some advanced civilization.

that we are almost certainly currently living in a computer simulation created by some advanced civilization.

Well,

Well,

If this is a simulation, then presumably we can infer a few things that the people building it would have to be very technologically advanced, because right now we can't create computer simulations with conscious human beings in them, right?

If this is a simulation, then presumably we can infer a few things that the people building it would have to be very technologically advanced, because right now we can't create computer simulations with conscious human beings in them, right?

It's like they need to be very powerful computers.

It's like they need to be very powerful computers.

They need to know how to program them, et cetera.

They need to know how to program them, et cetera.

And then you can figure if they have the technology to do that, they probably also have technology to do a bunch of other things, like including enhancing their own intelligence.

And then you can figure if they have the technology to do that, they probably also have technology to do a bunch of other things, like including enhancing their own intelligence.

And so I imagine these would be super intelligences that would have reached a state close to technological perfection.

And so I imagine these would be super intelligences that would have reached a state close to technological perfection.

And for whatever reason, they have some interest in doing this stuff.

And for whatever reason, they have some interest in doing this stuff.