A Philosophical Question About Reality: The Technological Simulation Hypothesis

It would be appropriate to mention a little bit of The Matrix when we're talking about the discourse on reality as an aspect of a technological simulation, or more like a projection of things that have been configured in a computer program.

If we were to humor the thought, what then would be outside the simulation? One curious individual asked this question in connection with Elon Musk's statement about the realm external to the simulation. And here's an answer to that:

In April 2019 an interview of Elon Musk conducted by Lex Fridman was uploaded to the YouTube website. Fridman is a teacher and research scientist in artificial intelligence (AI) who works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The pair discussed a variety of topics including the possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

In the context of AGIs, Fridman asked Musk what question he would ask an AGI system if one would be created. And his question was simply what's outside the simulation?

It's an interesting question and one could follow the trail and go down the rabbit hole to see what would come up on the other side but seeing as we have no means of completely knowing whether we are in a simulation or not, we can only hope that there will be someone from the outside who would awaken us to the truth of reality.

(Image credit: Martin Sanchez/Unsplash)


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I would have to read this the day after seeing the ST:TNG episode "Future Imperfect" in which Commander Riker thinks he's lost 16 years' worth of memories, then figures out he's in a simulation.
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At first I thought the simulation theory was silly/pessimistic. As I got older, I believed more and more in determinism over free will. And I got into chinese astrology. Suddenly the simulation theory isn't so silly anymore. At least not to me. I'm not saying we are in a simulation - I'm saying being able to see patterns and determinism makes you able to also see the simulation theory.
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