David Chalmers: We may just be in the middle of one of those historical simulations for all we know. He says historians may want to analyze other historical scenarios through simulation generation. Maybe the simulators are really interested in trying to figure out whether humanity will figure out that we're in a simulation, he says.
Last year, Rufus sat down with philosopher David Chalmers to talk about the allure of virtual reality, whether robots will ever achieve consciousness, and the likelihood that we’re living in a simulation (David thinks it’s about 25 percent). It was a fascinating, freewheeling conversation, and we left large chunks of it on the cutting room floor. Now, though, with ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms taking the world by storm, those unaired sections, many of which were about the ethics of artificial intelligence, feel super relevant. So today, we’re sharing our complete interview with David. Buckle up. It’s a wild ride.