#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence

17 snips

Mar 26, 2020

In this conversation with Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford and director of the Future of Humanity Institute, he dives into the mind-bending simulation hypothesis—suggesting our reality could be an advanced civilization's simulation. Bostrom explores existential risks humanity faces, particularly with superintelligent AI. He also discusses the complex relationship between consciousness and technology, the allure of extraterrestrial life, and the ethical dilemmas of future AI developments. Prepare to rethink reality and our place in the universe!

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INSIGHT

Simulation Hypothesis

The simulation hypothesis proposes we live in a computer simulation created by an advanced civilization.
This simulation encompasses our world, brains, and all experiences.

INSIGHT

Simulation Argument

The simulation argument posits three possibilities: civilizations die before technological maturity, lose interest in simulations, or we are in a simulation.
This argument does not predict which possibility is true.

INSIGHT

Technological Maturity

Technological maturity represents a civilization reaching the peak of its technological potential, like molecular manufacturing or space colonization.
This concept helps estimate a civilization's computational capacity.

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Nick Bostrom is a philosopher at University of Oxford and the director of the Future of Humanity Institute. He has worked on fascinating and important ideas in existential risks, simulation hypothesis, human enhancement ethics, and the risks of superintelligent AI systems, including in his book Superintelligence. I can see talking to Nick multiple times on this podcast, many hours each time, but we have to start somewhere.

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EPISODE LINKS:
Nick’s website: https://nickbostrom.com/
Future of Humanity Institute:
– https://twitter.com/fhioxford
– https://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/
Books:
– Superintelligence: https://amzn.to/2JckX83
Wikipedia:
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_indifference
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_argument
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_catastrophic_risk

This conversation is part of the Artificial Intelligence podcast. If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or support it on Patreon.

Here’s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

OUTLINE:
00:00 – Introduction
02:48 – Simulation hypothesis and simulation argument
12:17 – Technologically mature civilizations
15:30 – Case 1: if something kills all possible civilizations
19:08 – Case 2: if we lose interest in creating simulations
22:03 – Consciousness
26:27 – Immersive worlds
28:50 – Experience machine
41:10 – Intelligence and consciousness
48:58 – Weighing probabilities of the simulation argument
1:01:43 – Elaborating on Joe Rogan conversation
1:05:53 – Doomsday argument and anthropic reasoning
1:23:02 – Elon Musk
1:25:26 – What’s outside the simulation?
1:29:52 – Superintelligence
1:47:27 – AGI utopia
1:52:41 – Meaning of life