#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Lex Fridman Podcast
Is There Consciousness in Virtual Reality?
The relationship between computation and consciousness suggests that consciousness may emerge from specific classes of computations, particularly those that are complex and include features like global workspace and attention mechanisms, as found in human brains. Simple computations, such as basic arithmetic, are unlikely to result in consciousness. An open question remains regarding the minimal level of computational complexity required for consciousness to manifest. Furthermore, the role of the environment is debated—whether consciousness solely arises from the brain's computations or if the external environment is also necessary for generating experiential awareness. Current virtual reality models illustrate that not all details need to be rendered continuously for users to perceive a full reality; selective rendering based on user perspective suffices. This implies that consciousness might only require activation of certain salient features rather than exhaustive simulation of all elements in an environment.
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