Episode

#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
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1:57:06
Published: Thu Mar 26 2020
Description

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. Support this podcast by signing up with these sponsors: - Cash App - use code "LexPodcast" and download: - Cash App (App Store): https://apple.co/2sPrUHe - Cash App (Google Play): https://bit.ly/2MlvP5w 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

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00:00 - 02:48 (02:48)
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Cash App
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Cash App's fractional share trading feature provides an easy interface that takes a step up to the next layer of abstraction over the stock market, making trading more accessible and diversification much easier for new investors. The order execution algorithm that works behind the scenes to create the abstraction of fractional orders is an algorithmic marvel.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
In this episode, the hosts discuss the simulation hypothesis, its three possibilities that cover all possibilities, and the potential value it brings to philosophy, computer science, and physics.
02:48 - 11:10 (08:22)
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Simulation hypothesis
Summary

In this episode, the hosts discuss the simulation hypothesis, its three possibilities that cover all possibilities, and the potential value it brings to philosophy, computer science, and physics.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The Simulation Argument is a philosophical idea, which is that civilization may be a simulation created by an advanced future civilization.
11:10 - 19:27 (08:16)
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Simulation Argument
Summary

The Simulation Argument is a philosophical idea, which is that civilization may be a simulation created by an advanced future civilization. In this podcast transcript, the host discusses the probability of the Simulation Argument, The Fermi Paradox, and how it could ultimately affect civilization.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The simulation hypothesis, the notion that we might all be computer simulation, is an interesting topic to ponder since it raises questions about consciousness and the difficulty level of constructing a reality that is sufficiently immersive to trick our brains.
19:27 - 30:20 (10:53)
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Simulation Hypothesis
Summary

The simulation hypothesis, the notion that we might all be computer simulation, is an interesting topic to ponder since it raises questions about consciousness and the difficulty level of constructing a reality that is sufficiently immersive to trick our brains.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
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This episode discusses the experience machine thought experiment, where people have the option to live a perfect life in a virtual reality machine.
30:21 - 35:27 (05:05)
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Philosophy
Summary

This episode discusses the experience machine thought experiment, where people have the option to live a perfect life in a virtual reality machine. The discussion explores whether or not true connection with others is sacrificed in the experience machine, and whether this sacrifice would make people decide to leave the machine or stay in it.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
Is it possible to have an experience machine that generates normal human experiences and interactions with other people without generating consciousnesses corresponding to those other people?
35:27 - 40:32 (05:05)
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Philosophy
Summary

Is it possible to have an experience machine that generates normal human experiences and interactions with other people without generating consciousnesses corresponding to those other people? This podcast explores the potential impact on the creatures living inside the experience machine.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
This episode debates the idea of consciousness in machines and how much easier it would be for a super-intelligent civilization with planetary sized computers to create a realistic environment for individuals to interact with.
40:32 - 50:20 (09:48)
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Consciousness
Summary

This episode debates the idea of consciousness in machines and how much easier it would be for a super-intelligent civilization with planetary sized computers to create a realistic environment for individuals to interact with.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The likelihood of civilizations reaching technological maturity is uncertain due to several unknown factors, such as breakthrough discoveries in physics and the impact of creating virtual worlds on society.
50:20 - 57:28 (07:07)
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Civilization
Summary

The likelihood of civilizations reaching technological maturity is uncertain due to several unknown factors, such as breakthrough discoveries in physics and the impact of creating virtual worlds on society.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The idea of living in a simulated reality isn't far-fetched once a civilization creates machine superintelligence and the ability to create large numbers of ancestor simulations.
57:30 - 1:04:56 (07:26)
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Simulation
Summary

The idea of living in a simulated reality isn't far-fetched once a civilization creates machine superintelligence and the ability to create large numbers of ancestor simulations. As civilizations become more technologically advanced, the probability of living in a simulation increases.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The doomsday argument is a probabilistic argument that claims to predict the number of humans that will ever live on Earth based on the number of humans who’ve already lived.
1:04:56 - 1:12:47 (07:51)
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Doomsday
Summary

The doomsday argument is a probabilistic argument that claims to predict the number of humans that will ever live on Earth based on the number of humans who’ve already lived. This argument leads to the counterintuitive and controversial conclusion of estimating mankind's demise much sooner than expected.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The Simulation Argument suggests that our reality may actually be a computer simulation, and determining the true nature of our world has significant implications.
1:12:47 - 1:25:40 (12:52)
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Simulation Argument
Summary

The Simulation Argument suggests that our reality may actually be a computer simulation, and determining the true nature of our world has significant implications. One possible way to support the argument is through the Principle of Indifference, which suggests that all possible scenarios are equally likely.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
This podcast episode features a discussion on artificial intelligence, including different contexts of thinking about AI and its impacts, potential outcomes of a simulated universe, and whether super intelligence has to exist in the physical world or can be solely digital.
1:25:42 - 1:35:45 (10:03)
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Artificial Intelligence
Summary

This podcast episode features a discussion on artificial intelligence, including different contexts of thinking about AI and its impacts, potential outcomes of a simulated universe, and whether super intelligence has to exist in the physical world or can be solely digital.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The possibility of an intelligence explosion in AI is likely to come when progress in AI becomes extremely rapid, according to experts.
1:35:45 - 1:51:33 (15:47)
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AI
Summary

The possibility of an intelligence explosion in AI is likely to come when progress in AI becomes extremely rapid, according to experts. It is said that the leap from near-term to long-term AI is filled with uncertainties, and it is a lot of work to get general intelligence in machine learning systems today.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the possibility of experiencing happiness from activities that one may not consider meaningful and how values can be opposed when placed within a certain dimensionality of space.
1:51:33 - 1:56:41 (05:08)
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Happiness
Summary

The podcast discusses the possibility of experiencing happiness from activities that one may not consider meaningful and how values can be opposed when placed within a certain dimensionality of space.

Episode
#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence
Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast