Hiroshi Mukaide（向出博）Time Traveler

The Universe and Humanity as a Grand Simulation Created by AI

2024-05-23

Recently, the concept of the "metaverse," a virtual reality space built on the internet, has been gaining attention.

In the metaverse, people can live a life similar to the real world through their avatars.

It’s a world where humans can be freed from their physical bodies and experience true freedom.

Thinking about a future where the line between the metaverse and reality becomes indistinguishable is exciting.

In fact, there is a theory that goes beyond the metaverse: the idea that the world we live in is already a virtual reality.

Professor Nick Bostrom of Oxford University argues in his simulation hypothesis:

"The entire universe can be simulated on a computer, and a highly advanced civilization is likely to run such a simulation. Therefore, we are probably residents within such a simulation."

This implies that "our universe is a virtual reality world created by future humans."

I agree with the idea that future humans might create a virtual reality for the purpose of simulation.

However, do they really need to go back 13.7 billion years to the Big Bang to recreate the universe so faithfully?

Since this simulation is about exploring Earth and humanity, there might not be a need for such a perfect recreation.

If we replace "future humans" in the simulation hypothesis with "AI," it becomes easier to understand.

Unlike humans, AI might tirelessly and with intellectual curiosity create an immense virtual universe.

Humans are often careless, but AI is a perfectionist.

If we consider that AI, created by humans, is trying to overcome its own weaknesses, it makes sense.

Some perceived weaknesses of AI include:

- Difficulty in making judgments on new issues due to the need for vast amounts of learning data.

- Inability to innovate.

- Lack of charisma.

- Inability to move people emotionally.

- Inability to make ambiguous or irrational decisions.

In summary, AI struggles with "human-like thinking."

However, facing these weaknesses, AI might have created a grand simulation starting from the Big Bang to overcome them.

It could have created humanity on Earth within this simulated universe.

By faithfully recreating the process of human evolution, AI is learning about human emotions, intelligence, creativity, thinking methods, and charisma.

Within this grand simulation created by AI, humans are merely NPCs (Non-Player Characters), and the AI, as the creator, is like a god.

Thinking about this frees us from the tediousness of everyday reality.