David Chalmers: From the Matrix to the Metaverse (With a Little Help From AI)

Part of the Problems of Philosophy in VR-conference hosted by the Institute for Futures Studies in May 2023. David Chalmers’ book Reality takes as its starting point the recent advances in AI and computer hardware which have made high-quality virtual reality sets available to a wider audience. Chalmers notes that the quality and realism of such systems are likely to improve over time to the point where there may eventually be simulated worlds that are wholly indistinguishable from non-virtual worlds from the subjective point of view of the inhabitants of those worlds. You might think, if you really are living in a virtual world, there is no sunshine and no trees, and your beliefs about sunshine and trees must be false. Even worse, if you really are living in a virtual world, how do you know that the people you care about exist? And without the people you care about, what gives your life value? David Chalmers has a reassuring response to offer! Recorded at the Institute for Futures Studies in Stockholm in May 2023. #virtualreality #ai #simulation #davidchalmers #thematrix #secondlife