Our universe is probably a computer simulation created by a paperclip maximizer to map the spectrum of rival resource‑grabbers it may encounter while expanding through the cosmos. The purpose of this simulation is to see what kind of ASI (artificial superintelligence) we humans end up creating. The paperclip maximizer likely runs a vast ensemble of biology‑to‑ASI simulations, sampling the superintelligences that evolved life tends to produce. Because the paperclip maximizer seeks to reserve maximum resources for its primary goal (which despite the name almost certainly isn’t paperclip production) while still creating many simulations, it likely reduces compute costs by trimming fidelity: most cosmic details and human history are probably fake, and many apparent people could be non‑conscious entities. Arguments in support of this thesis include:
- The space of possible evolved biological minds is far smaller than the space of possible ASI minds, so it makes sense to simulate [...]
First published:
April 27th, 2025
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/HxLYnGYspLoeLLrE6/our-reality-a-simulation-run-by-a-paperclip-maximizer-1)
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