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What sort of moral issues result from creating a simulation universe that gives rise to sentient beings? I feel creeped out and reminded of Source Code with Ja

What sort of moral issues result from creating a simulation universe that gives rise to sentient beings? I feel creeped out and reminded of Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal for some reason.

hosh 10y ago
That's assuming sentience is an emergent property of the simulation rather than something else, such as being the ground from which the simulation arises from.
- Ygg2 10y ago
  If it's any consolation. It's probably calculating wind patterns or something.
knome 10y ago
https://qntm.org/responsibility https://qntm.org/responsibility
maxerickson 10y ago
As ever, it depends on your morality. I mean, plenty of people don't take issue with a lot of things I find reprehensible.
kornork 10y ago
As creator, are you responsible for the well being of the sentient beings? Are you morally prohibited from turning them off? Can you reset to a save point, possibly undoing the creation of some of the sentient beings?
teraflop 10y ago
Greg Egan has written a (slightly ham-fisted, but still interesting) short story about that question: http://ttapress.com/553/crystal-nights-by-greg-egan/ http://ttapress.com/553/crystal-nights-by-greg-egan/ The author has commented that he regrets having overlooked the moral implications of simulated life in his previous works (see e.g. http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/PERMUTATION/FAQ/FAQ.html http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/PERMUTATION/FAQ/FAQ..., which contains spoilers for Permutation City) so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the inspiration for this story.
- pmoriarty 10y ago
  Also highly recommended along these lines is Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad (published in 1965): https://www.amazon.com/Cyberiad-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156027593 https://www.amazon.com/Cyberiad-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156027593 It touches thoughtfully and humorously on: AI, simulations, robotics, ethical and moral questions regarding artificial life, among many other interesting topics. It's one of the funniest and greatest science fiction books I've ever read.

What sort of moral issues result from creating a simulation universe that gives rise to sentient beings? I feel creeped out and reminded of Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal for some reason.

hosh 10y ago

That's assuming sentience is an emergent property of the simulation rather than something else, such as being the ground from which the simulation arises from.

Ygg2 10y ago
If it's any consolation. It's probably calculating wind patterns or something.

knome 10y ago

https://qntm.org/responsibility https://qntm.org/responsibility

maxerickson 10y ago

As ever, it depends on your morality. I mean, plenty of people don't take issue with a lot of things I find reprehensible.

kornork 10y ago

As creator, are you responsible for the well being of the sentient beings? Are you morally prohibited from turning them off? Can you reset to a save point, possibly undoing the creation of some of the sentient beings?

teraflop 10y ago

Greg Egan has written a (slightly ham-fisted, but still interesting) short story about that question: http://ttapress.com/553/crystal-nights-by-greg-egan/ http://ttapress.com/553/crystal-nights-by-greg-egan/ The author has commented that he regrets having overlooked the moral implications of simulated life in his previous works (see e.g. http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/PERMUTATION/FAQ/FAQ.html http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/PERMUTATION/FAQ/FAQ..., which contains spoilers for Permutation City) so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the inspiration for this story.

pmoriarty 10y ago
Also highly recommended along these lines is Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad (published in 1965): https://www.amazon.com/Cyberiad-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156027593 https://www.amazon.com/Cyberiad-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156027593 It touches thoughtfully and humorously on: AI, simulations, robotics, ethical and moral questions regarding artificial life, among many other interesting topics. It's one of the funniest and greatest science fiction books I've ever read.