Ai Salon: Physics of Simulated Realities
The universe appears to us as an objective and impersonal world governed by mathematical laws, yet deep connections exist between the nature of consciousness and observation of quantum mechanical phenomena. This could suggest a metaphysical significance to our experience of cognition and awareness.
As we build new minds, considerations of internal state and world models push us to define the bounds of conscious awareness ever more carefully, while leaving unaddressed the requirements for an observer in the physical sense.
Could machine intelligence with simulated minds help resolve these fundamental questions of physical nature, or are such paradoxes themselves symptoms of living in a simulated reality? Perhaps, as it often is, the truth is stranger than we might guess.
Join us for an in-person discussion as we explore themes of consciousness, theories of physics and paradoxes of quantum mechanics in Hayes Valley.
Since this session is particularly subject-matter focused I strongly suggest reading up on some essentials to help people participte:
On the Observer effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigner%27s_friend
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/35328/why-does-observation-collapse-the-wave-function
Simulation hypothesis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis
https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/blogs/future-and-emerging-technologies/how-to-test-if-were-living-in-a-computer-simulation
Ai on learning physics
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01394-8
