LambdaAU t1_j5290fi wrote
Reply to comment by OldWorldRevival in Instead of escaping to virtual realities, what if we just made our reality as good as any virtual reality could be? by [deleted]
The truth is the real world has scarcity. Not everyone can have their own castle because there is only so much room. You probably live in a developed nation with high living standards but replicating this for everyone has a massive toll on the environment. VR allows us to get past the scarcity of resources in the real world (ie the economic problem).
OldWorldRevival t1_j52c76p wrote
Not necessarily in a post AI world, though.
I.e. unlimited cheap, clean energy to grow crops underground in caverns built by robots that work for free. Or in space, and have fusion powered spacecraft.
In such a future, the least developed countries would have a standard of living beyond that of the wealthiest countries.
That level of abundance is also part of the singularity. Also, lots of planets to populate and terraform.
paulwhitedotnyc t1_j547s7b wrote
There are one quadrillion tons of diamonds on our planet. Unimaginable abundance, yet they cost on average $5000 a gram. What your describing will never exist because many people’s idea of paradise is very, very different from yours.
Thiccboifentalin t1_j54c0qw wrote
VR allows everyone to have their own perceived paradise. It's all about the journey rather than the destination.
paulwhitedotnyc t1_j54cdp5 wrote
Yeah that’s my point, and why OPs suggestion of creating the actual world we want rather than a virtual one, is an impossibility.
Thiccboifentalin t1_j54d2sr wrote
I think Neo from Matrix was in another simulation like that. He is a hero in a world of suffering, the rebel everyone needs, the “One”. Does that not sound like a VR simulation? As long as he felt good and had this perceived sense of danger and payoff, it does not matter if it’s real or not. And what about Cypher? This “guy” (again part of the simulation) was dragged by Morpheus in to the "real" world to live in crap while getting his girlfriend stolen. So it would be natural for him to go back to Matrix. It’s actually kind of cruel that people don’t want others to escape in to VR, means that their misery will have less company. Are alcohol and drugs not a form of escapism, just because they are wildly used? Vagaries of perception, Mr Anderson.
tms102 t1_j54xipg wrote
AI isn't magic and is still bound by physical limitations. Construction and travel, etc, will still take resources. And the most important resource is time.
I'm not a fan of VR but it's obvious you can do things in a virtual world that will never be possible in the real world.
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