Are We Living in a Simulation? From Plato to The Minecraft Experiment

Just a few days ago, the startup Altera conducted an experiment in which they unleashed 1,000 autonomous AI agents within the sandbox environment of Minecraft . “Project Sid” aimed to observe whether these agents could collectively build a functioning society, mimicking aspects of human civilization such as democracy, trade, and even religion. In their digital world, the agents collaborated, established a merchant hub, drafted a constitution through Google Docs, and spread a religion (Pastafarianism) through bribery. Beyond their creativity, they also gathered far more resources than expected, demonstrating a level of collective achievement far beyond their individual capabilities.

While fascinating as an AI experiment, “Project Sid” provides a window into a more profound philosophical inquiry: Could our world, like the one created in Minecraft, be a simulation? The idea that our reality might be an artificial construct created and governed by some higher intelligence has been a subject of philosophical and scientific speculation for centuries. What if, like the Minecraft agents, we, too, are digital entities unaware of our coded reality? I’ve discussed the topic in my latest book, “We Are the Glitch.”

From Plato to Bostrom

The concept of reality being illusory is not new. One of the earliest articulations of this idea comes from Plato, who proposed the “Allegory of the Cave” in his “Republic.” In Plato’s allegory, prisoners are confined in a cave, where they perceive shadows cast on the wall as their only reality. Unaware of the actual world outside the cave, the prisoners take the shadows as the entirety of existence. This allegory serves as an early precursor to the simulation hypothesis, illustrating how human perception can be manipulated and how reality may not be as it appears.

Fast forward to the 20th century, and science fiction writers like Philip K. Dick expanded on this theme. Dick, in works such as VALIS, often explored the nature of reality, questioning whether the world we perceive is real or a mere construct. His 1977 lecture, “If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others,” posited that reality itself could be a projection, and multiple versions may exist simultaneously. Dick’s work laid the groundwork for what would later become a popular cultural fascination with simulated realities, seen in films like “The Matrix.”

The idea gained scientific traction with the philosopher Nick Bostrom, who, in 2003, formalized the “Simulation Hypothesis.” Bostrom’s theory proposes that it is highly probable we are living in a computer-generated simulation. He presents three possibilities:

1) human civilizations never reach a stage where they can create simulations of conscious beings,

2) they do reach that stage but choose not to create such simulations or

3) we are almost certainly living in such a simulation right now.

Bostrom estimates the likelihood of our existence being a simulation could be as high as 20%. More recent discussions, fueled by technological advances in AI and virtual reality, suggest this probability might be even closer to 50%.

Elon Musk has also added his voice to the debate, arguing that the odds of living in “base reality” — the original, unsimulated universe — are slim to none. In a discussion with Joe Rogan, Musk stated that there is only a one-in-billion chance that we will not be living in a simulation. According to Musk, the rapid development of video games and artificial intelligence hints at the inevitable creation of simulations so sophisticated that their inhabitants would be indistinguishable from biological humans. This scenario echoes the Minecraft agents in “Project Sid”: unaware of their artificial existence, but functioning as if their world is the only reality.

Glitches in the Matrix: The Mandela Effect and the Signs We Are Living in a Simulation

One of the most compelling aspects of the simulation hypothesis is the idea of “glitches” — anomalies in our reality that may suggest the underlying code of the simulation is faltering. In a digital world, a glitch is a bug or error in the system, and proponents of the simulation hypothesis argue that similar glitches can be observed in our reality. For instance, the subreddit “r/Glitch_in_the_Matrix” is filled with reports of strange occurrences:

• Objects disappear and reappear.
• People are seen in two places at once.
• Moments where time seems to freeze.

These are potential signs that we live in a simulation and that the “code” running our universe sometimes malfunctions.

This parallels what was observed in “Project Sid.” Though programmed to operate independently, autonomous AI agents experienced behavioral flaws that led to societal cascading problems. These flaws — manifested as inefficiencies or strange behaviors — can be seen as minor glitches in the simulation they inhabit. Similarly, if our universe is a simulation, the anomalies we perceive could be glitches in the fabric of our coded reality.

A Philosophical and Epistemological Crisis

The implications of the simulation hypothesis are profound. If our reality is indeed a simulation, it raises existential questions about the nature of our existence and the meaning of life. Are we nothing more than non-player characters (NPCs) in a cosmic video game? Is everything we know — our identities, emotions, and consciousness — simply a product of algorithms and programmed instructions?

Nick Bostrom’s hypothesis has sparked widespread philosophical debate, with some suggesting that living in a simulation renders traditional notions of morality, free will, and purpose obsolete. If everything is pre-programmed or subject to the whims of a higher intelligence, what meaning does life hold? This line of thought echoes ancient philosophical dilemmas about determinism and free will but with a modern, technological twist.

Buddhist philosophy, which teaches that the self is an illusion (“Anattā”), also offers an interesting parallel to the simulation hypothesis. If there is no true “self” and we are merely constructs of our experiences and perceptions, then the idea of our reality being a simulation aligns with this spiritual perspective. Neuroscientific studies, such as those by Chris Niebauer, support the notion that the brain creates a narrative of selfhood, even though no specific “self” exists. In this context, the simulation hypothesis dovetails with the idea that what we perceive as our identity could be nothing more than a glitch in the system, a narrative fabricated by our brains to make sense of a fundamentally artificial world.

The Self as a Glitch

Returning to “Project Sid,” the AI agents acted with autonomy, yet their actions were ultimately constrained by the rules of the simulation they inhabited. In a similar vein, humans may believe they are making independent choices, but if we are living in a simulation, those choices could be influenced — or even predetermined — by the code governing our existence.

This brings us to a disturbing conclusion: if the self is merely a construct, a glitch in a grand simulation, then everything we hold dear — our memories, beliefs, our emotions — could be nothing more than the byproducts of a sophisticated program. As the philosopher René Descartes once said, “I think, therefore I am,” but if our thoughts are not our own, does the self even exist in any meaningful way?

Are We NPCs in a Cosmic Game?

“Project Sid” may have been an experiment in AI and collective behavior, but it serves as a potent metaphor for the simulation hypothesis. If a world as complex as Minecraft can host autonomous agents capable of building a society, why is it so far-fetched to consider that our universe, too, could be a simulation created by a more advanced intelligence?

From Plato’s cave to Musk’s multiverse, the idea that our reality is not as it seems has captivated human thought for millennia. As AI advances and our understanding of the universe grows more sophisticated, the simulation hypothesis remains a provocative lens through which to view the world. Perhaps, like the Minecraft agents, we are simply players in a grand, cosmic game — blissfully unaware of the truth lurking behind the code.

“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents… some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new Dark Age.” ― H.P. Lovecraft