Moral Obligations to AI NPCs and Simulation Hypothesis

Olaf Witkowski’s article, “Do We Have Moral Obligations to Artificial Life?”  got me thinking about the ethical implications of AI in games and the nature of our reality:

1) AI in Gaming: If we develop conscious or sentient AI NPCs, should we avoid using them in games to prevent unethical treatment? 

We should NOT use living beings for our entertainment. Instead, we should aim to craft AI NPCs that appear conscious or sentient—akin to movie characters who seem real but entirely fictional. This approach respects ethical boundaries while preserving our games’ narrative depth and entertainment value.

2) Simulation Hypothesis: The conversation about whether we live in a simulation often overlooks practical considerations. For instance, imagine a game developer in the EU developing a life-simulation game; they would be constrained by EU laws prohibiting certain illegal and unethical activities from being simulated.

Yet, we see many injustices and suffering when we look at the world around us. This observation leads us to two conclusions:

a) We are not in a simulation.

b) If we live in a simulation, then the fact that the observed injustices are permitted within its regulations raises profound questions about the ethics and values of its creator.

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References:

• “The Ethics of Life as It Could Be: Do We Have Moral Obligations to Artificial Life?” by Olaf Witkowski and Eric Schwitzgebel – https://faculty.ucr.edu/~eschwitz/SchwitzAbs/EthicsALife.htm