
Are We Living Inside a Video Game? Rizwan Virk on his 'Simulation Hypothesis'
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Are we living in the Matrix?
Rizwan Virk—an MIT computer scientist, leading video game pioneer, entrepreneur, film producer, venture capitalist, professor, and a founder of Play Labs @ MIT—is a leading authority on simulation theory. Now he comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in his new book The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video Game.
Virk says the evolution of our video games, including virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, will lead us to a technological singularity. We will reach the simulation point, he argues, where we can develop all-encompassing virtual worlds like the OASIS in Ready Player One or The Matrix—and in fact we are already likely inside such a simulation.
Though that sounds like science fiction, many scientists, engineers, and professors have given the simulation hypothesis serious consideration, including Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Nick Bostrom. But philosophers of many traditions have long contended that we are living in some kind of “illusion” and that there are other realities that we can access with our minds.
Virk's work in Silicon Valley as a video game designer caused him to wonder where our technology would take us and how long it would take us to create something like the world of The Matrix—and why he’s now 70 percent certain that we’re already inside a simulation.
Whether you are a computer scientist, a fan of science fiction like the Matrix movies, a video game enthusiast, a spiritual seeker, or simply a fan of mind-bending thought experiments, come hear Virk for yourself and you might never look at the world the same way again.
This program has 2 types of tickets available: in-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.
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This program is free for all attendees, thanks to the generous support of our members and donors.
Photos courtesy the speakers.
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Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

Rizwan Virk
Entrepreneur; Video Game Pioneer; Film Producer; Venture Capitalist; Professor, Arizona State University; Author, The Simulation Hypothesis; Founder, Play Labs @ MIT

Dean Takahashi
Editorial Director, GamesBeat at VentureBeat; Tech Journalist
5:30 p.m. doors open & check-in
6–7 p.m. program
7 p.m. book signing
(all times Pacific Time)
COST
Members receive 30–50 percent discounts (not a member? Join)
In person:
$25
$57 with a book
Free for Leadership Circle members and students (without a book)
Online:
$10
$42 with a book
Free for Leadership Circle members and students (no book)