Bank of America estimated the probability of the existence of “the matrix”

In a note to clients issued Tuesday, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) assumed that with a probability of 20% to 50% we already live in “the matrix”, that is the world we consider “real” actually is the result of computer simulation, writes Business Insider.

The publication cites the following quotation from the note BAML:

“Many scientists, philosophers and business leaders are confident that the mankind already lives in a virtual world created with computer. The argument in favor of this is that we are already approaching the moment of occurrence of photorealistic three-dimensional simulations, which can simultaneously interact with millions of people. It is possible that with the development of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and computing power of the civilization of the future might decide to recreate their ancestors using a computer”.

In support of its assessment of 20-50% BAML refers to the opinions of businessman Elon musk, who believes that people actually exist in the computer game civilization, and astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson, who believes that with high probability our universe is just a computer model.

The Bank also quotes a work of the Swedish philosopher Niklas Bostrom “whether we Live in computer simulation”, published in 2003. In particular, the note recalls the three probable scenarios of development of mankind, which will die after reaching a “Posthuman” stage, or turn into postlude, but will not create a simulation of the evolutionary history, or we are all already living in “the matrix”.

Business Insider noted that the work Postrema it becomes obvious that we never learn which of three scenarios was implemented in practice, because “if we don’t are now living in a simulation, our descendants will almost certainly not be engaged in the reconstruction of ancestors using a computer”. The implications of these findings for investors is unclear, concludes the publication.