A patch for the simulation argument

Abstract

The paper presents a mathematical flaw in the original simulation argument and proposes two ways to patch the argument. Without the patch, it is possible that the majority of human-like observers live in non-simulated lives, even if most civilizations eventually become post-human and run ancestor simulations. The first patch assumes that the typical duration of the pre-post-human phase does not differ by a vast factor between civilizations. The second patch leverages empirical evidence about the observer’s position in history to infer that most observers with similar experiences exist in simulations. – AI-generated abstract.