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During an interview at the 2016 Code Conference, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors declared that it’s highly possible that humankind is controlled by an AI, we are already cyborgs, and the salvation is in the neural lace. Basically, Elon Musk believes in the Matrix and is trying to find ways in which we can remove ourselves from the simulation in which we live in.
It All Started With Descartes
Back in the 16th century, a French philosopher by the name of Renee Descartes was pondering about the possibility of our lives not belonging to us. He was invoking a demon that took hold of his mind, presenting him a distorted reality that looked almost as real as his life.
Over the years, this idea of us being a figment of somebody else’s imagination or a piece of the puzzle in a grander scheme was exploited over and over again. Just think of the Matrix and the suicide wave that followed the release of the movie, people actually being convinced that they were living in a simulation created by an artificial intelligence.
In Men in Black, the idea takes a funnier shape when the Earth is first shown as a part of a small “marble” universe that belonged to a child alien. In the second installment, the movie parodied the theory by showing the viewers that we are in fat living in the gym locker of an alien species.
The Theory is Typical for the Silicon Valley Inhabitants
Descartes’ demon has evolved alongside humanity. Now, less and less people are moved by religion but are deeply impressed by scientific advances. Silicon Valley has become the new Mecca, and Musk and his peers are the new apostles.
Creating cutting edge technology, being part of the crew that built the first reusable rocket in history, the first electric car, and a new payment concept can give you a feeling of grandeur.
And the more you accomplish, the more you are prone to believe that your life can, or is, the subject of a reality show, or a simulation.
Elon Musk believes in the Matrix, But He Has a Way Out
By creating a sort of symbiosis with the constantly-evolving technologies, humankind may stand a chance at escaping the simulation, getting the rights to its life.
As Elon Musk believes in the Matrix, he, as Neo, must find a way to help individuals escape the virtual reality they are trapped in. The answer appears to lie in a “neural lace,” a sort of device that will help people become one with technology.
Up until the 2016 Code Conference, Musk was believed to be the real-life Tony Stark that the world needed. Now, after he presented some of his other theories, people are starting to say that he is more like the Neo of our generation.
No matter the nickname or the existential theory, Musk is still the person behind Tesla Motors and SpaceX, two of the most important companies in the present moment. One deals with the eco-friendly future of automobiles, the other is actively trying to get a manned mission to Mars.
Image source: YouTube
