When you start to simulate having sex to an EM I think you are very fast near wireheading.
Possibly, but note that there are humans that have a lot of available opportunities to have sex, yet prefer to do other things. If a simulated human spent a lot of time having sex, and is given the opportunity to reduce his sex drive, he may want to do so.
(still, I think that wireheading does loom large as things-that-matter here)
Maybe there will be a rule that if someone is so wireheaded they are unable to answer a simple question within sufficient time limit, euthanasia is legal, and their hardware is given to the remaining ems. That could be a selection pressure against wireheading.
This could be solved by splitting oneself into two personalities, the larger one would get the pleasure, and the smaller one would be responsible to prevent euthanasia. But when the larger personality stops responding, the smaller one could kill them and take their resources. Or the smaller one could try to split to two parts...
Okay, at the end either there is a part that avoided wireheading, so at least that part participates in our reality, or no such part remains and then the whole system can be legally killed.
Another way out would be if 1% of people resisted wireheading for whatever reasons (religious, or program themselves to be unable to accept wireheading), and gradually would take over the world.
Having sex is a big drive for humans. I don’t see how an Em will do that. Humans are motivated by having physical experiences.
When you start to simulate having sex to an EM I think you are very fast near wireheading.
Humans seem mainly motivated to read TvTropes and play MMOs. :p
If we were talking about an AI, I’d say you have a point, but an EM was originally a human. Simulating normal human experiences would be expected.
Possibly, but note that there are humans that have a lot of available opportunities to have sex, yet prefer to do other things. If a simulated human spent a lot of time having sex, and is given the opportunity to reduce his sex drive, he may want to do so.
(still, I think that wireheading does loom large as things-that-matter here)
Sex is an obvious example of a physical experience but not the only one. Nearly all pleasureable experiences involve physical perception in some way.
Maybe there will be a rule that if someone is so wireheaded they are unable to answer a simple question within sufficient time limit, euthanasia is legal, and their hardware is given to the remaining ems. That could be a selection pressure against wireheading.
This could be solved by splitting oneself into two personalities, the larger one would get the pleasure, and the smaller one would be responsible to prevent euthanasia. But when the larger personality stops responding, the smaller one could kill them and take their resources. Or the smaller one could try to split to two parts...
Okay, at the end either there is a part that avoided wireheading, so at least that part participates in our reality, or no such part remains and then the whole system can be legally killed.
Another way out would be if 1% of people resisted wireheading for whatever reasons (religious, or program themselves to be unable to accept wireheading), and gradually would take over the world.
But what if you want to wirehead? Should those of us that like the idea be forever doomed to live a less-than-euphoric existence?
you don’t have to make a copy of yourself, just code the minimal narrow AI routine needed to answer questions.