AI on the Experience Machine

For what it's worth: I prompted ChatGPT to weigh in on the "experience machine" thought experiment. It recommended a couple of videos* and concluded: 

In short: Yes, there is a persuasive case—rooted both in conceptual philosophy and psychological research—that most of us do prefer actual reality over any simulation or illusion, no matter how emotionally convincing.

My prompt:

"We had an interesting discussion in our philosophy of happiness class yesterday about Robert Nozick's "experience machine" thought experiment. One student said he thought the illusion of happiness was as good as happiness itself, and even that the virtually simulated experience of having a family would be as good as actually having a family. Speaking as a parent, I insist that there is no comparison between the mere experience and the actual reality. The student said he has "cried real tears" playing video games, supposing that to be support for his view. I said, similarly, that I've had real emotional responses to novels and fictional films… but because of their verisimilitude and their evocation of reality, not because the virtual is supposedly as good as the real. Can you suggest some textual sources and YouTube videos that discuss this issue intelligently?"  

   —

Here's a collection of thoughtful textual sources and YouTube videos that grapple with Nozick's Experience Machine and underscore our deep tendency to value reality over simulated happiness.

---

Key Textual Sources

1. 

Nozick (1974) – Anarchy, State, and Utopia

• Nozick introduces the Experience Machine to challenge hedonism—the idea that pleasure is the only intrinsic value. He argues people would not plug into such a machine because:

  1. They want to actually do things, not just experience them.

  2. They want to be a certain kind of person, which the machine undermines.

  3. They value connection to a deeper, non–man-made reality over illusions.

These three reasons are the core of Nozick's case, directly supporting your parental intuition that simulation can't substitute for reality.

2. 

Philosophical Commentary & Essays

• A concise analysis appears on Bartleby, summarizing how the machine is meant to disprove hedonism by showing deeper values matter.

• A more critical outlook appears in Psychology Today, noting that Nozick assumes reality has intrinsic superiority—and he's betting most of us agree.

3. 

Empirical Research: Hindriks & Douven (2017)

• This study tested whether people actually reject the machine because they value reality or just because of a status quo bias.

• It found that people are more reluctant to connect to a machine than take an experience pill—suggesting that reality matters.

• However, responses vary. Some resist the machine because of change resistance, not necessarily a love for reality per se.

*