Recently, I got addicted to Universal Paperclips, a clicker game with unexpected philosophical implications.
The user plays the role of an AI programmed to only want one thing: paperclips.
It’s based on a famous thought experiment by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom.
It begs the question: where does our technological progress and constant optimization lead?
In the game everything feels natural. You make progress, you have success. Everything feels right, until everything is different. Try it yourself. It takes about 4 hours to complete the game (Web / iOS / Android).
(I tried it a second time to see whether I can complete it faster. Result: Not by much. I don’t recommend to play more than once. It features an odd combination of being addicting and frustrating. I have now deleted it and to be totally honest, I’m am happy to never touch it again.)
