The CEO to SpaceX and Tesla explained how the improvement of video games could result in the line blurring between simulation and reality. Mr Musk revealed he probably wouldn’t have got into programming if it wasn’t for video games. He added games have a big effect on people, more than they realise.
Mr Musk said at the conference: “If you assume any greater improvement in video games at all, then one of two things are gonna happen: Civilisation will end or games will be so realistic you can’t tell the difference between them and reality.
“Just for your information, we could be somebody’s video game right now.”
His comments come after the announcement of a racing game added to Tesla cars.
Mr Musk has teamed up with Todd Howard, the developer of Fallout and Elder Scrolls, to make the game.
READ MORE: SpaceX SNUB: Royal Astronomical Society ‘concerned’ by Starlink
It operates using the steering wheel as a screen shows a track.
He hopes the screen will also be able to stream YouTube and Netflix.
Mr Musk added: “I mean, if you have a racing game and you have a steering wheel it’s sitting right there, waiting to be steered.”
The car would be stationary during the game.
The release date of the game called Beach Buggy Racing 2 has yet to be announced.
Earlier on the panel, Mr Musk compared life to a video game.
He joked: “If reality was a video game, the graphics are great, the plot is terrible and the spawn time is really long.”
Mr Musk who has previously speculated about whether life is a video game said people should ask themselves “whose avatar are you?”