DanArmak comments on Malthusian copying: mass death of unhappy life-loving uploads - Less Wrong
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ISTM that the major flaw in Hanson's logic is the assumption that uploads won't replace themselves with simpler nonsentients based on their expertise. The real evolutionary pressure wouldn't be to have optimum levels of pain and pleasure, but to replace motivation with automation: it takes less power, computing time, and storage space.
That's an explicit assumption he makes: that even the future ems will fail to design AIs or highly-modifed or nonhuman ems that will outcompete regular human ems. This seems to me very unlikely, but it's the premise of the discussion, as you correctly note.
Edit: didn't mean to imply Hanson makes this assumption without arguing for it and justifying it. I'm pretty sure he's posted about it.