With the release of the Apple Vision Pro, it feels like the future of technology is arriving right before our eyes, raising questions on how much our world will change as technology continues improving.
The idea that technology will continue to progress to such a degree that the virtual world becomes indistinguishable from the actual world is a terrifying prospect.
These thoughts started with the recent roll-out of the Apple Vision Pro, a headset with cameras that show your physical surroundings, overplaying it with a virtual layout of apps and other services usually limited to your phone.
If you find yourself looking at the Vision Pro in action, it all seems very dystopian, like the Oasis from “Ready Player One.”
My worries come from the knowledge that this is as bad as this technology will ever be.
The technology will only continue to improve from this point forward. Devices will get smaller and easier to carry around with you if the advancements of the cell phone and laptop are models to be followed.
Who is to say that the bulky headsets of today are not inevitably replaced with eyewear that can be worn for long periods of time?
The more reliant we become on technology in our professional and personal lives, the more companies will devote resources to bringing these devices to fruition.
These advancements in artificial reality will no doubt bring about a great deal of convenience to people’s everyday lives, but I cannot help but think that it could also be the end of life as we know it.
Why bother visiting someone when you can see each other virtually as life-like and realistic as if they are sitting right next to you?
Why bother to attend concerts when they are streamed to your augmented reality vehicles and you have ‘front-row’ seats?
We are more reliant on technology than ever. Social media and the internet are massive parts of everyday life and already we see negative results.
Loneliness epidemics, declining mental health and a loss of community are just some of the side effects of this over-reliance that we have already seen take shape. Again, this is as bad as the technology will ever be again.
It may seem promising to envision a future where everything inaccessible in reality is at your fingertips in the virtual one, but I fear that this may remove all meaning from the interactions themselves.
I know it is unlikely this future can be averted, as the proverbial snowball is already rolling downhill, but if we speak out about the things we believe, we really can have an impact.
Get the Vision Pro if you are excited to be a part of our cyberpunk future, but be mindful of what you might be giving up to have a role in the new virtual world that seems to be knocking on our door.
But of course, that’s just one man’s opinion.
Categories: Opinion
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