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| Possibly to the detriment of real-world interactions among humans. Photo: Source |
After wearing the Vision Pro during a half-hour demonstration meticulously orchestrated by Apple, I joined the ranks of those blown away by all the impressive technology Apple has packed into the goggles-like headset. Still, that excitement was muted by a disquieting sense of having just passed through a gateway that eventually will lead society down another avenue of digital isolation.
At the end of his article Liedtke had this warning for those captivated by the superficial, though visually stunning, attributes of the Apple device or for those on the rampage as they push for a Homo Deus outcome for technology, the consequences be damned:
The most likely scenario is that Vision Pro in some ways is Apple’s testbed for mixed reality that will encourage the development of more apps especially designed to take advantage of the technology. The next ripple effect will be an array of other products equipped with similarly compelling technology at lower price points that stand a better chance sucking more people — including children — into a realm that threatens to deepen screen addictions to the detriment of real-world interactions among humans.
Already the development of social media has blighted the lives of many through the spread of social isolation:
With social media apps at our fingertips, it’s not uncommon for online interactions to substitute face-to-face catchups.
But when we spend more time following our friends’ updates online than we do seeing them in person, it can lead to social withdrawal and alienation.
Research shows a link between heavy social media use and feelings of social isolation and loneliness.
It found those who spend the most time on social media (more than two hours a day) had twice the odds of perceived social isolation than those who said they spent half an hour or less a day on those sites.
Balanced, self-disciplined use of technology is imperative, but by way of emphasising how technology does shape our society, something recently seen on Twitter:
It’s sad, as a teen I remember going to a record store and listening to music while deciding with one to purchase. Taking the record home and playing it on the phonograph while friends gathered around and laughed and talked and listened. All that is gone, and social interaction today is mobs of teens videotaping their destruction of the local business area on the weekend and watching it go viral while they text each other. I fear for our nation when this generation is in their 40-50’s. What will be left?
If not virtual reality goggles and the like to salve the human impulse to explore and invent, what? The answer is to go to the heart of life for all co-existing on this planet: “access to food and water, respect for the environment, health care, energy sources and the equitable distribution of the world’s goods.”
That quote comes from a statement of Pope Francis to the bishop of Hiroshima, the Japanese martyr city that hosted the G7 summit last month. This is the relevant part of the Pope's statement:
Nuclear weapons are a “risk that offers only an illusion of peace.” Instead, “responsible multilateral cooperation” is needed to provide “access to food and water, respect for the environment, health care, energy sources and the equitable distribution of the world’s goods.”
Ω See also:
4 dangers that most worry AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton
Artificial intelligence could lead to extinction, experts warn
Jonathan Freedland's The future of AI is chilling – humans have to act together to overcome this threat to civilisation
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