AI, VR, AR - Are We Going to Live in the World Created by William Gibson?

To start with, this article will be slightly different from others. Why?

This time, I won’t be analyzing recent events but rather trying to imagine what the future bears for us and what changes we are going to face with the real arrival of AI, VR, and AR. 

Yes, you may argue that we use all the mentioned technologies. 

Artificial intelligence is increasingly applied just everywhere: education, IT, healthcare - whatever industry you take, you can find how AI can improve it.

And indeed, according to McKinsey, from 2020 to 2021, AI adoption in companies in developed countries has grown from 50 to over 56%.

And in companies with headquarters located in emerging economies, the growth is even more impressive - from 45% in 2020 to 57% in 2021.

Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/global-survey-the-state-of-ai-in-2021 

AI adoption also means AI development, so with time, artificial intelligence systems get smarter. Take ChatGPT, for example. It already can support chats and write meaningful texts, and it even can code!

In my opinion, the best acknowledgment of its abilities is the fact that some schools forbid it. 

AI Use Cases

But where can AI be used? Practically everywhere if one doesn’t require non-standard solutions of creativity.

If you have a look at the scheme below, you will see that frequency of applications (the number) depends directly on how much the system can rely on already available data and patterns.

Source: McKinsey

So, even though we can speculate on further AI development and its possible taking over of our place, it still lacks many things. Whenever it comes to a non-standard situation of expressing creativity, AI fails. 

But can it already serve to make us experience new virtual worlds? 

AI alone is not sufficient here. But we are already observing the development of such technologies as virtual reality and augmented reality.

Combined with AI, they may enable us to experience worlds like those created by William Gibson in his science-fiction novels. 

But again, how far are we from it?

VR and AR - We are Working On Them

Many corporations have been working on developing VR and AR sets for several years.

Every time Microsoft, Meta, or Google announces the arrival of a new VR set, mass media starts yelling about the arrival of virtual worlds. And every time, it ends with nothing.

Source: CNBC 

Now, Apple is working on a new mixed-reality headset. The company claims that this headset will be suitable for wearing all day long, and it may eventually replace laptops and smartphones by making them obsolete.

The headset is supposed to deliver the most realistic experience: it will be packed with all the new technologies such as a flexible OLED screen, dual 4K displays, and cameras that analyze the wearer’s eye movements, body indicators, and the external environment. 

Can this device make a shift to virtual world adoption? 

Well, I doubt it. First of all, its price will be far from affordable to the majority of people. Second, the battery charge is going to last about 2 hours only.

And finally, who would want to wear a device all day long, especially considering that it won’t work properly outdoors? 

It may still become a hit once Apple finds a way to reduce the price, extend the battery charge, and add more apps for the set to work with. But for now, there is no way to push this headset to mass adoption. 

Is Apple putting its reputation on the line? I don’t think so; eventually, they may find a way to make something unique that will beat all their competitors.

But the problem is that for now, there is no high demand for such sets, and the applications of virtual reality are still very limited.

Brain-Machine Interfaces and Brain-Computer Interfaces

What is needed though to make it work and finally to make us live virtual experiences as if they were real ones?

Source: ALS Association

Something very practical is needed.

I believe that the future of virtual experiences is in brain-computer interfaces or brain-machine interfaces.

They establish direct communication between a human brain and an external device - a gadget or a tool.

For now, BCIs are used mostly in the medical field and still aren’t applied widely. But what if somebody finds a viable way and resources to implement BCIs in daily life?

With them, we will be able to move from all those bulky keyboards, mice, and other control elements to managing devices directly with the brain. 

Even though the idea of BCIs is at least 50 years old, the technology still hasn’t advanced much. So, we are also waiting for what will come from this side.

VR and AI Isn’t Everything

Let’s assume that a perfect VR set is developed, and AI has progressed enough to enable us to experience a life-like virtual world. Would it be sufficient for mass adoption?

People don’t like to be detached from the real world; therefore, they won’t use VR combined with AI. Therefore, something is needed that would help people to keep that connection to reality. This is Augmented Reality.

Combined with VR, AR can make the breakthrough that will change the way we work, interact, and live. That’s why when we speak about the world of the future, we mention these two technologies together. 

Source: WEF

As you can see, it is expected that the predicted market size for VR/AR software for various use cases will grow significantly by 2025. 

Are There Any Dangers?

Whenever something new is invented, many people meet it with fear. The same can be told about artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality.

And indeed, while the benefits of these technologies and their combination are undeniable, there are some problems to solve before we can use them freely.

How will the AI-, VR, and AR-enabled virtual worlds be regulated? What will be the law ruling them, and how human is it going to be?

How crimes committed in a virtual world shall be treated, and whether they shall be considered crimes? These questions aren’t unanswered yet. 

Another problem that is getting traction today is copyright protection. Shall AI-generated works be protected, and if yes, what legislation shall apply?

This question arises because AI doesn’t create original content, but it generates the content based on the information that is already available. And, in most cases, is copyright protected. 

It is unclear how to protect identity in a virtual world. As long as we are going to use avatars, what happens if somebody steals an identity, and whether it shall be considered a crime? 

Will We Be There Soon?

Even when technological obstacles are eliminated, we still have to think about how to handle all those challenges that are not connected to technology.

Only when we know how to do it and develop proper mechanisms to regulate those matters can we advance with the adoption of virtual worlds.