The rise of generative AI technologies as well as immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences present a unique dilemma for the post-industrial society we now live in.
While these advancements hold tremendous potential to revolutionize the way we live and work, they also pose a significant risk of exacerbating existing societal trends of escapism, potentially leading to a major drain on the workforce.
Escapism already on the rise
The phenomenon of escapism is not new. In Japan, the Hikikomori–reclusive individuals who withdraw from society to seek solace in virtual worlds–serve as a cautionary tale. Primarily young men, these individuals opt out of the workforce and societal engagement, fulfilling their needs for companionship, achievement, and even sexual gratification through the rough proxies of video games and pornography. With millions of such individuals, the economic and societal impact on Japan is palpable.
This trend is not confined to Japan. In the West, particularly in the United States, there is a growing occurrence of working-age men who are not only unemployed, but also disengaged from seeking work or education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men ages 25 to 54 have been dropping out of the workforce for decades. Their participation rate rebounded between 2017 to 2019 but dropped again during the Covid pandemic and still has not recovered despite record job growth. The allure of digital escapism through video games and online content is a contributing factor to this disengagement as these virtual experiences become increasingly sophisticated and compelling.
Digital lotus eaters
The advent of technologies like the Apple Vision Pro and generative video platforms like SORA testifies to the rapid advancement of VR and AR. While these technologies promise to enhance our lives in various ways–from immersive gaming to practical applications like checking emails on a morning walk–they also carry the potential to deepen the escapism trend and lead to a class of individuals who contribute little to the economy or society.
As the digital “Lotus”–the seductive appeal of virtual experiences–becomes more enticing, we risk losing more people to the entertainment and distraction of the virtual world.
Right now video games and adult content provide a very rough proxy for fulfilling deep human needs for companionship, achievement, novelty, and sexual release.
Soon AI-generated, hyper-customized personal experiences will offer more than a rough proxy, they’ll offer a viable (and often more rich) alternative.
3-D experiences
According to Comparitech data, the average American spends more than 7 hours a day looking at screens. For many users, this time will shift into virtual worlds. Imagine an AI system trained on the rich, 3-D experiences of its user, as well as their biofeedback. Such a system could “conjure” experiences that are better than “real.”
The allure of VR and AR lies in these technologies’ future promise to meet our needs more reliably than traditional methods. For example, someone seeking relaxation might find that a VR experience, tailored to their preferences and adjusted in real time based on biofeedback, provides a more consistent and satisfying sense of calm than a walk in the woods or conversation with a friend.
Similarly, entertainment (shifting plot and genre to keep you engaged in real time), sexual gratification, and even friendship/camaraderie (imagine a friend who gives the best advice, knows you completely, and always makes you feel good) could be fulfilled more effectively in a virtual environment, tailored to the individual’s desires.
We could imagine similar dynamics for simulating fun experiences with AI “friends”, or romantic partners.
Today, winning certain accolades in Fortnite is more fulfilling to some young men than starting a business or a career. When AI-generated experiences are all the more customized to appeal to the “achievement” circuits of individual users, how many more of them will choose to fulfill that circuit in a personal haven rather than the real world - so full of disappointments and annoyances?
Achieving a societal “win with AI / VR”
We are facing the challenge of how to harness the potential of VR and AR in a way that retains the involvement of citizens in the economy, in systems of governance, and/or in the sciences. To augment and encourage “contributors,” not merely “lotus eaters.”
One approach is to develop what I term “ambitious AI ecosystems”–immersive AI environments designed to help individuals focus and achieve specific goals, whether it be in business, science, or personal development. These environments could gamify the pursuit of objectives, making the process of achieving goals as engaging as any video game.
Technology alone cannot solve the problem. We must cultivate a societal awareness and set of norms that encourages engagement with the real world and discourages escapism. This might involve promoting the value of real-world achievements and interactions, as well as ensuring that VR and AR technologies are used in ways that enhance, rather than replace, real-life experiences.
Ultimately, the issue at hand is a profound one: what do we truly want for our lives? The digital age has brought us to a point where we can fulfill our desires in ways that are more immediately gratifying than ever before. However, navigating this new landscape, we must ask ourselves whether these virtual fulfillments are truly what we seek or if they are mere distractions from the deeper, more meaningful experiences that life has to offer.
As we stand on the brink of a promising new era of virtual reality, we must tread carefully, ensuring we use these powerful technologies to enhance our lives rather than escape from them. It seems safe to say that nations who keep their best minds working on real and contributive aims will be best suited to prosper in the remainder of the 21st century - and the trajectory of this technology will in large part be set in the coming half decade.
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