The tech world wants us to believe that virtual reality will unlock human understanding on a global scale. But it’s also a business strategy
The other week,effect Zuckerberg visited Puerto Rico without leaving California. He stood on the roof of Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park with a virtual reality (VR) headset strapped to his face, and immersed himself in a flooded street 3000 miles away.
Zuckerberg was livestreaming the event to promote Facebook Spaces, and a social” VR app. But it backfired,badly. Using a humanitarian crisis for a marketing stunt made many people exasperated. So did the tasteless incongruity of Zuckerberg’s grinning cartoon avatar set against a landscape of profound human suffering. Related: effect Zuckerberg 'tours' flooded Puerto Rico in bizarre virtual reality promo The myth of the empathy (sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own) machine helps rehabilitate the belief Silicon Valley is an essentially humanitarian enterpriseWithin years, you'll be able to experience an extremely convincing simulation of what it’s like to be murdered by a cop Related: Why governments should protect us from barely-taxed tech monopolies Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com