How Virtual Reality Could Encode Bias and Inequality | Joshua Adams | TEDxSalemStateUniversity

Summary

The transcript explores the growing impact of virtual reality (VR) in customer service, retail, and society. It highlights how VR offers benefits such as virtual shopping experiences and improved product visualization. However, ethical concerns arise, particularly regarding control over digital avatars in the workplace. A scenario involving Mark, a customer service worker whose dreadlocks are rejected in his virtual avatar, illustrates the potential for VR to reinforce real-world cultural biases. The speaker cautions against 'techno fundamentalism,' urging consideration of the broader societal implications as VR technology evolves.

Takeaways

• 😀 Virtual reality (VR) is commonly associated with video games but has broader potential, including applications in customer service and PTSD treatment.
• 😀 Jaron Lanier, a tech philosopher and coder, coined the term 'virtuality' and is influential in the field of VR development.
• 😀 Technological advances, like VR, happen rapidly, transforming everyday experiences, such as the evolution of phone services to smartphones in our pockets.
• 😀 VR's future in consumer shopping is promising, with examples like IKEA, Alibaba, Samsung, and Audi already exploring VR stores and virtual test drives.
• 😀 VR offers benefits such as allowing users to try on clothes virtually, view product dimensions in real-time, and avoid errors in buying furniture by accurately measuring room space.
• 😀 Despite its benefits, VR also raises ethical concerns, including the impact of technology on culture, society, and personal expression.
• 😀 A hypothetical thought experiment explores the ethical dilemma of how companies control employees' avatars, such as forcing a worker to cut their dreads to conform to company standards.
• 😀 Legal precedents, like rulings allowing discrimination against dreadlocks in real life, suggest that similar issues could arise in virtual environments.
• 😀 The control over avatars extends to issues like race, gender, and appearance, raising questions about whether companies should dictate how employees represent themselves digitally.
• 😀 The integration of language translation technologies with VR could exacerbate biases, as seen in a scenario where a virtual avatar of a Dalit woman from India is misrepresented as Marilyn Monroe.
• 😀 Techno fundamentalism is the belief that technology can solve all societal problems, but the script warns that over-reliance on technology can also disrupt cultures and exacerbate existing inequalities.

Q & A

What is virtual reality (VR) commonly associated with in popular culture?

In popular culture, virtual reality is often associated with video games, such as immersive experiences like the Jurassic Park arcade game or virtual space museums.

Who coined the term 'virtual reality' and what is his background?

The term 'virtual reality' was coined by Jaron Lanier, who is a tech philosopher, coder, and a brilliant thinker in the field of virtuality.

What are some current uses of virtual reality in customer service?

Virtual reality is already being used in customer service for applications like virtual stores (e.g., IKEA), online shopping, and car test drives (e.g., with Samsung and Audi).

What are the potential benefits of virtual reality in customer service?

The benefits of virtual reality in customer service include allowing customers to try on clothes or visualize products in their own space, saving time and effort in the shopping process.

What is the potential market size for virtual reality by 2020?

It was estimated that by 2020, there would be $14 billion in software sales in the realm of virtual reality.

What is the main ethical concern raised by the speaker regarding virtual reality?

The main ethical concern is how virtual reality can potentially amplify societal biases and disrupt cultural norms, particularly in terms of avatar representations and workplace policies.

What was the dilemma Mark faced regarding his virtual reality avatar?

Mark, an African-American male with dreads, was told by his boss that he could keep his dreads in real life but had to cut them off for his virtual avatar, raising questions about freedom of expression and workplace policies.

How does the speaker suggest that biases might manifest in virtual reality?

The speaker suggests that biases in virtual reality could include discrimination based on appearance, such as requiring workers to change their virtual representations to meet certain aesthetic or cultural standards.

What is techno fundamentalism, and how does it relate to the discussion on virtual reality?

Techno fundamentalism is the belief that technology can solve all societal issues. The speaker warns against this mindset, urging people to consider the potential negative consequences of technological advancements like virtual reality.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate how VR might augment societal biases?

The speaker provides an example of a Dalit woman from India being represented in a VR simulator as someone who looks like Marilyn Monroe, highlighting how technology could exacerbate cultural biases by altering identities in the virtual world.