Evolve 2018: AR, VR, & the Future of Work

Summary

The speaker, a futurist and immersive technologist, discusses the potential of augmented and virtual reality to democratize knowledge and revolutionize learning. They emphasize the importance of embodied cognition in education and the power of immersive technology to harness attention and transform various industries. The talk also addresses the exponential growth of VR/AR, its current and future use cases, and the need for considering safety and ethical implications as these technologies advance.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker is a futurist and immersive technologist specializing in augmented and virtual reality, aiming to democratize knowledge and break the brain-body binary.
• 🏙️ Growing up in a small town without access to information, the speaker's work now focuses on making immersive computing accessible to businesses globally.
• 🎓 As a faculty member at Singularity University, the speaker believes in the importance of embodied learning and the potential of VR and AR to enhance it.
• 🤝 The speaker emphasizes the value of immersive technologies for collaboration and knowledge sharing in a more interactive and embodied way.
• 📈 Immersive technologies like VR and AR are seen as top trends by leading analysts and are pursued by major tech companies for their disruptive potential.
• 🧠 The speaker discusses the concept of 'cognitive ecology', highlighting how our bodies and environments play a crucial role in learning and retaining information.
• 📚 Immersive technologies can revolutionize training and learning by making use of our physical presence to offload information and enhance memory retention.
• 🎨 The speaker argues that new forms of representation for ideas, such as VR and AR, can lead to new ways of thinking and understanding complex concepts.
• 💡 Immersive technologies can provide unique experiences, such as touching virtual objects in a museum, offering new ways to learn and engage with the world.
• 🚀 The industry is predicted to grow exponentially, with AR expected to capture an increasing market share and disrupt various sectors.
• 🛠 The speaker encourages embracing the potential of VR and AR for practical applications, such as training, design, and logistics, beyond mere entertainment.

Q & A

What are the two main drivers of the speaker's work in immersive technology?

The speaker's two main drivers are democratizing knowledge and information, and breaking apart the brain-body binary inherited from Greco-Roman ancestors to put people back in their bodies.

How did the speaker's background influence their interest in immersive technology?

The speaker grew up in a small town in West Texas, which was classified as a frontier with limited access to information and resources. This background influenced their interest in using immersive technology to democratize access to knowledge and information.

What is the speaker's professional role in the field of VR and AR?

The speaker is a futurist and immersive technologist who consults with Fortune 500 companies globally, is a VR AR faculty member at Singularity University, and has been an executive in San Francisco and a leader in Design Thinking transformation for IBM.

What is the speaker's perspective on the importance of being in our bodies for learning and collaboration?

The speaker believes deeply in the importance of being in our bodies for learning and collaboration, stating that we learn best and collaborate most effectively when we have embodied, interactive ways of sharing information and knowledge.

Why does the speaker argue that immersive technology can help democratize access to information?

The speaker argues that immersive technology can help democratize access to information by providing a platform that allows for a more immersive and engaging way to share and learn, which can be scaled to reach more people.

What is the speaker's view on the current state of consumer adoption of VR and AR technology?

The speaker acknowledges that the technology is still expensive, not yet small enough to be portable and useful, and that wearing VR devices can be socially awkward. These factors contribute to the slow mass consumer adoption.

What does the speaker mean by 'harnessing attention' in the context of VR and AR?

Harnessing attention refers to the ability of VR and AR to create a sense of physical presence and full immersive attention, which can help manage information overload by providing a more focused and engaging way to interact with information.

How does the speaker describe the impact of immersive technology on training and learning?

The speaker describes the impact as revolutionary, stating that immersive technology can help address the diminishing half-life of skills and the challenges of training employees on new technology by providing more interactive and embodied learning experiences.

What is the 'Cone of Learning' mentioned by the speaker, and how does it relate to immersive technology?

The 'Cone of Learning' is a concept created by Edgar Dale that illustrates the different levels of retention based on the method of learning. The speaker relates it to immersive technology by pointing out that interactive learning, such as using VR and AR, can significantly increase retention rates.

What are some of the potential use cases for VR and AR technology that the speaker discusses?

The speaker discusses a range of potential use cases for VR and AR technology, including architectural collaboration, cave automation systems for design, pharmaceutical design, remote expertise and education, logistics, try-before-you-buy experiences, recruitment, and analytics tools.

What does the speaker suggest about the future of VR and AR technology in terms of market growth and adoption?

The speaker suggests that the market for VR and AR technology is expected to grow significantly, with Goldman Sachs predicting it to be a $107 billion industry by 2025. The speaker also notes the increasing rate of technology adoption and the potential for AR to disrupt various market ecosystems.

What ethical considerations does the speaker highlight regarding the use of VR and AR technology?

The speaker highlights the importance of considering safety and ethics in the use of VR and AR technology, including research on the impact on brain development, especially in children, and the need for standards around digital rights and privacy due to the technology's data collection capabilities.

How does the speaker encourage the audience to approach the integration of VR and AR technology into their work?

The speaker encourages the audience to embrace the gray area between pragmatism and imagination, to balance optimism with skepticism, and to have the vision and courage to implement these technologies to create the future of work.