Inventor of First AR System Says Metaverse Could Pose More Harm Than Social Media

With major tech shifting toward virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), making room for the metaverse, there is a heated debate regarding the limits — or lack thereof — of this new technology.

Skeptics are concerned that the metaverse may lead to the end of reality as we know it.

Louis Rosenberg, a computer scientist who designed the first working AR system, has cautioned that augmented reality could be considerably worse than social media.

According to Rosenberg, the goal of AR and the metaverse is to display content in the most natural way possible, which implies AR can “change our sense of reality” by removing mental boundaries and changing how we interpret our daily experiences.

“Personally, I find this terrifying. That is because augmented reality will fundamentally change all aspects of society and not necessarily in a good way,” writes Rosenberg in a Big Think article. The computer scientist, who developed the first fully functional AR system — Virtual Fixtures — to train US Air Force pilots in 1992, adds that he is convinced AR will become central to all aspects of life soon but he is concerned about the “legitimate uses” by the powerful social media platforms that will control the infrastructure.

According to Rosenberg, social media manipulates our reality by filtering what we are permitted to see. We are all becoming increasingly reliant on companies to provide and maintain the various layers of technology that exist between us and our daily lives.

And these levels are utilized to control us, according to Rosenberg. “The fact is, we now live in perilous times, and AR has the potential to magnify the hazards to unprecedented degrees.”

He also cautions that AR will become so ingrained in our lives that we will be unable to remove the AR glasses and ignore the problems staring us in the face. Taking off our AR glasses would put us at a social, economic, and intellectual disadvantage.

He does, however, provide some reassurance about the benefits of the technology. “Don’t misunderstand me. “AR has the potential to enrich our lives in great ways,” he says, adding that this technology will allow surgeons to perform more efficiently and effectively. Construction workers, engineers, and scientists will profit, as will the entertainment and education businesses.

Rosenberg urges everyone to be cautious right now, warning that AR has the potential to split society and foment divisions among us.