METAVERSE 2030

Preface: Three decades ago while working at Air Force Research Laboratory, I developed the first interactive Augmented Reality system, enabling users to reach out and touch a mixed world of real and virtual objects. I was so inspired by the reactions people had when they tried those early prototypes, I founded one of the first VR companies in 1993, Immersion Corp, and later founded the early AR company, Outland Research. Yes, I've been a believer for a long time. Looking forward, I expect augmented reality to become the platform of our lives, replacing smartphones as our primary means of accessing digital content. I still believe in the magical potential, but also fear the negative consequences. To paint a balanced picture of what our augmented lives will be like ten years from now, I've written the short narrative below. Like any fictional forecast it will not play out exactly like this, but I'm confident that the convergence of augmented reality and artificial intelligence will make much of this portrayal come true. It was a tiny room no larger than a walk-in closet. A small woman in a crisp white lab coat stood beside a large optometry machine, its smooth black surface covered in silver dials and knobs and levers. Flipping between settings she asked, "Better or worse?" "Better," rang a voice from behind the contraption. The woman pulled the machine forward, revealing Gordon Pines, squinting as the overhead lights suddenly came on. Balding with gray stubble, he looked older than his 68 years would suggest. That's because he was tired -- exhausted from the simple act of leaving his small apartment and venturing out into the busy city. Chicago had been his home for three decades but somehow it just didn't feel familiar anymore.