Extended Reality and Ethics: Coexistence in the Modern Era

Extended Reality or XR is the interaction between humans and machines generated by technology in which both virtual and physical environments are combined. The XR market has seen significant growth within the last few years. Kenneth Research estimates that the increase of the global GDP will in turn allow the XR market to continue to grow well into 2026. 

Ethical Dilemmas  

Extended reality has given humans the ability to expand their identity, knowledge, environment, and agency, but, as with any advancement, it also creates problems.

These issues stem from worries about data privacy, suppression, regulation, interactions, and psychological implications. Many of these issues boil down into one, vulnerability. Extended reality and the ethical consumption of it can coexist if it is created and regulated with the vulnerable in mind.

A vulnerable group that is a concern for XR developers is children and adolescents. Their ability to distinguish between reality and what is virtual is minimal and therefore the effects of this technology on them may be unprecedented. This also applies to those who suffer from psychosis or other mental issues. The same goes for laborers and artists who have to interact in these spaces daily. This also then extends to the general public. If all of these groups are vulnerable how can XR accommodate for them?

Adaptations

To allow for XR to work in a multitude of situations and for various groups of people developers must keep adaptation in mind.

This means taking into account the research done by mental health professionals for extended reality programs that can work for those with mental health issues. Consulting mental health professionals can also be useful for the development of XRtfor the general public and adolescents. This is because information on the psyche of these groups can help drive adaptation that allows for the ethical consumption of these programs.

For laborers, research must be put into protecting them in case they are exposed to content they are uncomfortable with due to the nature of their work. This research should then lead to protection programs that will allow for these workers to be immersed into XR safely.

For artists, an algorithm may suppress their work in an XR space. This can be fixed by modifying these environments to avoid suppression. Also, this should then lead to the creation of new copyright laws to protect their work in this new environment.

For the general public, data privacy is a concern, especially in an extended reality environment. The way to adapt to this is by educating the public on how to protect themselves in this area. Informed consent is key to protect this group. All people in this environment should be educated on what entering it means and how their data is being used.