Balancing productivity and escapism in the age of AI and VR
The rise of generative AI technologies and immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences pose a unique dilemma for the post-industrial society we live in today.
While these developments have enormous potential to revolutionize the way we live and work, they also pose a significant risk of exacerbating existing societal trends of escapism, potentially putting significant pressure on the workforce.
Escapism is already on the rise
The phenomenon of escapism is not new. In Japan, the Hikikomori – reclusive individuals who withdraw from society to seek solace in virtual worlds – serve as a cautionary tale. These individuals, who are primarily young men, choose to opt out of the workforce and community involvement, fulfilling their needs for companionship, achievement, and even sexual gratification through the gritty proxies of video games and pornography. With millions of such individuals, the economic and social impact on Japan is palpable.
This trend is not limited to Japan. In the West, especially in the United States, there are increasing numbers of working-age men who are not only unemployed but also not seeking work or education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men between the ages of 25 and 54 have been dropping out of the workforce for decades. Their employment rate recovered between 2017 and 2019, but fell again during the Covid pandemic and has still not recovered despite record employment growth. The appeal of digital escapism through video games and online content is contributing to this withdrawal, as these virtual experiences become increasingly sophisticated and immersive.
Daniel Faggella, Founder and Head of Research, Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research.
Digital lotus eaters
The rise of technologies like Apple Vision Pro and generative video platforms like SORA are testament to the rapid advancement of VR and AR. While these technologies promise to improve our lives in a variety of ways—from immersive gaming to practical applications like checking email during a morning walk—they also have the potential to deepen the escapist trend and create a class of individuals who have little contribute to the economy or society.
As the digital ‘Lotus’ – the seductive lure of virtual experiences – becomes more attractive, we risk losing more people to the entertainment and distraction of the virtual world.
At this point, video games and adult content provide a very rough proxy for fulfilling deep human needs for companionship, achievement, novelty, and sexual release.
Soon, AI-generated, hyper-customized personal experiences will offer more than a crude proxy; they will provide a viable (and often richer) alternative.
3D experiences
According to data from Comparitech, the average American spends more than seven hours a day looking at screens. For many users, this time will shift to virtual worlds. Imagine an AI system trained on the user’s rich, 3D experiences, as well as their biofeedback. Such a system could ‘conjure up’ experiences that are better than ‘real ones’.
The appeal of VR and AR lies in the future promise of these technologies to meet our needs more reliably than traditional methods. For example, someone seeking relaxation may find that a VR experience, tailored to their preferences and adjusted in real time based on biofeedback, provides a more consistent and satisfying sense of calm than a walk in the woods or a conversation with a friend.
Likewise, entertainment (switching plots and genres to keep you engaged in real time), sexual satisfaction, and even friendship/companionship (imagine a friend who gives the best advice, knows you completely, and always makes you feel good) ) can be fulfilled more. effectively in a virtual environment, tailored to the wishes of the individual.
We can imagine a similar dynamic for simulating fun experiences with AI “friends” or romantic partners.
Nowadays, for some young men, winning certain accolades in Fortnite is more satisfying than starting a business or a career. When AI-generated experiences become all the more customized to appeal to the “performance circuits” of individual users, how many more of them will choose to fulfill that circuit in a personal oasis rather than in real life world – so full of disappointments and annoyances?
Achieving a social “gain with AI/VR”
We are faced with the challenge of how to harness the potential of VR and AR in a way that maintains citizen involvement in the economy, in governance systems and/or in the sciences. To increase and encourage ‘contributors’, not just ‘lotus eaters’.
One approach is to develop what I call “aspirational AI ecosystems”: immersive AI environments designed to help individuals focus and achieve specific goals, whether in business, science, or personal development . These environments can gamify the pursuit of objectives, making the process of achieving goals as engaging as any video game.
Technology alone cannot solve the problem. We need to cultivate a social consciousness and set of norms that encourage engagement with the real world and discourage escapism. This can include promoting the value of real-world performance and interactions, as well as ensuring that VR and AR technologies are used in ways that enhance, rather than replace, real-life experiences.
Ultimately, it’s about a profound issue: what do we really want with our lives? The digital age has brought us to a point where we can fulfill our desires in ways that are more immediately satisfying than ever before. As we navigate this new landscape, however, we must ask ourselves whether these virtual fulfillments are really what we seek, or whether they are merely distractions from the deeper, more meaningful experiences life has to offer.
As we stand on the cusp of a promising new era of virtual reality, we must proceed with caution and ensure that we use these powerful technologies to improve our lives rather than escape from them. It seems safe to say that countries that put their best minds to work on real and contributing goals will be best suited to prosper in the rest of the 21st century – and the trajectory of this technology will be largely determined in the next half decade are determined.
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