Questions for Augmented Human / Hologram Clip
Hello Everyone,
It seems that my current Chrome settings made the site rather limited in accessibility, but I have been able to fully access it with the scripts and such through Microsoft Edge. If anyone else has been having similar issues, switching browsers might be a quick fix. I think we went over much of the content of these, but here are my questions from last Wednesday:
1. In the second chapter, Papagiannis discusses the possibilities of augmented reality to essentially ‘mute’ or ‘block’ out an individual, very much like one would do on present-day social media. She is quick to note the similarities of such a concept to television dramas containing dark themes such as Black Mirror and adds that mediated reality has the potential to foster a culture of avoidance and even ignorance. Though it could be argued that such technology is well beyond the grasp and implementation of our policy makers, should we be concerned that such a development could essentially silence and/or erase the concerns of those at the margins? With examples such as the Ontario provincial government’s recent efforts of erasure towards LGBTQ and indigenous peoples in the public education system, should we be weary of censoring technology getting into the hands of authority?
2. Augmented reality undoubtedly holds great promise, but one is led to ask if such a field of development can maintain any level of autonomy by the time that it researches a stage of mass usage and consumption. Is it possible for such technology to reach a wide range of users in the near future without being absorbed into a corporate juggernaut such as Facebook?
3. In chapter eight, Papagiannis cites Cassie Goldring, who states that the point of AR is not to become superhuman, but rather to allow us to reach our full potential, connect us in new ways, and ultimately gain a deeper understanding of one another. Are such boundaries possible given the current climate of profit-driven enterprises and fame-seeking?
4. In the final chapter, Papagiannis concludes by stating that “Seeing realities that are not yet actualized can stir our willingness to welcome and celebrate new possibilities, in turn expanding our consciousness to better humanity and activate change to benefit many.” Are there particularly relevant areas that you feel this statement applies to in our current sociopolitical climate?
Also, if anyone is interested in viewing, here’s a clip of the hologram of Hideto Matsumoto (Hide) that I mentioned during class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwwg5v57kig