After many years of anticipation, immersive technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality appear poised for explosive growth. As with any new technology, however, social and economic concerns will inevitably arise that demand policymakers’ attention.

Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Adam Thierer and former Mercatus Research Assistant Jonathan Camp educate readers on advances in immersive technologies and their potential policy implications. The study recommends a “permissionless innovation” model to protect and cultivate an innovative immersive technology industry.

Background

Immersive technology includes augmented reality (AR), which displays digital information to enhance users’ natural environments, and virtual reality (VR), which immerses users in a completely digital environment. These technologies are poised to radically affect multiple industries:

Education and museums . Immersing users in virtual environments allows Google’s Expedition Pioneer Program to provide 360-degree video tours of famous landmarks and ruins, and museums are already using AR technology to provide interactive content.

. Immersing users in virtual environments allows Google’s Expedition Pioneer Program to provide 360-degree video tours of famous landmarks and ruins, and museums are already using AR technology to provide interactive content. Worker training and systems monitoring . VR industrial simulators such as ForgeFX are being used to train workers to master a variety of complex tasks, while AR systems can be leveraged to help farmers with crop management from afar.

. VR industrial simulators such as ForgeFX are being used to train workers to master a variety of complex tasks, while AR systems can be leveraged to help farmers with crop management from afar. Healthcare . CT scans and MRIs are being converted into 3-D models to perform surgery that was once thought impossible, and the world’s first VR medical training facility opened in London in November of 2016.

. CT scans and MRIs are being converted into 3-D models to perform surgery that was once thought impossible, and the world’s first VR medical training facility opened in London in November of 2016. Engineering . Virtual modeling technology is being combined with VR to allow touring of unbuilt vehicles and buildings, lowering the costs of construction and design.

. Virtual modeling technology is being combined with VR to allow touring of unbuilt vehicles and buildings, lowering the costs of construction and design. Military. The military has used VR for combat simulations, medic training, flight simulators, vehicle simulators, and even the treatment of PTSD.

Governance

While immersive technology is incredibly promising, challenges lie ahead in the form of privacy, safety, and intellectual property concerns. As these challenges arise, lawmakers are encouraged to resist a “precautionary principle” approach that may hamstring a promising industry and instead pursue a “permissionless innovation” model to encourage development: