Do we need a code of conduct for virtual reality?

By Duncan Geere

A team of German researchers has come up with a list of the major risks that might arise with virtual reality technology, as well as a “code of conduct” to minimise problems down the line.

The promise that VR holds in business, education and entertainment has driven major excitement around the technology in the last few years. But Michael Madary and Thomas Metzinger from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz say that associated ethical concerns have received far less attention.

“One’s environment can influence one’s psychological states,” the pair write in the article, published in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI.

“Immersion in VR can have psychological effects that last after leaving the virtual environment.”

Referring to recent studies showing these effects, Madary and Metzinger argue that VR could create vast opportunities for psychological manipulation. “These studies suggest that VR poses risks that are novel, that go beyond the risks of traditional psychological experiments in isolated environments, and that go beyond the risks of existing media technology for the general public.”

Solutions

The code of conduct they have come up with as a solution revolves partially around scientific practice.

Researchers shouldn’t create false hopes in patients, for example, and repeatedly remind them of the experimental …read more

Source:: techradar.com – Gaming