Dystopian! This Apple product has former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey worried

Apple Vision Pro has been the talk of the world since Apple unveiled it at WWDC 2023. And why shouldn’t it? It is something out of a science fiction film like Ready Player One. Several tech moguls such as Twitter owner Elon Musk and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have given their opinions on Apple’s first AR/VR headset, and while the Vision Pro has got Pichai excited about the future of technology, it has left former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey concerned about its impact on humanity.

Apple Vision Pro – Mark of a dystopian future?

During an interview with Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti on the Breaking Points podcast, Dorsey expressed his concerns about the AR/VR headset, likening it to WALL-E, a dystopian future film by Pixar where humans have left Earth, straddled on a mobile chair with their eyes fixated on floating screens. While acknowledging the potential tech advancements that have been introduced by Vision Pro, Dorsey emphasized the need for a balanced approach in order to prevent future generations from being consumed by AR and VR technology.

“I think they have the propensity to be phenomenal for gaming. I think it’s an obvious user interface evolution. I’m super-worried and concerned with how out-of-touch it might make people — and how it distances us even further,” he said during his conversation with the former co-hosts of The Hill’s Rising.

Taking inspiration from science fiction

The former Twitter CEO also spoke about the interplay between science fiction novels like Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One and Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, adding that “If you want to understand the future of any technology, just read science fiction.”

Dorsey, who is currently the CEO of Square, highlighted the all-important role of science fiction in shaping the ideas and ambitions of creators in developing these technologies and bringing them to life.

While AR and VR technologies are going to develop and gain much more importance in the future, Dorsey said ” I’m skeptical about some of the benefits, and I hope we have an honest conversation about some of the harms around more and more social distancing.”