The starting point
Compassion becomes concrete through listening, assistance, and changes that address another person’s needs. A technological prompt may remind you to act, but the recipient’s preferences matter more than the feeling or score the experience gives you.
What is hypothetical
This discussion of potential for manipulation includes a design scenario from the manuscript. Read proposed capabilities conditionally. A real product would need evidence for its exact use, a clear account of errors and limitations, and meaningful control for the person using it. An engaging demonstration alone would not establish a health or learning benefit.
Potential for Manipulation
With useful technology comes the risk of manipulation. VR experiences could potentially be designed to manipulate users into feeling a certain way, even serving political or commercial agendas. If compassion training is used with the wrong intent, it could shape emotions in ways that benefit certain groups while harming others.
Imagine a VR experience designed to evoke empathy only for a specific cause, ignoring the broader picture or omitting key perspectives. This selective empathy could skew people’s perceptions and lead to biased attitudes.
Question: How can we ensure that these technologies are used ethically, supporting genuine understanding rather than serving narrow interests?
A concrete way to think about it
Consider a donation request that appears immediately after an intense immersive story. Ask who selected the story, who receives the money, and whether the portrayal is accurate and authorized. Give yourself time to decide outside the experience. Compassion does not require surrendering ordinary judgment about an organization, a claim, or the wishes of the people represented.
Sources & further reading
- NIST: Generative artificial intelligence risk profilenvlpubs.nist.gov
- FDA: Augmented and virtual reality in medical deviceswww.fda.gov