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What could a "personal" spatial computing device do to a society?

Published: at 11:28 AM

The thing that really stands out and gives me pause with the new Apple Vision Pro device, is just how bound to a person it is. For many, especially if you buy it for yourself, “a personal device” is a great feature!

Every interaction through the Vision Pro will be a reflection of yourself because you are logged in with your Apple ID. That’s great! If you bought it yourself, that’s exactly what you want. It’s a smart move by Apple and from a strategical point I get it: No doubt this will actually drive adoption on a consumer level. It’s a personal device, not a shared piece of equipment.

Alright. Then what?

Denmark is (by some measures) the most digital country in the world. Did you know that iOS has a 67% market share here and only 57% in the US?

While we are a quite wealthy country, libraries (as I’m sure is similar in many other countries) plays a role in making sure access to tech is equal. “Doing your taxes with 1 click”, still assumes you have physical access to a computing device and there are of course many reasons why a citizen might not have that access. Libraries grant anyone free unrestricted access to computers, Playstations and even tech support and support with the digital government office (Borger).

Libraries here basically try, with all means available, to ensure everyone have as equal access to technology as possible. This builds on years of computing devices that allows shared access. Anyone can freely enter the building, in some cases at any time of the day, and start to use a computer for pretty much anything. Your library card is your only “account”.

A heavily photoshoppped photo of a library. Looks distorted and very digital

The Reality of Personal Computing

You have probably guessed what I’m getting at: As we (if we) transition to personal spatial computing devices, tied to our individual retinas, as a significant utility in our society, what will happen to public computing access?

Specialists of different traits often cluster in the largest cities in the country. Spatial computing is especially positioned to bridge borders and remove barriers to access to experts like doctors, psychologists and teachers.

It’s a computer. The Apple Vision Pro is promoted as a Macbook for your face, not an iPhone, so wouldn’t a public spatial computing device in rural libraries make a lot of sense? Just like computers have? Could it challenge the “urban privilege” and play a positive role in counterurbanization?

Almost every election year in Denmark, “decentralization” is a hot topic and as a highly digital country, technology always plays a role in it. With “Spatial Computing” being so well positioned to bridge divides, how do we feel about that the designers primarily want it to be “personal”?