Apple’s Vision Pro: Ambitious Plans for Memory Editing, Body Monitoring, and Goggle Normalization

Apple is set to release its mixed-reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, to the public in the United States this week. Despite skepticism from critics, the company has already pre-sold 180,000 units of the $3,500 device. Apple envisions users using the headset for activities such as watching TV and movies, editing and reliving memories, and avoiding looking strange while wearing it. The company hopes that the Vision Pro will redefine personal computing, much like the iPhone and Macintosh did in the past. However, concerns about privacy have arisen due to the amount of data the device collects about users and their surroundings, leading to a new form of “biospatial surveillance”. Apple refers to the device as a “spatial computer” rather than a headset and emphasizes its ability to interact with real objects and spaces in real time. The company is focusing on entertainment, solving social problems associated with wearing a headset, and capturing and reliving memories as potential uses for the device. Spatial computing has the potential to revolutionize user experiences, but its killer apps are yet to be discovered. Critics have found the ability to record and playback 3D visual and audio from real events particularly striking. However, spatial computing also raises concerns about privacy as it requires the collection of intimate data about users’ bodies and surroundings. Apple claims it will not share this data with anyone, but biospatial surveillance poses new privacy concerns and social questions.