Immersive technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality are finally taking off. As these technologies become more widespread, concerns will likely develop about their disruptive social and economic effects. This paper addresses such policy concerns and contrasts two different visions for governing immersive tech going forward. The paper makes the case for permissionless innovation, or the general freedom to innovate without prior constraint, as the optimal policy default to maximize the benefits associated with immersive technologies. The alternative visionőthe so-called precautionary principleőwould be an inappropriate policy default because it would greatly limit the potential for beneficial applications and uses of these new technologies to emerge rapidly. Public policy for immersive technology should not be based on hypothetical worst-case scenarios. Rather, policymakers should wait to see which concerns or harms emerge and then devise ex post solutions as needed.

Will innovators be forced to seek the blessing of public officials before they develop and deploy new devices and services, or will they be generally left free to experiment with new technologies and business models? In this book, Adam Thierer argues that if the former disposition, “the precautionary principle,” trumps the latter, “permissionless innovation,” the result will be fewer services, lower-quality goods, higher prices, diminished economic growth, and a decline in the overall standard of living. When public policy is shaped by “precautionary principle” reasoning, it poses a serious threat to technological progress, economic entrepreneurialism, and long-run prosperity. By contrast, permissionless innovation has fueled the success of the Internet and much of the modern tech economy in recent years, and it is set to power the next great industrial revolution—if we let it.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, extended reality (XR) technologies have emerged as transformative tools that blur the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. However, with this innovation comes a host of complex challenges. From ethical considerations in virtual reality research to legal and regulatory hurdles in extended reality, navigating this dynamic terrain requires a deep understanding of technology and human behavior. The lack of comprehensive resources that bridge these disciplines poses a significant barrier to those seeking to harness the full potential of immersive technologies. Multidisciplinary Applications of Extended Reality for Human Experience addresses this critical gap by offering a multidisciplinary exploration of XR's impact on society. Through expert contributions from diverse fields, including psychology, sociology, design, and culture, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of how XR technologies are reshaping human perceptions and interactions. It serves as a foundational text for academics, researchers, and industry professionals seeking to navigate the complexities of immersive technologies and their profound implications for human life.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Technology gives readers a view into this increasingly vital and urgently needed domain of philosophical understanding, offering an in-depth collection of leading and emerging voices in the philosophy of technology. The thirty-two contributions in this volume cut across and connect diverse philosophical traditions and methodologies. They reveal the often-neglected importance of technology for virtually every subfield of philosophy, including ethics, epistemology, philosophy of science, metaphysics, aesthetics, philosophy of language, and political theory. The Handbook also gives readers a new sense of what philosophy looks like when fully engaged with the disciplines and domains of knowledge that continue to transform the material and practical features and affordances of our world, including engineering, arts and design, computing, and the physical and social sciences. The chapters reveal enduring conceptual themes concerning technology's role in the shaping of human knowledge, identity, power, values, and freedom, while bringing a philosophical lens to the profound transformations of our existence brought by innovations ranging from biotechnology and nuclear engineering to artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics. This new collection challenges the reader with provocative and original insights on the history, concepts, problems, and questions to be brought to bear upon humanity's complex and evolving relationship to technology.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the role of immersive technology with multiple sectoral perspectives, such as entertainment, education, health care, and more. It covers a detailed analysis of the latest trends and developments in the field. It encompasses practical insights on using immersive technology effectively through industry expert chapters, case studies, and real-world examples that demonstrate how immersive technology is being used in different industries. Chapters in this book are from academicians and industry professionals to create a fine balance of knowledge and practice perspective of today’s immersive technology. It is written in accessible language that is easy for non-experts to understand. It focuses on the future of immersive technology, exploring its potential impact on society and the economy. It provides insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and offers predictions on how immersive technology will continue to evolve in the years to come. It is a valuable resource for anyone learning more about immersive technology.

AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) and Big Data Analytics are catalyzing a healthcare revolution. This book is an accessible volume that summarizes the information available. In this book, researchers explore how AIoT and Big Data can seamlessly integrate into healthcare, enhancing medical services and devices while adhering to established protocols. The book demonstrates the crucial role of these technologies during healthcare crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. It presents novel solutions and computational techniques powered by AIoT, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning, providing a new frontier in healthcare problem-solving. Key Features: Real-Life Illustrations: Real-world examples showcase AIoT and Big Data in action, highlighting their impact in healthcare. Comprehensive Exploration: The book offers a thorough examination of AIoT, Big Data, and their harmonious synergy within the healthcare landscape. Visual Aids: Complex concepts become approachable through diagrams, flowcharts, and infographics, making technical processes and system designs more digestible. Ethical Insights: Delving into the ethical dimensions of AIoT and Big Data, it addresses concerns like data bias, patient consent, and transparency in healthcare. Forward-Looking Discourse: The book engages with emerging trends, potential innovations, and the future direction of AIoT and Big Data, making it a compass for healthcare transformation. Researchers, whether from academia, industry, or research and development organizations, interested in AIoT, Big Data, artificial intelligence, and healthcare optimization, will find this book informative. It also serves as an update for tech enthusiasts who want to explore the future of healthcare powered by AI and data.

Smart technologies are revolutionizing tourism, as they are having a profound impact on the way tourists behave and on how firms interact with them and create value. The increasing availability of real-time Big Data and the advances made in data analytics techniques, artificial intelligence, and IoT, has begun to transform tourism organizations in ways not previously considered, and in a lasting manner. This book delivers the latest and most relevant advances in the field of smart transformation and the management practices that can be put into practice to continue creating value in the years to come. Divided into four main parts and 23 chapters, it highlights the challenges that the Smart Revolution brings to tourism firms by providing updated knowledge on the literature, research, and experiences of the author. The book will also provide a guide for action to business leaders and those approaching the fundamentals of the Smart Revolution for the first time. It will also serve as a valuable text for undergraduate and graduate students on specialized courses in tourism, technology, and business transformation.

An incisive glimpse into the future of the internet In Step into the Metaverse: How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy, future tech strategist, entrepreneur, and thought leader Dr. Mark van Rijmenam delivers a startlingly insightful discussion about how the world as we know it will fundamentally change as the physical and the digital worlds merge into the metaverse, impacting the everyday experiences of people, companies, and societies. The author maps out the extraordinary opportunities and challenges facing business leaders, consumers, regulators, policymakers, and other metaverse stakeholders trying to navigate the future of the Internet. In the metaverse, you can be who you want to be, where you want to be, and companies and consumers are only restricted by their own creativity how they can benefit from the immersive internet. With engaging commentary on issues ranging from avatars, identity and digital fashion to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain and the economics of the metaverse, this book also offers: Discussions on the importance of an open and interoperable metaverse build on the web 3.0 paradigm if we want to reign in the control of Big Tech over our identity, data and lives. Explorations of the enormous—and largely untapped—potential for metaverse entertainment, including gaming, music, media, and sports and how brands can engage with their customers in novel ways and how digital twins will change how we work and innovate. Considerations related to the dangers of an always-on, immersive internet, including data breaches, avatar imposters, mental health issues, corporate and state surveillance, and the need for metaverse law. A fascinating read you won’t be able to put down, Step into the Metaverse belongs in the hands of executives, managers, and other business leaders who play a role in digital transformation or execution. It's also an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the future of technology, the internet, and social interaction.

Today we have greater wealth, health, opportunity, and choice than at any time in history. Yet a chorus of intellectuals and politicians laments our current condition -- as slaves to technology, coarsened by popular culture, and insecure in the face of economic change. The future, they tell us, is dangerously out of control, and unless we precisely govern the forces of change, we risk disaster. In The Future and Its Enemies, Virginia Postrel explodes the myths behind these claims. Using examples that range from medicine to fashion, she explores how progress truly occurs and demonstrates that human betterment depends not on conformity to one central vision but on creativity and decentralized, open-ended trial and error. She argues that these two opposing world-views -- "stasis" vs. "dynamism" -- are replacing "left" and "right" to define our cultural and political debate as we enter the next century. In this bold exploration of how civilizations learn, Postrel heralds a fundamental shift in the way we view politics, culture, technology, and society as we face an unknown -- and invigorating -- future.

Innovators of all stripes—such as Airbnb and Uber—are increasingly using new technological capabilities to circumvent traditional regulatory systems, or at least put pressure on public policymakers to reform laws and regulations that are outmoded, inefficient, or illogical. Disruptive innovators are emerging in other fields, too, using technologies as wide‐​ranging as 3D printers, drones, driverless cars, Bitcoin and blockchain, virtual reality, the “Internet of Things,” and more. Some of these innovators just love to tinker. Others want to change the world with new life‐​enriching products. And many more are just looking to earn a living and support their families. Regardless of why they are doing it, these evasive entrepreneurs— innovators who don’t always conform to social or legal norms—are changing the world and challenging their governments. Beyond boosting economic growth and raising our living standards, evasive entrepreneurialism can play an important role in constraining unaccountable governmental activities that often fail to reflect common sense or the consent of the governed. In essence, evasive entrepreneurialism and technological civil disobedience are new checks and balances that help us rein in the excesses of the state, make government more transparent and accountable, and ensure that our civil rights and economic liberties are respected. Evasive Entrepreneurs and the Future of Governance explores why evasive entrepreneurs are increasingly engaged in different forms of technological civil disobedience and also makes the case that we should accept—and often even embrace—a certain amount of that activity as a way to foster innovation, economic growth, and accountable government.