KEY ISSUES: Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) has, until recently, been relegated to the realm of video games. That is rapidly changing, however, with the advent of online "societies," such as Second Life, which aim to provide fully immersive, integrated computerized environments for their growing numbers of "residents."

VR's increased functionality (and resulting commercial popularity) is due, in large part, to government funding ­ particularly from the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and other federal agencies. These federally funded VR projects generally have been oriented toward military applications, but the underlying technology has been retrofitted for consumer consumption in the form of "simulated realities," where actual dollars are spent on virtual goods and services, and also where real crimes are increasingly committed and real disputes increasingly arise. Legal mechanisms for addressing these real-world impacts of of VR, however, have not kept pace with the technology, leading to public policy questions about governance, regulation, and enforcement in VR space.

For additional resources on this topic, see:
Science Daily
Virtual Reality Website Listing
Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future