Can Virtual Reality Porn Content Causes Potential Consent and Ethical Issues?
At ACM CHI Conference 2017, a group of researchers from Newcastle University presented their research on new studies regarding how VR tech is changing how people experience virtual pornography in the future, and the increasing impact and influence of VR technology on society. Particularly, the potential negative impact and issues that might surface as virtual reality tech advances at such pace.
The team, based in Open Lab, which is Newcastle University’s School of Computing Science department, is warning about the issues that might surface along with the rising of VR technology, researchers warn that the emerging VR tech enable users to become a participant, immerse users in realistic virtual porn experiences that they could interact with, where previously they were only an observer and viewers. The unprecedented potential of VR tech to simulate a real life sexual act could be far more serious than what’s been seen in the past, the researcher suggests. VR porn consumption could lead to morally questionable behaviors. In another words, users of the new technology could cross the fine line between simply enjoy a virtual sexual fantasy and illegally violating other’s content and privacy.
Newcastle University expert had 45 volunteers participated in a study, where they were shown a VR porn experience, in which they are a virtual character named Jack. After the experience, each of them gave feedback, and the feedbacks were analyzed by the experts. The feedbacks from the volunteers were divided into two groups. Group 1 represents the “perfect scenario” group which was shown a great virtual sex experience, that was later described by the Group 1 volunteers as “better than the real thing.” Group 2 represents the “precarious experience”, that involves VR experiences and sex acts, that are generally not acceptable in society, and viewed as offensive, violent, humiliating and degrading to women.
Researchers also went ahead and pointed out current examples of sexism and exploitation seen today, from the idea of “perfect virtual woman” from owning and interacting with virtual dolls that are already available to sex-robots that will come in the future. VR porn and related sex tech soon could have the potential to escalate .
An interest recent report from UK’s sex toy platform and community Bondara claims that, by the year of 2030, people’ll have access to virtual sex as easy as we go online and watch 2D porn today. Sex robots will start showing up in wealthy households as soon as 2025. Sex with robots will be more popular than human-human sex in 2050. Human sex interaction is likely to decrease.
Is Watching & Interacting with VR Porn Considered Cheating?
Last month, VR porn tech startup CamaSutraVR announced its new technology that is able to capture porn actress’s realistic 3D avatar, and is able to rig the avatar, and allow user to make the avatar perform as they wish. Whenever a new amazing technology emerges, we all know that, some people are going to use it the wrongful and shady ways… There is a possibility, that will be people illegally capture someone’s avatar without given consent, and use it for VR porn, or what if someone captured the 3D avatar of their ex-girlfriend or wife, for example, and share it with someone else, or make the avatar do things that she would never do in real life?
Experts suggest the possibility, that VR adult content could lead to unrealistic expectations for the relationship and sexual experiences, by enabling and allowing users to interact and view VR contents that could challenge ethical and moral boundaries. For example, imagine the girl you see in below video, a virtual girlfriend, imagine, if in the near future, you can buy her avatar from VR adult service, and she could be placed in your preferred virtual environment, where you can make her 3D avatar do anything as you wish? Would that be considered as cheating on your wife or girlfriend? Here is Reddit thread, where female Redditors discuss on the subject, let’s check out what the ladies have to say!
