Nov 18, 2021
France is to begin trialing a virtual reality "empathy machine" as part of an effort to deter men convicted of domestic violence from reoffending. Already tested in Spain, the technology offers a "total immersion" experience by way of a headset that allows the offender to view things from the point of view of his victims.
So What?
According to a 2021 study virtual reality machines have the ability to arouse compassionate feelings. But compassion and empathy are very different experiences. There’s a lot of hype at the moment around using AR for training, and there are some awesome examples (Porsche are using AR, games engines and AI to train employees and support customers). However there’s a big leap between delivering training and building empathy. We’d wait before jumping on the VR training bandwagon.