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The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

beyondthescreen.substack.com

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Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#21

Post by _a_a_a_ »

droopyEyelids wrote: post #16
_a_a_a_ wrote: post #10

Totally inescapable except by taking the damn thing off your face . This 'article' should not be on HN. Is alexanderbz the same Alexander who wrote it I wonder Edit: I guess it is.

The issue is that a technology becomes required for membership in society. 15 years ago you could reasonably tell someone "if you don't like it, then don't get a cell phone" but today that advice is no longer reasonable for cell phones. If AR ends up being a practical technology, we'll face the same issue in the future.

See my other comment where I point out that I do not own a smart phone. I do own a cell phone; it gets left at home most of the time.

Let me put it in simple terms: if you don't want to take part in that aspect of society, then don't. The only power which technology has over people is that which people allow.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#22

Post by cmrdporcupine »

tiedieconderoga wrote: post #19
throwaway22032 wrote: post #2

In what sense would AR ads be inescapable? I have no plan to ever buy one of these headsets. If the streets of London became Minority Report-esque e.g. holographic loud projections, I can just move five or ten miles down the road to somewhere slightly less urban. It'd be significantly less expensive too. I mean, almost all tube station adverts are still just paper billboards, clearly something is preventing them from…

Just wait until you can't see a restaurant's menu, in-flight announcements, traffic advisories, etc. The pandemic opened the door to making a piece of technology a mandatory requirement to participate in society. It used to be possible to live without a smartphone, now you really need to be able to read and produce QR codes¹. Why couldn't the same thing happen with AR, considering how expensive it is for governments…

Around here (Ontario) places that insisted on QR code menus seems to be starting to roll it back. Probably under backlash from public (esp older people) who sees it as obnoxious.

Myself I raise a stink every time; I don't like the tracking implications. If businesses insist on it, I try to take my business elsewhere.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#23

Post by Symmetry »

throwaway22032 wrote: post #18
alexanderbz wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If AR glasses become the only device we have (no macs or iPhones), then these ads could be everywhere. Almost like modern tech billboards. Obviously you can just not buy the product, but when everyone else has one it will be hard to do that. Imagine not owning a smartphone right now (a quick example).

The idea that everyone is going to walk around outside constantly using a headset is not a version of reality that I ever think will happen. There are enough people who like, enjoy breathing normal air and seeing plants. Maybe if it becomes a brain implant at some point. I hope to be long gone before then.

I can imagine it, but not if there are intrusive adds.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#24

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

crooked-v wrote: post #14
2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can count clicks with eye tracking. If you look at it then they know.

It's worth noting this kind of thing is why the Apple headset OS is designed specifically to keep eye tracking information to an OS-only layer, at least outside of traditional VR style full immersion apps.

How many times are we going to fall for this? It's all fun and games until Apple is facing a bad quarter which is not if but when.

And even if they don't share it- they can still use it for selling ads on their platform.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#25

Post by Zak »

causi wrote: post #7
alexanderbz wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If AR glasses become the only device we have (no macs or iPhones), then these ads could be everywhere. Almost like modern tech billboards. Obviously you can just not buy the product, but when everyone else has one it will be hard to do that. Imagine not owning a smartphone right now (a quick example).

Why would adblock be less effective on AR glasses than it is on my phone?

Because the OS vendor is an advertising company and they have designed the OS to resist attempts to block ads. They may even built advertising functionality into the OS.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#28

Post by ArekDymalski »

All those dystopian forecasts omit one important thing. Habituation. Humans are quite flexible and we will simply get used to it. AR ads will be as inescapable (and imperceptible) as banners today (both physical and digital alike). And after some time AR will be as immersive and exciting as TV today. Assuming it will take off at all.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#29

Post by hinkley »

shrubble wrote: post #4

From 7 years ago, a funny/spoof video on gig culture, AR etc. https://youtu.be/YJg02ivYzSs

So I get the Minority Report vibe here, but my great grandmother moved faster than that in a grocery store. Maybe the AI has a little bit of a point in nagging her for being slow.

Re: The Wild (and Slightly Terrifying) Future of Inescapable AR Ads

#30

Post by yomlica8 »

_a_a_a_ wrote: post #11
alexanderbz wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If AR glasses become the only device we have (no macs or iPhones), then these ads could be everywhere. Almost like modern tech billboards. Obviously you can just not buy the product, but when everyone else has one it will be hard to do that. Imagine not owning a smartphone right now (a quick example).

> Imagine not owning a smartphone right now I don't, and life goes on as before

In the US, I think you can still survive fine without a smartphone, although it becoming more difficult. During the pandemic we had to install an app to check our kid into preschool. Ridiculous, but I guess you could argue I could have made a stink or switched preshools.

Asia and European sound a lot more far gone in this area though and I feel like the days are numbered here.

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