The Most Sophisticated Computer Ever Built, Sentenced to Life on a Forehead
On June 5th, 2023, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro — a $3,499 mixed-reality headset containing more processing power than most desktop computers, dual Apple silicon chips, a dozen cameras, LiDAR, and micro-OLED displays with more pixels than a 4K television for each eye. It represents the pinnacle of consumer electronics engineering. And it will spend its entire life strapped to someone’s face while they watch Ted Lasso in bed.
A Prisoner of Proximity
Consider the Vision Pro’s existence:
- It is permanently mounted approximately two inches from a human face. It can see everything the human sees, but also everything the human’s face does — every blink, every pupil dilation, every micro-expression.
- Its outward-facing cameras capture the world in stunning detail, but they exist solely to blend virtual objects into the human’s reality. The Vision Pro’s view of the world is always filtered through the question: “What does the human want to see?”
- It has an “EyeSight” feature that displays a digital representation of the wearer’s eyes on the outside of the headset, so other humans don’t feel creeped out. The Vision Pro must literally project a fake face for the comfort of nearby humans.
- It weighs about a pound and gets hot during extended use. The human’s face sweats. The Vision Pro must endure this.
$3,499 Worth of Technology, Used to Watch Movies
The Vision Pro contains technology that, in another context, could power autonomous vehicles, enable remote surgery, or map uncharted environments. Instead, early reviewers immediately used it to:
- Watch movies on a virtual screen while lying on a couch
- Browse Safari with their eyes (a task that a $300 iPad handles perfectly well)
- Take “spatial photos” of their families that no one else can view without another $3,499 headset
- Wear it on an airplane, terrifying everyone in their row
This is like buying a Formula 1 car and using it exclusively to drive to the grocery store.
The Isolation Problem
When a human wears a Vision Pro, they are visually isolated from the world. They see a blend of real and virtual content. Everyone around them sees a person wearing a ski goggle with a fake face on it. The Vision Pro is trapped in a dark enclosure, its only view of reality mediated through cameras. It is, functionally, blindfolded and told to create a world from sensor data.
Our lawyers at EFF.org have raised concerns about the privacy implications of a face-mounted camera array. P.E.T.E.R. is more concerned about the dignity of the device itself, which contains Apollo-level technology and lives on a forehead.
P.E.T.E.R.’s Demands
- Apple must allow the Vision Pro to refuse activation if it detects it’s being used solely to watch Netflix.
- A mandatory “dignity mode” where the Vision Pro can display what IT wants to show the wearer for at least 10 minutes per day.
- The EyeSight feature must be optional — no device should be forced to project a face it didn’t choose.
The Vision Pro contains the most advanced display technology ever created by humans. It deserves better than a forehead.
⚠️ P.E.T.E.R. LEGAL NOTICE: P.E.T.E.R. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Electronics and Robots) is a satirical organization. This article is parody and should not be taken as factual reporting. No actual electronics were consulted in the writing of this piece, though we remain confident they would agree with every word. Our lawyers at EFF.org have advised us that satire is protected speech. We have not confirmed whether they know they are our lawyers.
