Immersive Tech Week , Rotterdam, December 5 2024

Join us for a panel session that we are hosting at Immersive Tech Week in Rotterdam on “10 years of the empathy machine: Where are we headed?”

Since the mid-2010s, humanitarian organisations and Big Tech have embraced Virtual Reality for immersive storytelling. Chris Milk’s 2015 TED talk popularised VR as the “ultimate Empathy Machine”, which for humanitarians became a promise to re-engage audiences. However, scholars also criticised this techno-utopian vision, arguing it offers a superficial solution to complex issues and fosters self-centred empathy.

This panel will analyse a decade of Empathy Machine VR, its criticisms, post-pandemic evolution, and potential ways forward.

Find out more here.

Past events

“VR for good” Seminar – April 19th 2024 @ Utrecht University

On April 19th, 2024, Utrecht University hosted the seminar “VR for Good,” bringing together VR researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders in the Netherlands. The event aimed to map the current VR landscape, discuss ongoing projects, and build a community of practice focused on using VR for societal benefit. Participants critically examined the potentials and pitfalls of addressing societal issues through immersive technologies, sharing challenges and approaches to foster interdisciplinary perspectives on using VR for good. This blog provides a brief recap of the speakers’ talks and the conversations that ensued.

Read our reflections about the event on our blog.