Will Apple Vision Pro Take Over Our Brain?

July 17, 2023 | Raquel Paz Bergia | Biotechnology

Let’s first talk about what the Apple Vision Pro is, and why I am bringing up the question of whether it will take over our brains, or not.

Apple is releasing a tool that seamlessly blends digital content with your physical space. The image below, directly from Apple’s publicity campaign, shows one of the many features of the Vision Pro.

This brings up the question of “how”? How is it that this young woman is seeing her Apple dashboard in her living room? Well, this Apple headset works on visionOS, which is a specially designed operating system that lets you control the entire virtual ecosystem using eye expressions, hand gestures, and voice commands.

Sterling Crispin, who is a Neurotechnology Prototyping Researcher in Apple’s Technology Development Group, explains the general functionalities of this new AR/VR tool. In his recent Twitter post, he stated, “A user is in a mixed reality or virtual reality experience, and AI models are trying to predict if you are feeling curious, mind wandering, scared, paying attention, remembering a past experience, or some other cognitive state. And these may be inferred through measurements like eye tracking, electrical activity in the brain, heartbeats and rhythms, muscle activity, blood density in the brain, blood pressure, skin conductance, etc.”

One of the most incredible features is that it has the ability to predict when the user will click on a feature and then do it in real-time. However, this does come with significant psychological effects.

Receiving everything immediately, whether it’s information, rewards, or any kind of stimuli, can have several psychological effects on individuals. It’s important to note that the effects can vary based on the context and the individual’s personality, but here are some potential psychological effects:

Reduced Patience: Instant gratification can lead to a decreased ability to tolerate delays or uncertainty. People may become accustomed to immediate results and find it difficult to wait or work towards longer-term goals.
Decreased Attention Span: Constantly receiving information or stimuli immediately might contribute to a shorter attention span. People may become accustomed to quick, easily digestible content and struggle to focus on more complex or in-depth tasks.
Diminished Satisfaction: When everything is received immediately, the sense of anticipation and build-up that comes with waiting can be lost. This could lead to a decreased sense of satisfaction when goals are achieved or rewards are obtained.
Impulsivity: Instant gratification can contribute to impulsive behaviors. People might make hasty decisions without fully considering the consequences, as they are used to quick outcomes.
Shallow Processing: Rapid consumption of information can lead to superficial processing. Individuals may not engage deeply with the content or take the time to critically analyze it.
Reduced Resilience and Coping Skills: Over time, relying on immediate rewards or solutions may lead to a decreased ability to handle challenges or setbacks that require patience, persistence, and problem-solving.
Dependency: Constantly receiving everything immediately might lead to a dependency on external sources for satisfaction, validation, or entertainment. This could impact self-reliance and self-esteem.
Anxiety and Stress: The constant pressure to respond or react quickly can contribute to increased anxiety and stress levels. People may feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information or stimuli coming their way.
Diminished Long-Term Goal Pursuit: Immediate gratification might hinder individuals’ ability to set and work towards long-term goals that require sustained effort and delayed rewards.
Social Effects: In social interactions, the expectation of immediate responses or instant feedback could strain relationships. People may become less patient with others and have difficulty engaging in meaningful, deeper conversations.

It’s worth noting that not everyone will experience these effects to the same degree, and some individuals might adapt better to rapid information or rewards due to their personal characteristics or life experiences. Balancing instant gratification with the benefits of delayed gratification, such as increased patience, resilience, and the ability to work towards long-term goals, is important for maintaining psychological well-being and personal growth.

Furthermore, the increased use of Apple Vision Pro can serve as an escape from reality, and in turn lead to an increase in dopamine. While dopamine tends to have a positive connotation, as it’s a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating pleasure, motivation, attention, movement, and various other cognitive and emotional functions in the brain and body, when there is an excessive amount of dopamine, it can have a significant amount of negative effects on the body.

Having too much dopamine, a condition known as “hyperdopaminergic,” can lead to a range of neurological and psychiatric effects, potentially contributing to various disorders and symptoms. It’s important to note that the effects of excess dopamine can vary depending on the specific brain regions involved and an individual’s overall neurochemistry.

Some potential consequences of excessive dopamine activity include:

Mania or Hypomania: Elevated dopamine levels can contribute to periods of intense energy, euphoria, decreased need for sleep, and impulsive behaviors, characteristic of manic or hypomanic episodes in bipolar disorder.
Psychosis: Abnormal levels of dopamine have been implicated in the development of psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, which are often seen in conditions like schizophrenia.
Addiction and Impulsivity: High levels of dopamine can lead to increased impulsivity and a higher susceptibility to addictive behaviors, as seen in substance abuse and behavioral addictions.
Hyperactivity and Restlessness: Excessive dopamine activity may contribute to restlessness, hyperactivity, and difficulties in maintaining focus and attention.
Mood Disorders: An imbalance in dopamine levels can be associated with mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.
Tics and Tourette Syndrome: Some research suggests a potential link between dopamine dysregulation and the development of motor and vocal tics seen in Tourette syndrome.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Dopamine abnormalities have been implicated in OCD, a disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
Sleep Disturbances: Excess dopamine activity can interfere with sleep patterns, potentially leading to insomnia or disrupted sleep.

It’s important to emphasize that the relationship between dopamine and these conditions is complex and often involves interactions with other neurotransmitters and brain regions. Additionally, while excessive dopamine activity can contribute to certain symptoms, it’s not the sole cause of these conditions, which likely result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors.

So, will the Apple Vision Pro really take over the brain? There is no simple answer to this question, as it hasn’t even been released for the general market. However, it is clear that it won’t replace the brain, but it can definitely have a number of negative effects on the brain when used excessively. There is no indication that moderate use of the device will affect the user neurologically or psychologically.