My ‘illness simulator’ is a counterculture creation, designed to combat virtual reality’s impact on human function and communication using a speculative context. Drawing inspiration from hippie modernism, it uses DIY to combine elements from the future; a vacuumed form mask replica of my face with those thought to be lost from the past; an arduino circuit, buzzers and vibrators. As AI technology becomes more powerful I speculate it will eradicate human flaws to reduce our inefficiences as this technology will be used to monetize us, as advertising does now.
Virtual realities control people subconsciously through ritualistic use, affecting communication in both real-life and online settings. Gaming spaces reflect utopian landscapes and allow for modded spaces to become entire worlds for collaboration. This challenges the future of physical landscapes as VR pushes boundaries. My final product speculates how VR with AI will manipulate reality until all communication is virtual, changing how we interact with our environment.
