SPACES Inc., a company that specialises in enabling businesses and brands to bring virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) experiences to consumers, has announced the creation today of an implicit bias VR programme.
Implicit bias refers to measurable, objective attitudes and stereotypes that everyone carries, which has in recent months become a growing topic of interest. The creation of the programme is to aid both scientific researchers, corporate trainers and law-enforcement organizations.
“VR is enabling us to understand how implicit bias affects our views of the world and the way we work and interact with others,” said SPACES CEO Shiraz Akmal. “The work we’ve done with researchers indicates that VR could possibly reduce the effects of implicit bias. The idea that VR can be used for much more than entertainment is one of our core philosophies, and is particularly important at a time when the issue of racial sensitivity is reaching a critical point in our society.”
It was initially developed to assist an academic research examination of implicit bias, allowing participants embody the age-old adage of “stepping into someone else’s skin” to develop greater sensitivity. Using SPACES VR technology, the programme aims to show how immersive tech could reduce implicit bias in the future.
Implicit bias was brought up by Hillary Clinton during the first presidential debate with Donald Trump, to which she said: “I think it’s a problem for everyone, not just police. I think unfortunately too many of us in our great country jump to conclusions about each other.”
Back in May SPACES secured $3 million USD in funding to continue its VR projects, and in June the company teamed up with Songcheng Performance Development Co. to bring VR and MR to both rides and performances that take place in Songcheng’s theme parks.
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