Jaron Lanier is a scientist, musician and writer best known for his work in virtual reality and his advocacy of humanism and sustainable economics in a digital context.
Why you should listen
Jaron Lanier is interested in the idea that virtual reality might help us notice the magic of ordinary reality and the idea that paying people for the data that is now taken from them might be the best path to a sustainable, dignified future economy.
Lanier's 1980s start-up created the first commercial VR products and introduced avatars, multi-person virtual world experiences and prototypes of major VR applications such as surgical simulation. Lanier coined or popularized the terms "virtual reality" and "mixed reality." He recently released a new book, Dawn of the New Everything: Encounters with Reality and Virtual Reality. Both of his previous books, Who Owns the Future? and You Are Not a Gadget are international bestsellers. His most recent book (May 29, 2018) is entitled Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.
Lanier was a mainstay of the earliest TED conferences; he still thinks of TED as a charming little gathering.
Jaron Lanier’s TED Talk
More news and ideas from Jaron Lanier
Live from TED2018
In Case You Missed It: Exploring the amazing (in every sense of the word) at day 1 of TED2018
April 11, 2018
TED2018, themed “The Age of Amazement,” kicked off Tuesday with two eye-opening sessions of talks from this year’s TED Fellows — with tech and science demos, music, dance and comedy — as well as the opening of exhibits and, of course, a memorable Session 1 full of bold ideas, tough truths and jaw-dropping creative visions. […]
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Doom. Gloom. Outrage. Uproar. Notes and feelings from Session 1 of TED2018
April 11, 2018
Let it be noted, says co-host Chris Anderson, that this year’s TED started with a roaring cheer and with a scream of anguish. Our job this week is to explore what’s amazing, in every sense of the word, from the jaw-droppingly wonderful to the shocking and urgent. So Chris and co-host Helen Walters have decided […]
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Why algorithms can’t save us from trolls and hate speech
April 9, 2018
By making the Internet as weightless and as frictionless as possible, we made our lives easier. But now, the whole world is suffering the consequences, says Jaron Lanier.
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