In this blog post, we will examine whether the development of civilization and technological progress can be harnessed to go beyond mere convenience and realize happiness for all, and whether such an ideal world can be created through virtual reality and robotics.
Human civilization continues to advance step by step. The direction of this progress is toward making human life more convenient. Common items such as cars, computers, and other electronic devices are mostly designed to make human life more convenient. So, could technological advancements be used not only to enhance convenience but also, more broadly, to promote human happiness? Might technological progress eventually bring happiness to all people?
Humans pursue happiness. No one in the world lives to be unhappy. In other words, everyone strives to be happy. However, the conditions for happiness differ from person to person, and the moments when people feel happy vary greatly. Furthermore, since people’s interests may conflict, it is impossible to satisfy everyone. Moreover, human desires typically require a point of comparison to feel fulfilled. While some may be satisfied with what they have, if they possess less than others around them, they may start out happy but soon become unhappy.
So, is it impossible to make everyone happy? I believe that technological advancements will make this utopia a reality. Technology designed for human happiness is frequently depicted in movies. In the film ‘Surrogates’, people do not go about their daily lives in their own bodies but instead control robots that resemble them. This technology allows humans to overcome the physical limitations inherent to their nature. First, by choosing an avatar with outstanding physical features, it satisfies the desire to be beautiful. Furthermore, since robots do not age, controlling a young robot fulfills the desire to stay young and avoid aging. And because the robot is not a real body, there is no need to worry about injury or death. If it breaks down, one can simply switch to another robotic avatar. In other words, ‘Surrogates’ showcases technology that creates robots to replace the human body, enabling people to overcome the limitations imposed by their physical form and satisfy human desires. However, as pointed out in the film itself, this approach is highly likely to cause disconnection among people. Furthermore, since this technology is designed solely to overcome physical limitations, it seems unlikely to satisfy all of humanity’s desires. Therefore, it would be a stretch to say that such technology makes people happy.
What about other movies? In ‘The Matrix’, people live in a virtual reality without being aware of it at all. As depicted in the film, the fact that humans live within a program controlled by computers does not seem like such a promising future. However, the virtual reality system in ‘The Matrix’ does offer clues about a future utopia. What if we were to remove the premise that computers seek to dominate humans from ‘The Matrix’’s storyline? Although the movie portrays computers as controlling and exploiting humans, there is no guarantee that computers—even if they possess self-awareness—would necessarily become hostile toward humans. If we set aside the premise that computers dominate humans, the virtual reality system could serve as an excellent means of fulfilling human desires. Furthermore, couldn’t it become a future technology that brings happiness to humans?
If you watch the movie ‘Minority Report’, you can find such a machine. The film depicts the near future, and one scene features a machine that brings people’s fantasies to life. It’s a machine where users log in to a program and experience whatever situation they desire. For example, someone connected to the machine could become a world-famous pop star, a person respected by many, or even share a thrilling romance with someone special.
What if we took this machine a step further and applied the virtual reality system from ‘The Matrix’?
If we programmed scenarios that would make someone happy and applied them to a virtual reality system, that person could always be a winner within that virtual reality. Some might argue that it lacks realism, but if one could experience all the senses just like in ‘The Matrix’, it would be difficult to distinguish between reality and virtual reality. There is a saying called “Zhuangzi’s Dream.” It refers to the anecdote in which Zhuangzi, in a dream, became a butterfly and fluttered about, only to wake up and be so confused by the vividness of the dream that he couldn’t tell whether he was Zhuangzi or the butterfly. Such scenarios are entirely possible in virtual reality.
Even in the real world, virtual reality systems are gradually advancing. Current virtual reality technology is advancing toward reproducing not only sight and sound but also touch and bodily sensations through haptic devices; however, it has not yet reached the level of perfectly replicating all the senses of reality. Even recently, research continues to enhance the immersion of virtual reality through tactile feedback, force-feedback gloves, and body motion tracking, and the integration of tactile feedback and sensors remains a critical technical challenge. If technology continues to advance and virtual reality systems capable of reproducing bodily sensations with greater precision are developed, every person will be able to live exactly as they wish. Of course, even if it is virtual reality, if one is completely unaware that it differs from reality, what is the difference between the two?
To create such a virtual reality system, there are several points to consider. First, we do not yet know what situations will make humans happy. However, I believe that through trial and error, we will eventually be able to develop something akin to a “program for creating happy humans.” Research on happiness is already underway, and once virtual reality systems are established, we will be able to set up various scenarios for experimentation. This will allow us to collect concrete and systematic data on the situations in which humans find happiness and incorporate that knowledge into programming. Once such a program is created, another point to consider is that achieving a goal too quickly or too easily could diminish the sense of realism. For example, if we were to program a journey to climb Kilimanjaro, making the ascent too easy would reduce the sense of satisfaction upon reaching the summit and diminish the sense of realism. But what if one were to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro in just a few days, enduring a grueling ordeal amid a raging blizzard? Of course, since it is virtual reality, there is no risk of death, and because the system is programmed to ensure one ultimately reaches the summit, failure is impossible. Although the experience is grueling, the goal is ultimately achieved. Such a program could be developed as research on human behavior accumulates.
Another challenge is that it will be difficult to make the people you encounter in virtual reality appear truly human. Such virtual reality systems must be designed for single-user access. This is because if multiple people log in simultaneously, situations could arise where their interests conflict. Consequently, all the characters a user encounters in virtual reality would need to be programmed, but it is difficult to program them perfectly to behave like humans. However, this issue also appears likely to be resolved through continued research. Research is currently underway to make the movements and physical expressions of avatars in virtual reality more natural, and technology that tracks human movements in real time and reflects them in virtual avatars is also advancing. However, it is still difficult to say that both the accuracy of movement and natural interaction have been perfectly achieved.
What other technical challenges exist? For virtual reality systems to be applied to enhance human happiness, they require a significant amount of usage time. Let’s assume that a person for whom the key to happiness is building a harmonious family logs into the system. To build such a family, they would need to meet a spouse, get married, and have children. If these steps were skipped and a family were created immediately, the sense of realism would be severely compromised. Given such prolonged sessions, one must also consider the user’s physical condition in the real world.
People cannot live without eating. Nutritional supplementation is essential for prolonged sessions. In the movie ‘The Matrix’, people are connected to various tubes that supply nutrients to their bodies. If a similar system were implemented, there would likely be no major issues with nutritional supply.
Just as people cannot live without food, they cannot live without exercise. Consider the kings of the past. Back then, nutritional status was much poorer and sanitary conditions were worse than they are today. Consequently, life expectancy at the time was much lower than that of modern people. So what about kings? One might assume that kings, who likely ate much better and lived in more hygienic environments than ordinary citizens, would have lived longer. In fact, the average lifespan of a king during the Joseon Dynasty is estimated to have been about 47 years, while the average life expectancy of the general population at the time is known to have been about 35 years. However, just because kings lived longer than ordinary people does not necessarily mean they were considered long-lived by modern standards. Various factors influenced the lifespan and health of Joseon kings, including excessive workloads, stress, and a lack of physical activity. The same applies to virtual reality systems. A system that does not involve physical activity will inevitably lead to a lack of exercise and could have serious health consequences. The systems depicted in ‘The Matrix’ or ‘Minority Report’ only require users to log in; they do not involve physical exercise. With such a system, users would likely die prematurely due to a lack of exercise. I believe the solution to this problem lies in linking virtual reality systems with actual physical activity—that is, connecting movement in virtual reality to real-world exercise. If running in virtual reality triggers physical running in the real world, it would not only prevent physical inactivity but also enhance the sense of realism.
So, setting aside these technical aspects, what about the economic reality? Even if a virtual reality system is built, users cannot remain logged in all day long. Clearly, money will be needed in the future to build virtual reality systems, and money will also be needed to maintain them. To earn money, one must work; it’s not possible to remain connected to a virtual reality system without working. Does this mean that, with the exception of the wealthy, most people won’t be able to spend long periods of time in virtual reality? I believe this problem can be solved with another technology: robots. What if robots did the work instead of humans? Automated systems are already being developed, and efforts continue to enhance robots’ autonomy and adaptability through the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics. By 2026, AI-powered robots will be expanding their practical applications across various fields, such as logistics and manufacturing. If this happens, advancements could reach a point where human involvement in production becomes entirely unnecessary. In other words, since robots will do the work instead of us, there will be absolutely no hindrance to our livelihoods. Some might argue that humans cannot completely stop working because there are tasks only humans can perform. However, when it comes to simple production tasks rather than complex ones, robots alone will be more than capable of handling the work. Furthermore, just as virtual reality systems are advancing, so too is the artificial intelligence of robots. If this trend continues, there may be no such thing as “work that only humans can do” in the future. In fact, the phrase “tasks that humans can also do” might become more familiar.
Now, let’s move beyond technical issues and consider the ethical implications. Even if virtual reality makes people happy, that does not make it reality. As the term “virtual reality” suggests, it is merely virtual. It would be foolish to become so engrossed in the pleasures of virtual reality that one turns a blind eye to reality. Many people would likely not approve of the pleasure derived from virtual reality. There will also be those who mock people floundering in such a state. Just as the protagonist Neo chose the red pill in ‘The Matrix’ when Morpheus offered him the red pill to escape into reality and the blue pill to remain in virtual reality, it’s generally thought that being immersed in virtual reality is an act that erodes reality, and that virtual reality is just that—virtual—and different from actual reality. Of course, that’s true. But let’s think about it. If reality is as bleak a future as depicted in ‘The Matrix’, is stepping out into reality really the best choice? Was the protagonist, Neo, truly happy in the movie? From the perspective of personal happiness alone, stepping out into reality doesn’t seem like a great choice. After all, didn’t Neo die while fulfilling his predestined role as the savior for the people of the future? Whether his life was a happy one is a question worth considering. Although he chose to sacrifice himself, from another perspective, it appears that he was merely dragged this way and that by the responsibilities of being a savior and the weight of his destiny until he died. Even though he became a hero, it seems far removed from personal happiness. Considering these points, wouldn’t being happy in virtual reality be better than being miserable in reality?
Another concern is that if virtual reality were completely identical to reality, wouldn’t people confuse the two? In the past, the relationship between violent video games and real-world violence was frequently debated, and some studies even suggested a link between violent video games and aggression. However, based on current research and the position of the American Psychological Association, there is insufficient scientific evidence to support a causal relationship between violent video games and actual crimes or mass shootings; it is reasonable to view violence as a social problem resulting from the complex interplay of multiple factors. Given this, it is difficult to completely rule out the possibility that extremely realistic virtual reality could be confused with reality, and this could give rise to many problems. However, I believe these issues are extremely minor compared to the benefits that virtual reality systems provide. Furthermore, just as it is extremely rare today for people to confuse games with reality, there are likely not many people who cannot distinguish between reality and virtual reality.
As we have seen, there are many challenges associated with implementing virtual reality systems. In addition to the issues listed above, ethical concerns are inevitable, and there will undoubtedly be numerous social challenges as well. However, the point I wish to make here is that it is impossible to make every human being happy in the real world; therefore, I have examined what technology can do to contribute to human happiness. How many people are stuck in the confines of reality, unable to realize their dreams and settling for a life of complacency? Even those trapped in stifling offices, doing paperwork from dawn until late at night, likely did not want to do that kind of work in the first place. Everyone has dreams. Some may have wanted to become singers; others, to explore space; and still others, to travel widely across many countries and live a joyful life. But how many people actually achieve those dreams? How many people give up the dreams they’ve held since childhood because of money, family, or the judgment of others? Virtual reality systems will become the technology of the future that makes everyone happy by helping those who have had to abandon their dreams due to the barriers of reality to finally realize them.
