Jaron Lanier

Computer Scientist, VR Pioneer & Tech Philosopher

About

Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist, author, and pioneer who coined the term 'virtual reality' and founded the first VR company in the 1980s. Currently at Microsoft Research, he is known for his philosophical critiques of AI and social media. He argues that AI should be reconceived as 'collective human collaboration' rather than an autonomous intelligence, advocating for 'data dignity' where individuals control and are compensated for their contributions to AI systems.

Key Contributions

Popularized the term 'virtual reality' and founded VPL Research, one of the first companies to sell VR goggles and gloves
Built a career spanning computer science, music, interface design, and Microsoft Research rather than a single technical niche
Wrote 'You Are Not a Gadget,' an early critique of web platforms that flatten people into data and engagement metrics
Developed the data-dignity argument in 'Who Owns the Future?', asking who should benefit when networks learn from human work
Argues that AI should be understood as collective human work, not as an alien autonomous mind
His humanist critique is influential, though skeptics question whether data-payment schemes can work at internet or model scale