Emberbrace

For some, the present age of AI, AR and VR represents the culmination of a multitude of dystopian nightmares. The “future” will not automatically be an epoch of doom and gloom simply because new technological innovations will be present. Technology, like most tools is generally neutral, there is no intrinsic moral good or bad. However, neutrality quickly fades when we begin to think about how technology is used to mimic the fundamental ways humans think, behave and exist. Emberbrace, a play on the words, ember and embrace alludes to the symbolic meaning of fire or light as a metaphor for knowledge. The image explores a digital embrace, produced when VR/AR hardware combines with the natural desire for sexual connection. Technological influence is not a zero sum either/or proposition. The software may be binary but its effect is a nuanced blend of overrides, developments and enhancements. Things will change for the worse but also for the better. Culture is a serial by product of many cycles of iterations. Technology a product of Culture is no different. As within, so without.