Kent Bye+

#1749: Socratic Debate on the Future of “AI” & XR (Round 2) from AWE 2026

I participated in another Socratic Debate about the Future of "AI" and XR at Augmented World Expo 2026 with Leslie Shannon, Alvin Graylin, and Louis Rosenberg (you can listen to last year's debate in episode #1611). Shannon and Graylin argued for "AI," whilst Rosenberg and I argued against "AI." In my write-up, I wanted to leave some breadcrumbs to more in-depth, skeptical arguments against "AI" that we didn't have space or time to dig into during the debate, but "some breadcrumbs" ended up being over 30k words, and more like an outline for an entire book. Writing a book isn’t on my

◌ 1h 6m

#1748: Caitlin Krause on the Experience of XR, Process Philosophy Musings, & the Ethics of AI

I interviewed Caitlin Krause about the experience of XR, Process Philosophy musings, & the ethics of AI on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 15m

#1740: Targo Stories on the Growing Interest in Immersive Storytelling in the Broader XR Industry

I interviewed Victor Agulhon about the growing interest in immersive storytelling through his Targo Stories on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. Targo won an Auggie this year as well as an Apple Design Award both for D-Day: The Camera Soldier (see episode #1565 for more). This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 31m

#1744: Open Metaverse Browser Initiative for Web-Based Spatial Services Announced by RP1 and Metaverse Standards Forum

I interviewed Sean Mann about RP1's Open Metaverse Browser Initiative announcement with the Metaverse Standards Forum on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. You can see their AWE talk here, and check out the Open Metaverse Browser wiki for more information. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 34m

#1739: Ganek Immersive Studio at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is Cultivating the Next-Generation of Immersive Video Directors

I interviewed Nathan Fairchild about Ganek Immersive Studio at USC's School of Cinematic Arts on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. Fairchild was at AWE showing off some student projects of Immersive Video, and I really quite enjoyed the hyperstylized, fever dream of Elevator by LILLETH who is coming from an immersive theatre background. Ori Inbar had mentioned how immersive video was one of the sectors that was growing within his opening keynote. The Apple Vision Pro has helped to revitalize interest in the more cinematic 180-degree forms, but also for

◌ 29m

#1742: Amanda Watson on GPL Compatibility in VR, Oculus Link & Air Link, & VR as the Perfect 3DUI for Robotic Teleoperation

I interviewed Amanda Watson about GPL Compatibility in VR with CitraVR, Oculus Link & Air Link, & VR as the Perfect 3DUI for Robotic Teleoperation on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 31m

#1745: Key Open Standards Enabling the Open Metaverse Browser Initiative with Metaverse Standards Forum

I interviewed Metaverse Standards Forum President Neil Trevett about key open Standards enabling the Open Metaverse Browser Initiative with RP1 on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. You can see their AWE talk here, and check out the Open Metaverse Browser wiki for more information. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 0m

#1747: XR Software Engineer Trond Nilsen on Reluctantly Using AI Hyperscalers & the Aspiration for Open Source Alternatives

I interviewed Trond Nilsen about reluctantly using AI Hyperscalers & the aspiration for open source alternatives on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 24m

#1741: Interoperable OpenXR with a Single APK to 3 Different HMDs for a P2P Multi-Player Game by Stay Warm Studios

I interviewed founders of Stay Warm Studio Carol Silvermann and Dario Laverde about an interoperable OpenXR experience titled fun4player that was deployed from a single APK to 3 different VR HMDs (Samsung Galaxy XR, Oculus Quest 3, and Pico 4). We chatted on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 22m

#1746: Tom Furness Announces The Luminara, Institute of Light to Cultivate Human Flourishing with XR

I interviewed XR Pioneer Tom Furness about Luminara, Institute Institute of Light that he announced at on June 17th, 2026 during his 1:35p session at Augmented World Expo. He describes the vision on their website as "Luminara is a non-profit research, learning, and humanitarian initiative exploring how emerging technologies, human consciousness, creativity, compassion, and service can work together to uplift humanity." They'll be investigating how to cultivate human flourishing through various research and collaborations to explore human potential through the lens of immersive technologies.

◌ 28m

#1743: Ben Erwin on Immersive Public Media, Open Standards, & The Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences

I interviewed Ben Erwin about Immersive Public Media, Open Standards & The Metaverse Standards Forum, & The Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 34m

#1737: Christopher Stapleton’s Augmented Imagination Framework for Conversational Embodied Stories

I interviewed Christopher Stapleton about Augmented Imagination Framework for Conversational Embodied Stories on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. Here's the recording of Stapleton's AWE talk on the Augmented Imagination, which provides a lot more visuals for many of the same topics that we cover in this conversation. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 34m

#1734: Metropolitan Museum of Art Experiments with XR & AI for Storytelling & Remote Access

I interviewed Brett Renfer about Metropolitan Museum of Art Experiments with XR & AI on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. You can check out the The Temple of Dendur and Oceanic Art in Virtual Reality within the Atopia VR application. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 53m

#1730: Studio Syro’s “Spatial Mailbox” Messaging App with Gesture-Based, 3DUI Innovations

I interviewed Studio Syro's Nick Ladd, Nicholas Saunders, and Peter Ariet about the app Spatial Mailbox on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 25m

#1736: HoloLabs Studio’s “Abyss Vault” LBE Escape Room Adventure Innovates on Collaborative Puzzles for 2-6 Players

I interviewed Brett Gaylor and Mike Wozniewski about HoloLabs Studio's Abyss Vault LBE escape room experience on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. Here's their talk from AWE titled "Build VR Like a Theme Park. Market It Like a Movie." This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 27m

#1732: ArborXR on Immersive Training Trends, Handling Meta’s Enterprise Uncertainty, & VR Headset Tradeoffs

I interviewed Devon Marble about ArborXR on Immersive Training Trends on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 38m

#1731: Diversifying Beyond XR Indie Gaming & “Trip the Light” with Dark Arts Software

I interviewed Patrick Ascolese about Trip the Light and other Dark Arts Software projects on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 48m

#1738: USC’s Immersive Archive to Preserve Immersive Art and VR Stories

I interviewed Zeynep Abes about USC's Immersive Archive Initiative on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. Also be sure to check out my interview with Avinash Changa on the The Institute of Immersive Preservation, which is addressing other aspects of the required operating system infrastructure to emulate drivers over the past decade of immersive works. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 17m

#1735: Excurio Continues Worldwide LBE Expansion of the “Movie Theaters” of Free-Roaming VR

I interviewed Jules Rimbaud about Excurio's worldwide expansion of their Location-Based Entertainment Immersive Expeditions on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. You can check out my previous interviews with Excurio in episode numbers #1430, #1588, and #1651. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 28m

#1733: Oregon Reality Lab Founder Donna Davis on Preparing College Students for the Future of Immersive Communication

I interviewed Oregon Reality Lab founder Donna Davis, which is The University of Oregon's Immersive Media Research & Education Lab. We chatted on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 38m

#1723: Agog’s Open Call for Climate Futures + Immersive Media: Deadline on June 12th

Agog is having their first open call on Climate Futures + Immersive Media that closes on June 12, 2026, at 11:59p PDT. Agog is "committing up to $1 million in grants to support innovators, technologists, artists, organizers, researchers, organizations, studios, and creative teams using immersive media to engage people on climate, from awareness to action." Their official page has a lot more details, including a FAQ as well as a link to an info session held in VRChat. I had a chance to catch up with Agog's co-founder and executive director Chip Giller as well their chief of programs and str

◌ 29m

#1722: Meaningful XR Keynote on Patterns of Meaning, Transformation, and Impact

I gave the opening keynote of the Meaningful XR Conference on May 30, 2026, and here's the video version of my keynote talk titled: "Patterns of Meaning, Transformation, and Impact in XR" and here is the PDF of the slides with clickable footnotes. In this talk, I cover my Experiential & Phenomenological Framework, discuss the Impulse Impact Study that came out on May 28th (see my discussion in episode #1721). I cover a bit about the Transformation Economy (see my interview with Joe Pine in episode #1718), Mission-Oriented Change, & Co-Creation, as well as cover some Other Models for Paradigm S

◌ 33m

#1721: Impact Study on “Impulse” Immersive Doc on ADHD: Artistic Reflections

On May 28, 2026, Anagram released a report titled: "Results of Impact Study Carried Out for Mixed Reality Experience Impulse: Digest for General Public," which was commission by Agog. This 43-page report was written by Dr. Alexandra Sierra, and there's also a more extended 121-page version from December 2025 that's titled "Impulse Research Study Detail and Results" that was also written by Sierra (it is in the process of being made available). The study tracked the behavioral shifts of over 100 people across three different cohorts who watched the Impulse: Playing with Reality immersive docume

◌ 1h 36m

#1720: Immersive Impact Review is a Hybrid Journalism and Academic Magazine on XR Impact

The Immersive Impact Review launched on March 13, 2026 at 4p CDT in Austin Texas during SXSW, and they describe themselves as "a hybrid journalistic and academic magazine examining immersive media’s strive for social impact." The first issue theme is titled “Value(s) in Practice: Impact and Sustainability in XR,” which is investigating the following questions: "How do we measure and demonstrate social impact? How do we justify costs and tradeoffs in immersive vs. more traditional media?" I spoke to managing editor Michael Epstein at SXSW four days after their launch to get a bit more context o

◌ 1h 2m

#1720: Immersive Impact Review is a Hybrid Journalism and Academic Magazine on XR Impact

The Immersive Impact Review launched on March 13, 2026 at 4p CDT in Austin Texas during SXSW, and they describe themselves as "a hybrid journalistic and academic magazine examining immersive media’s strive for social impact." The first issue theme is titled “Value(s) in Practice: Impact and Sustainability in XR,” which is investigating the following questions: "How do we measure and demonstrate social impact? How do we justify costs and tradeoffs in immersive vs. more traditional media?" I spoke to managing editor Michael Epstein at SXSW four days after their launch to get a bit more context o

◌ 1h 2m

#1723: Agog’s Open Call for Climate Futures + Immersive Media: Deadline on June 12th

Agog is having their first open call on Climate Futures + Immersive Media that closes on June 12, 2026, at 11:59p PDT. Agog is "committing up to $1 million in grants to support innovators, technologists, artists, organizers, researchers, organizations, studios, and creative teams using immersive media to engage people on climate, from awareness to action." Their official page has a lot more details, including a FAQ as well as a link to an info session held in VRChat. I had a chance to catch up with Agog's co-founder and executive director Chip Giller as well their chief of programs and str

◌ 29m

#1722: Meaningful XR Keynote on Patterns of Meaning, Transformation, and Impact

I gave the opening keynote of the Meaningful XR Conference on May 30, 2026, and here's the video version of my keynote talk titled: "Patterns of Meaning, Transformation, and Impact in XR" and here is the PDF of the slides with clickable footnotes. In this talk, I cover my Experiential & Phenomenological Framework, discuss the Impulse Impact Study that came out on May 28th (see my discussion in episode #1721). I cover a bit about the Transformation Economy (see my interview with Joe Pine in episode #1718), Mission-Oriented Change, & Co-Creation, as well as cover some Other Models for Paradigm S

◌ 33m

#1721: Impact Study on “Impulse” Immersive Doc on ADHD: Artistic Reflections

On May 28, 2026, Anagram released a report titled: "Results of Impact Study Carried Out for Mixed Reality Experience Impulse: Digest for General Public," which was commission by Agog. This 43-page report was written by Dr. Alexandra Sierra, and there's also a more extended 121-page version from December 2025 that's titled "Impulse Research Study Detail and Results" that was also written by Sierra (it is in the process of being made available). The study tracked the behavioral shifts of over 100 people across three different cohorts who watched the Impulse: Playing with Reality immersive docume

◌ 1h 36m

#1719: RIP Rec Room: Reflections & Memories with Shawn Whiting

On March 30, 2026, Rec Room announced they would be closing on June 1, 2026 at noon PDT. I had a chance to speak to former Rec Room employee Shawn Whiting, who previously the roles of Head of Creators, Head of User Acquisition, and Head of Community. He shares some additional context for the past decade of Rec Room including reflections of some of their top milestones, riding the Metaverse hype, the benefits of costs of being available on so many different platforms, the impact of Meta's competing Horizon Worlds, and the challenges of monetization. We also share some of our favorite memories o

◌ 1h 39m

#1719: RIP Rec Room: Reflections & Memories with Shawn Whiting

On March 30, 2026, Rec Room announced they would be closing on June 1, 2026 at noon PDT. I had a chance to speak to former Rec Room employee Shawn Whiting, who previously the roles of Head of Creators, Head of User Acquisition, and Head of Community. He shares some additional context for the past decade of Rec Room including reflections of some of their top milestones, riding the Metaverse hype, the benefits of costs of being available on so many different platforms, the impact of Meta's competing Horizon Worlds, and the challenges of monetization. We also share some of our favorite memories o

◌ 1h 39m

#1718: Primer on “The Transformation Economy” with Joe Pine: When Experiences Fulfill Aspirations, Meaning, & Flourishing

On February 3rd, 2026, Joe Pine released The Transformation Economy, which is a follow-up to The Experience Economy co-written with James Gilmore and published in 1999. They identified a key pattern of how economic offerings have evolved beyond commodities, goods, and services, and moved into experiences as well as transformations. Their prescient predictions about these underlying patterns in the late '90s took many years of convincing businesses of their merits. But after a few decades, their core ideas of The Experience Economy have taken root, and now it is much easier to see how consum

◌ 1h 20m

#1718: Primer on “The Transformation Economy” with Joe Pine: When Experiences Fulfill Aspirations, Meaning, & Flourishing

On February 3rd, 2026, Joe Pine released The Transformation Economy, which is a follow-up to The Experience Economy co-written with James Gilmore and published in 1999. They identified a key pattern of how economic offerings have evolved beyond commodities, goods, and services, and moved into experiences as well as transformations. Their prescient predictions about these underlying patterns in the late '90s took many years of convincing businesses of their merits. But after a few decades, their core ideas of The Experience Economy have taken root, and now it is much easier to see how consum

◌ 1h 20m

#1716: “Human Spatial Computing” is a Human-Rights-Centered Textbook for XR Design

The Human Spatial Computing book was published by Oxford University Press on February 5, 2026, and I had a chance to interview the co-authors Reginé Gilbert and Doug North Cook a few weeks after it launched. They alternative as the lead author on each chapter, which provides a comprehensive overview of designing for XR through a variety of different lenses. The entire book is grounded in human rights and ethics, with a recurring focus on how to design experiences that are inclusive and accessible to as diverse of an audience as possible. There's a helpful recap of the history of human compu

◌ 1h 28m

#1715: “BurnerSphere” Combines Immersive Documentary, Social VR, and Digital Twin of Burning Man

BurnerSphere is part immersive documentary, party social VR platform, and part digital twin of Burning Man. It's a standalone VR experience that launched in early alpha for both Quest and Steam on July 22, 2025. It's an evolution of the original Burning Man on AltSpace that I covered back in episodes #940, #960, & #1192, and now they have their own standalone social VR platform that has a digital twin of Burning Man that creates a spatial context for a ton of immersive documentary content that's shot in 360-degree video, stereoscopic 180-degree video, gaussian splats, 3D-modeled recreations, 3

◌ 1h 7m

#1716: “Human Spatial Computing” is a Human-Rights-Centered Textbook for XR Design

The Human Spatial Computing book was published by Oxford University Press on February 5, 2026, and I had a chance to interview the co-authors Reginé Gilbert and Doug North Cook a few weeks after it launched. They alternative as the lead author on each chapter, which provides a comprehensive overview of designing for XR through a variety of different lenses. The entire book is grounded in human rights and ethics, with a recurring focus on how to design experiences that are inclusive and accessible to as diverse of an audience as possible. There's a helpful recap of the history of human compu

◌ 1h 28m

#1715: “BurnerSphere” Combines Immersive Documentary, Social VR, and Digital Twin of Burning Man

BurnerSphere is part immersive documentary, party social VR platform, and part digital twin of Burning Man. It's a standalone VR experience that launched in early alpha for both Quest and Steam on July 22, 2025. It's an evolution of the original Burning Man on AltSpace that I covered back in episodes #940, #960, & #1192, and now they have their own standalone social VR platform that has a digital twin of Burning Man that creates a spatial context for a ton of immersive documentary content that's shot in 360-degree video, stereoscopic 180-degree video, gaussian splats, 3D-modeled recreations, 3

◌ 1h 7m

#1714: Lincoln Center for Performing Arts Immersive Programming Overview with Jordana Leigh

The Lincoln Center for Performing Arts has been stage a variety of different types of immersive experiences as a part of their interdisciplinary programming, and I had a chance to catch up the lead immersive programmer Jordana Leigh at Venice Immersive in order to get an overview of what they've been showing, XR experiences they've commissioned, how audiences connect to each other about the unique transportive affordances of experiences presented there, and generally how they're using XR to bring new and diverse communities together in New York City. We also talked about their Lincoln Center C

◌ 45m

#1714: Lincoln Center for Performing Arts Immersive Programming Overview with Jordana Leigh

The Lincoln Center for Performing Arts has been stage a variety of different types of immersive experiences as a part of their interdisciplinary programming, and I had a chance to catch up the lead immersive programmer Jordana Leigh at Venice Immersive in order to get an overview of what they've been showing, XR experiences they've commissioned, how audiences connect to each other about the unique transportive affordances of experiences presented there, and generally how they're using XR to bring new and diverse communities together in New York City. We also talked about their Lincoln Center C

◌ 45m

1713: CIIIC’s €200 Million in Public Funding: The Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition

The CIIIC is the Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition based out of the Netherlands, which will be spending about €200 Million in Public Funding over the next five years. It is a really exciting development in Europe that is promoting the development of Immersive Experiences (which they abbreviate IX). They will be cultivating knowledge and methods of experiential design, developing immersive talent and human capital, cultivating immersive ecosystem and facilities, catalyzing innovation via various projects, and creating an over synergy across all of their efforts. For a compre

◌ 42m

1713: CIIIC’s €200 Million in Public Funding: The Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition

The CIIIC is the Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition based out of the Netherlands, which will be spending about €200 Million in Public Funding over the next five years. It is a really exciting development in Europe that is promoting the development of Immersive Experiences (which they abbreviate IX). They will be cultivating knowledge and methods of experiential design, developing immersive talent and human capital, cultivating immersive ecosystem and facilities, catalyzing innovation via various projects, and creating an over synergy across all of their efforts. For a compre

◌ 42m

#1712: Preview of SXSW XR Experience 2026 with Blake Kammerdiener

I interviewed SXSW XR Experience 2026 curator Blake Kammerdiener about this year's selection, and how immersive artists are using Generative AI in a series of different projects. Below is the selection (ordered from longest to shortest). This year's program runs from 11a to 6p CDT from Sunday, March 15-17, 2026. XR Experience Competition Escape The Internet (Part 1) (50 min) Inter(mediate) Spaces (45 min) Winterover (45 min) Fabula Rasa: Dead Man Talking (30 min) Frustrain: Trainman (30 min) The Forgotten War (30 min) Watsonville (30 min) Fillos do Vento: A Rapa (2

◌ 1h 4m

#1711: Mission Responsible 3: Discussion on AI Ethics with 6 Winners of Polys Ombudsperson of the Year

This is the panel discussion of Mission Responsible 3 featuring the winners of the Polys Ombudsperson of the year including: Kent Bye (2020), Avi Bar-Zeev (2021), Brittan Heller (2022), Micaela Mantegna (2023), Ingrid Kopp (2024), and Nonny de la Pena (2025). Introduced by Renard T. Jenkins. The big topic this year was AI, but lots to say about XR as well. Here are some links that I mentioned in the introduction that were referenced within the show: "Freedom of Expression in Next-Generation Computing" by Brittan Heller XR Guild's Principles US sanctioning individual ICC judges for

◌ 52m

#1711: Mission Responsible 3: Discussion on AI Ethics with 6 Winners of Polys Ombudsperson of the Year

This is the panel discussion of Mission Responsible 3 featuring the winners of the Polys Ombudsperson of the year including: Kent Bye (2020), Avi Bar-Zeev (2021), Brittan Heller (2022), Micaela Mantegna (2023), Ingrid Kopp (2024), and Nonny de la Pena (2025). Introduced by Renard T. Jenkins. The big topic this year was AI, but lots to say about XR as well. Here are some links that I mentioned in the introduction that were referenced within the show: "Freedom of Expression in Next-Generation Computing" by Brittan Heller XR Guild's Principles US sanctioning individual ICC judges for

◌ 52m

#1712: Preview of SXSW XR Experience 2026 with Blake Kammerdiener

I interviewed SXSW XR Experience 2026 curator Blake Kammerdiener about this year's selection, and how immersive artists are using Generative AI in a series of different projects. Below is the selection (ordered from longest to shortest). This year's program runs from 11a to 6p CDT from Sunday, March 15-17, 2026. XR Experience Competition Escape The Internet (Part 1) (50 min) Inter(mediate) Spaces (45 min) Winterover (45 min) Fabula Rasa: Dead Man Talking (30 min) Frustrain: Trainman (30 min) The Forgotten War (30 min) Watsonville (30 min) Fillos do Vento: A Rapa (2

◌ 1h 4m

#1710: When Integration Becomes Subordination: Big Tech Parallels in Carney’s Davos Speech & Untethering from the AI Big Brother

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a rousing speech at the World Economic Forum on January 20, 2026 about the rupture of the rules-based order of the globalized economy, and he emphasized the need to build new coalitions to sustain the pressure coming from the United States' emerging authoritarianism. Carney said, “Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited. You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration, when integration becomes the source

◌ 53m

#1710: When Integration Becomes Subordination: Big Tech Parallels in Carney’s Davos Speech & Untethering from the AI Big Brother

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a rousing speech at the World Economic Forum on January 20, 2026 about the rupture of the rules-based order of the globalized economy, and he emphasized the need to build new coalitions to sustain the pressure coming from the United States' emerging authoritarianism. Carney said, “Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited. You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration, when integration becomes the source

◌ 53m

#1709: Ian Hamilton on Getting Fired from UploadVR & Concerns on AI Authorship in News

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Ian Hamilton announced on Bluesky that "I've been fired from UploadVR." He was the editor in chief at UploadVR, and he wrote a Substack post titled "Ian is Typing" on January 30th detailing how is co-workers were pushing to do a test of a "clearly disclosed AI author for UploadVR," and that he had three specific concerns that it be brief, for the ability for readers to turn off and hide all AI-authored posts, and for human freelancers to have the right of first refusal. Hamilton claims to have tried to raise these concerns in the context of Slack, but that the e

◌ 1h 35m

#1709: Ian Hamilton on Getting Fired from UploadVR & Concerns on AI Authorship in News

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Ian Hamilton announced on Bluesky that "I've been fired from UploadVR." He was the editor in chief at UploadVR, and he wrote a Substack post titled "Ian is Typing" on January 30th detailing how is co-workers were pushing to do a test of a "clearly disclosed AI author for UploadVR," and that he had three specific concerns that it be brief, for the ability for readers to turn off and hide all AI-authored posts, and for human freelancers to have the right of first refusal. Hamilton claims to have tried to raise these concerns in the context of Slack, but that the e

◌ 1h 35m

#1708: How Process Philosophy Centers Experience. A Prismatic Tour of “Whitehead’s Universe” by Andrew M. Davis

I interviewed Andrew M. Davis about his forthcoming book titled Whitehead's Universe: A Prismatic Introduction on Thursday, December 4, 2025. It's absolutely the best introduction to Alfred North Whitehead's work in Process Philosophy, and I can't recommend it enough. The worst part is that it isn't set to release until sometime next year, but you can get an early look at some drafts if you sign up with some of Davis' upcoming Whitehead's Universe courses that are being offered in January and February 2026. Whitehead's Process Philosophy centers the human experience at the center of it's ph

◌ 1h 40m

#1707: War Journalist Turns to Immersive Art to Shatter Our Numbness Through Feeling. “In 36,000 Ways” is a Revelatory Embodied Poem by Karim Ben Khelifa

I interviewed Karim Ben Khelifa about In 36,000 Ways on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Here are the 26 episodes and more than 24 hours of coverage from my IDFA DocLab 2025 coverage: #1682: Preview of IDFA DocLab's Selection of "Perception Art" & Immersive Stories #1683: "Feedback VR Antifuturist Musical" Wins Immersive Non-Fiction Award at IDFA DocLab 2025 #1684: Playable Essay “individualism in the dead-internet age” Recaps Enshittification Against Indie Devs #1685: Immersive Liner Notes of Hip-Hop Album "AÜTO/MÖTOR" Uses three.js & HTML 1.

◌ 46m

#1706: Using Immersive Journalism to Document Genocide in Gaza with “Under the Same Sky”

I interviewed Khalil Ashawi, Sami Sultan, & Hail Khalaf about Under the Same Sky on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 55m

#1705: The Art of Designing Emergent Social Dynamics with Ontroerend Goed’s “Handle with Care”

I interviewed Alexander Devriendt about Handle with Care on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 9m

#1704: “Lesbian Simulator” is an Interactive VR Narrative Masterclass Balancing Levity, Pride, & Naming of Homophobic Threats

I interviewed Iris van der Meule about Lesbian Simulator on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 55m

#1703: “Reality Looks Back” Uses Quantum Possibility Metaphors & Gaussian Splats to Challenge Notions of Reality

I interviewed Anne Jeppesen & Omid Zarei about Reality Looks Back on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 59m

#1702: “Coded Black” Creates Experiential Black History by Combining Horror Genres with Open World Exploration

I interviewed Maisha Wester about Coded Black on Monday, November 17, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 4m

#1701: Public Art Installation “Nothing to See Here” Uses Perception Art to Challenge Our Notions of Reality

I interviewed Celine Daemen about Nothing to See Here on Monday, November 17, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 45m

#1700: Update on Co-Creating XR Distribution Field Initiative & Toolkits from MIT Open DocLab

I interviewed Sarah Wolozin, Scarlett Kim, Julia Scott-Stevenson about MIT Open DocLab's Co-Creating XR Distribution Field Initiative on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 45m

#1699: Announcing “The Institute of Immersive Preservation” with Avinash Changa & His XR Virtual Machine Wizardry

I interviewed Avinash Changa about The Institute of Immersive Perservation on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 55m

#1698: Immersive Exhibition Lessons Learned from Undershed’s First Year with Amy Rose

I interviewed Amy Rose about first year of the Undershed at the Watershed on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 54m

#1697: Can Immersive Art Revitalize Civic Engagement? Netherlands CIIIC Funds “Shared Reality” Initiative

I interviewed Martijn de Waal about revitalizing civic engagement through immersive art on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 35m

#1696: Speculative Architecture Meets the Immersive Dome in Sergey Prokofyev’s “Eternal Habitat”

I interviewed Sergey Prokofyev about Eternal Habitat on Monday, November 17, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 5m

#1695: “Another Place” Takes a Liminal Architectural Stroll into Memories of Another Time and Place

I interviewed Domenico Singha Pedroli about Another Place on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 57m

#1694: Reimagining Amsterdam’s Red Light District in “Unimaginable Red” Open World Game

I interviewed Vitor Freire & Monique Grimord about Unimaginable Red on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 3m

#1693: A Survey of the Indie Immersive Dome Community Trends with “The Rift” Directors & 4Pi Productions

I interviewed Janire Najera & Matthew Wright from 4PI Productions and CULTVR Lab about The Rift on Monday, November 17, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 56m

#1692: Playful Remixing of Scanned Animal Body Parts in “We Are Dead Animals”

I interviewed Maarten Isaak de Heer about We Are Dead Animals on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 37m

#1691: A Call for Human Friction Over AI Slop in “Deep Soup” Participatory Film Based on “Designing Friction” Manifesto

I interviewed Luna Maurer & Roel Wouters about Deep Soup on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. You can also check out their Designing Friction Manifesto. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 58m

#1690: Asking Philosophical Questions on AI in “The Oracle: Ritual for the Future” with Poetic Immersive Performance

I interviewed Victorine van Alphen about The Oracle: Ritual for the Future on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 51m

#1689: Making Post-Human Babies in “IVF-X” to Catalyze Philosophical Reflections on Reproduction

I interviewed Victorine Van Alphen about IVF-X on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at New Images in Paris, France. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 0m

#1688: Hacking Gamer Hardware and Stereotypes in “Gamer Keyboard Wall Piece #2”

I interviewed Sjef van Beers about Gamer Keyboard Wall Piece #2 on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 46m

#1687: Text-Based Adventure Theatrical Performance “MILKMAN ZERO: The First Delivery”

I interviewed Matt Romein about MILKMAN ZERO: The First Delivery on Monday, November 17, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 21m

#1686: 15 Years of Hand-Written Letters about the Internet in “Life Needs Internet 2010–2025” Installation

I interviewed Jeroen van Loon about Life Needs Internet 2010–2025 on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 50m

#1685: Immersive Liner Notes of Hip-Hop Album “AÜTO/MÖTOR” Uses three.js & HTML 1.0 Aesthetics

I interviewed Albert Johnson about A Ü T O / M Ö T O R on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 54m

#1684: Playable Essay “individualism in the dead-internet age” Recaps Enshittification Against Indie Devs

I interviewed Nathalie Lawhead about individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware r̶a̶n̶t̶ manifesto on Monday, November 17, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 53m

#1683: “Feedback VR: An Antifuturist Musical” Wins Immersive Non-Fiction Award at IDFA DocLab 2025

I interviewed Claudix Vanesix, Cocompi & Aaron Medina about Feedback VR, un musical antifuturista on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Here are the 26 episodes and more than 24 hours of coverage from my IDFA DocLab 2025 coverage: #1682: Preview of IDFA DocLab's Selection of "Perception Art" & Immersive Stories #1683: "Feedback VR Antifuturist Musical" Wins Immersive Non-Fiction Award at IDFA DocLab 2025 #1684: Playable Essay “individualism in the dead-internet age” Recaps Enshittification Against Indie Devs #1685: Immersive Liner Notes of Hip-H

◌ 58m

#1708: How Process Philosophy Centers Experience. A Prismatic Tour of “Whitehead’s Universe” by Andrew M. Davis

I interviewed Andrew M. Davis about his forthcoming book titled Whitehead's Universe: A Prismatic Introduction on Thursday, December 4, 2025. It's absolutely the best introduction to Alfred North Whitehead's work in Process Philosophy, and I can't recommend it enough. The worst part is that it isn't set to release until sometime next year, but you can get an early look at some drafts if you sign up with some of Davis' upcoming Whitehead's Universe courses that are being offered in January and February 2026. Whitehead's Process Philosophy centers the human experience at the center of it's ph

◌ 1h 40m

#1706: Using Immersive Journalism to Document Genocide in Gaza with “Under the Same Sky”

I interviewed Khalil Ashawi, Sami Sultan, & Hail Khalaf about Under the Same Sky on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 55m

#1704: “Lesbian Simulator” is an Interactive VR Narrative Masterclass Balancing Levity, Pride, & Naming of Homophobic Threats

I interviewed Iris van der Meule about Lesbian Simulator on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 55m

#1703: “Reality Looks Back” Uses Quantum Possibility Metaphors & Gaussian Splats to Challenge Notions of Reality

I interviewed Anne Jeppesen & Omid Zarei about Reality Looks Back on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 59m

#1705: The Art of Designing Emergent Social Dynamics with Ontroerend Goed’s “Handle with Care”

I interviewed Alexander Devriendt about Handle with Care on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 9m

#1707: War Journalist Turns to Immersive Art to Shatter Our Numbness Through Feeling. “In 36,000 Ways” is a Revelatory Embodied Poem by Karim Ben Khelifa

I interviewed Karim Ben Khelifa about In 36,000 Ways on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Here are the 26 episodes and more than 24 hours of coverage from my IDFA DocLab 2025 coverage: #1682: Preview of IDFA DocLab's Selection of "Perception Art" & Immersive Stories #1683: "Feedback VR Antifuturist Musical" Wins Immersive Non-Fiction Award at IDFA DocLab 2025 #1684: Playable Essay “individualism in the dead-internet age” Recaps Enshittification Against Indie Devs #1685: Immersive Liner Notes of Hip-Hop Album "AÜTO/MÖTOR" Uses three.js & HTML 1.

◌ 46m

#1674: 3rd Place Spectacles Lensathon Team: Fireside Tales Collaborative Storytelling with GenAI

At Snap's Developer Conference of Lensfest, I did an interview with 3rd place team in the Snap Spectacles Lensathon named Fireside Tales including Stijn Spanhove, Pavlo Tkachenko, and Yegor Ryabtsov. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 30m

#1670: Snapchat’s Embodied Gaming Innovations with AR Developer Relations Head

I did an interview with Raag Harshavat, AR Developer Relations at Snapchat, at Snap's Developer Conference of Lensfest. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 24m

#1642: “Cathedral of Witches” Performance Explores Trans & Queer Spirituality in VRChat

I spoke with hexe.exe, T_Braun, Shadowwulf82, RingSystem, Casperillion, Venixia, LadybugVR, & Starheart about Cathedral of Witches as a part of my Raindance Immersive 2025 coverage. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 39m

#1641: “Silhouette of Memories” Cinematic VR Concert Experience Features Live Choreography

I spoke with HoneyWeeWee, Sandi_, Humi, Quinnster, & Kiashi_GL about Silhouette of Memories as a part of my Raindance Immersive 2025 coverage. See more context in the rough transcript below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsgZm4u8UsU This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 10m

#1628: Part 2: Caitlin Krause on “Digital Wellbeing” Theory and Practice with XR & AI (2025)

Here's my interview with Caitlin Krause, Founder of Mindwise, that was conducted on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, CA. This is part 2 of 2 of my conversations with Krause, you can see part 1 from 2019 here. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 54m

#1597: Educator Vasilisa Glauser on Using VR for Twice Exceptional Students

Here's my interview with Vasilisa Glauser, educator specializing in twice exceptionality, that was conducted on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, CA. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 12m

#1580: “Neuro-Cinema: From Synapse to Montage” Explores Bioethics Moral Dilemmas & BCI-Controlled Editing & Robotics

I spoke with Graham Sack about Neuro-Cinema: From Synapse to Montage at Onassis ONX Summer Showcase 2025. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 39m

#1575: Part 2: Co-Creation with XR for Building Community with “A Father’s Lullaby” (2025)

I spoke with Rashin Fahandej about A Father's Lullaby at Tribeca Immersive 2025. See more context in the rough transcript below. (Photo by Mikhail Mishin courtesy of Onassis ONX) This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 1h 5m

#1574: Part 1: Co-Creation with XR for Building Community with “A Father’s Lullaby” (2023)

I spoke with Rashin Fahandej about A Father's Lullaby at Tribeca Immersive 2023 when it was still a work-in-progress. See more context in the rough transcript below. (Photo by Mikhail Mishin courtesy of Onassis ONX) This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 58m

#1572: “The Innocence of Unknowing” Uses Socratic Dialogue with AI & Video Essay to Deconstruct Root Cases of Gun Violence

I spoke with Ryat Yezbick & Milo Talwani about The Innocence of Unknowing at Tribeca Immersive 2025. See more context in the rough transcript below. (Photo by Mikhail Mishin courtesy of Onassis ONX) This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 58m

#1571: “Uncharted VR” Explores the Spatialization of African Languages and Knowledge through Immersive Architecture and Adowa Dance

I spoke with Kidus Hailesilassie about Uncharted VR at Tribeca Immersive 2025. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 43m

#1570: “The Founders Pillars and The Power Loom” Uses AR to Contextualize Wall Street History Through African Textiles and Myths

I spoke with Meghna Singh about The Founders Pillars and The Power Loom at Tribeca Immersive 2025. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

◌ 52m