Thoughtworks XConf Tech Talk Series: From enterprise XR to ethical XR

Authors: Kuldeep Singh, Head of XR Practice for India and Raju Kandaswamy, Lead Consultant

Every radically new technology is nothing short of magic at the beginning. This holds true for Augmented and Virtual Reality.

For the uninitiated, Augmented Reality (AR) refers to digital content being placed on top of the real world environment. The user views the world through glasses, a camera screen, mirrors etc. Virtual Reality (VR) also augments digital content but on top of a virtual environment. The user does not view the real world at all. Mixed reality (MR) combines both AR and VR. Extended Reality (XR) is all of the above or one could also define it as any technology that alters the way we view and interact with reality.

In the post-pandemic world, XR is gradually proving its potential, through innovative solutions, to help solve enterprise complexity.

For instance, the new normal’s work-from-home models are forcing businesses to provide their employees with location-agnostic virtual workplaces while using autonomous intelligent systems to manage them.

In the retail world, as fewer and fewer customers are willing to visit physical stores, businesses are seeking immersive digital experiences. Lenskart, in India, is already leveraging XR technologies in their virtual try-on product.

Several e-commerce players are similarly exploring XR tech, quickly ushering in the transition towards virtual commerce. Try-and-buy and fitment-based use cases are gaining popularity across furniture, interior design, realty brands and more.

However, virtual commerce goes far beyond e-commerce. Brands are now offering community shopping experiences. Premium retail brands use XR in-store tech – encouraging customers to explore products while also being able to access data like ratings and comments in real-time.

Manufacturing is leveraging XR tech to improve their training. Going beyond paper-based training, enterprises are creating XR content to make learning immersive. Subject matter experts are also offering remote help and guidance to teams on the floor by replicating the environment virtually.

This approach is making the impossible possible. For example, it has been near impossible to demo a vehicle’s airbag in a showroom but XR allows you to carry out that seemingly impossible demo.

Shifting focus to the real estate industry – agents can use XR to showcase the entire house, allowing customers to visualize the building without a single brick having been laid. Customers can even navigate customizations as required. Maintenance teams can visualize the buildings’ electricity/plumbing etc., before making repairs.

Hospitals use AR/VR tech in operation theatres, so surgeons can visualize DICOM data in real-time, helping them plan their surgeries. This is aside from XR-assisted telemedicine or even the way psychiatrists can use the tech to diagnose and treat various kinds of phobias by simulating certain environments virtually.

What’s essential to recognize is that not all XR is the same. Every use case and application involves multiple building blocks and key among them are:

XR content management: this is the foundation of any XR initiative. Enterprises build 3D models made with 3D modelers, photogrammetric solutions, 360-degree videos co-created with creator communities in the form of NFTs etc

Enterprise integration: it is often a misconception among enterprise teams that any new XR solution needs a technology ecosystem of its own. Most XR tech can seamlessly integrate with existing ERPs, CRMs, LMSs, MDM etc

Customization: based on the specific needs and goals of the industry, business and teams – each enterprise needs to develop its customizations

Monetization: while building XR solutions, enterprises also need to consider return-on-investment and monetization. Enterprises are beginning to explore virtual product trials, XR commerce, white labeling etc

Standardization: after the pilots and initial use cases are proven, enterprises will need to set up processes for standardization, not just for development but also for experiences. They will need to ensure repeatability as well

While there are endless opportunities with XR tech, the concerns are significant too. The biggest of them is XR surveillance. When everyone wears an XR device in public, we could be under constant surveillance without our knowledge.

In the future, generating photorealistic human avatars might be possible. With a few bots, it is also possible to make these avatars speak realistically – a possible privacy nightmare?

Given how immersive XR can be, it has the potential to influence minds. This opens up concerns about the spread of harmful content. For instance, should we strongly regulate political content that can influence voting behavior? There is also the challenge of regulating XR device usage among children within a certain age group.

A solution could be the use of a unique digital ID for your virtual avatar. Strong consent requirements will become essential too — enterprises could make XR tools require mandatory express consent before they are ‘teleported’. To implement such standards, we need a broad and collaborative ecosystem-wide investment.

Every stakeholder across enterprises, hardware/software makers, network providers, institutions, government and regulatory authorities will need to come together and define standards. More importantly, each stakeholder must also carefully evolve their standards as the technology evolves.

For more information on this subject, here is a video of our detailed XConf talk.

XConf is Thoughtworks’ annual technology event created by technologists. It is designed for technologists who care deeply about software and its impact on the world.

Thoughtworks is a global software and technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design and engineering. We are 10,000+ people strong across 48 offices in 17 countries. Over the last 25+ years, we’ve delivered extraordinary impact together with our clients by helping them solve complex business problems with technology.

Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of Thoughtworks by Mediawire team.