THE MOLECULE OF MORETouch is the final frontier, since that will allow VR makers to sim-
ulate sex, and pornography is the universal driver of new media adop-
tion, such as VCRs, DVDs, and high-speed internet. Why bother having
sex with a needy, repetitive, imperfect partner when an ever-changing
fantasy can be had instead? Pornography is about to become a lot more
addictive by entering the realm of touch. Devices have recently come to
market that deliver genital stimulation synchronized with pornographic
VR—essentially sex toys manipulated by a computer. There’s a lot of
money at stake. In 2016 the market for sex toys was $15 billion, with
projections that it will surpass $50 billion by 2020.
Soon we’ll be able to teach the computer what we like by rating
the experiences it generates in the same way we rate music and books.
The computer will become so adept at fulfilling our desires that no
human will be able to compete. The next step will be bodysuits that
will allow us to experience virtual sex with all our senses, without the
inconvenience of reproduction. People are already choosing to have
fewer children. When current trends meet the allure of VR, the future
of the human race will be very much in doubt.
With VR, the human race may go willingly into the dark night.
Our dopamine circuits will tell us it’s the best thing ever.
There’s only one thing that will save us: the ability to achieve a bet-
ter balance, to overcome our obsession with more, appreciate the unlim-
ited complexity of reality, and learn to enjoy the things we have.