Brain-Computer Integration and Escapism: Science Fiction and the Risk Mitigation of Future Immersive Technologies

With the projected growth of virtual reality and other immersive technologies in the next decade, there is a natural promise of innovations in the field to compete with the growing market. One such potential innovation, brain-computer integration (BCI), has the potential to link user's brains with the virtual worlds they wish to participate in and use their mind as the controller. When looking at science fiction media such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Aniara, and Cyberpunk 2077 though, the overuse of BCI technology is alarmingly dangerous due to its escapist draw. By analyzing Sheila Jasanoff's existing technological risk mitigation framework through the lens of escapism and BCI, a formal plan can be generated to better combat the potential dystopian future immersive technologies can cause as presented by science-fiction.