Jaron Lanier

Jaron Lanier
Name	Jaron Lanier
Caption	Lanier in 2010
Birth date	3 May 1960
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Computer scientist, visual artist, author, composer
Known for	Pioneering work in virtual reality, co-founding VPL Research, critical writings on technology
Education	New Mexico State University

Jaron Lanier. He is an American computer scientist, philosopher of technology, visual artist, and author, widely recognized as a founding father of the field of virtual reality. In the 1980s, he co-founded the pioneering company VPL Research, which created the first commercial VR goggles and gloves. Lanier is also a prominent critic of social media and the economic structures of the digital age, authoring influential books like You Are Not a Gadget and Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Lanier moved to Mesilla, New Mexico with his mother after his father's death. He showed an early aptitude for computer programming and music, building his own instruments and studying the theremin. He enrolled at New Mexico State University but left before completing a degree, instead pursuing independent study in mathematics and computer science. His unconventional education was heavily influenced by working with early supercomputer systems and engaging with the cybernetics community.

Career and contributions

Lanier's early career involved work in video game design and 3D computer graphics. His most significant entrepreneurial venture was co-founding VPL Research in 1984 with Thomas G. Zimmerman, which became the first company to sell virtual reality products. After VPL, he served as a visiting scientist at New York University and held a founding fellowship at the Harvard University Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. He has worked as a researcher for Microsoft and, since 2017, as a scientific partner at Microsoft Research. Lanier is also a prolific author and a frequent contributor to publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic.

Virtual reality and VPL Research

At VPL Research, Lanier and his team developed foundational VR hardware, including the EyePhone head-mounted display and the DataGlove, which was licensed to companies like Mattel. The company also created the programming language RB2 and the Body Electric software for animating avatars. VPL's work attracted significant attention from NASA, the Air Force, and various automotive companies, and its technology was featured in the 1992 film The Lawnmower Man. The company's assets were later sold to Sun Microsystems after financial difficulties.

Views on technology and society

Lanier is a leading critic of what he terms "digital Maoism" and the "hive mind," arguing that Web 2.0 structures like social media devalue individual personhood. He has been a vocal opponent of the behavioral advertising business model, big data monopolies held by firms like Facebook and Google, and the concept of technological singularity. His philosophy advocates for a humanistic approach to technology, often promoting a digital economy based on direct micropayments for content instead of advertising. These ideas are central to his books Who Owns the Future? and Dawn of the New Everything.

Awards and recognition

Lanier's work has earned him numerous accolades. He was named one of the "Time 100" most influential people by Time magazine in 2010 and 2018. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the IEEE in 2009 for his contributions to virtual reality. Other honors include the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2014 and being named a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2010. He is also a fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials.

Personal life

Lanier is an accomplished musician who plays a wide array of rare and historical instruments, including the khaen and the sitar. He has performed and recorded with artists like Sean Lennon, Philip Glass, and Mick Jagger. His musical compositions often incorporate computer music and algorithmic composition techniques. He lives in Berkeley, California, and is married to Lena Lanier, a scientist. An avid surfer, he is also known for his distinctive appearance, characterized by long dreadlocks.

Category:American computer scientists Category:Virtual reality pioneers Category:American technology writers Category:1960 births Category:Living people