On Wednesday, five members of the US Congress announced the formation of the Reality Caucus which will examine the role of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Informal caucuses are designed to give interested members insight into major subject matter that will either affect the lives of their constituents or even the entire country. US Reps Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Bill Flores (R-TX), Darrell Issa (R-CA), and Ted Lieu (D-CA) are the ones lined up to get a better grasp of what’s likely to be the dominant medium in ten years.
Some cynical types are already complaining, but it’s a good thing that five members of the US Congress have created it. This allows industry insiders access to members and staff. It will capture the attention of lobbyists who will end representing the interests of future “reality” clients. All too often, members of Congress are late to the game in understanding growing technology trends while technology companies all too often display a blind ignorance or hostility toward the very governmental institutions that will play a role in developing policies that could help or harm them.
I thought about this development because the issues that “reality” will be affecting – marketing, entertainment, healthcare, education, and perhaps most importantly, privacy, are all going to be front an center by the 2020 elections. I’m betting K Street is trying to figure out right now whom to be contacting in Silicon Valley and beyond.
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