Our mission in context

Creating a sense of presence online

Setting the stage

Here at Boundless Humanity Initiative, we believe that social networking is part of a larger transformation, the migration of human conversation from physical spaces to digital spaces. 

We believe that this transformation will take place step by step but that augmented reality will be a key accelerant. We believe that augmented reality is likely to create a sense of real presence in digital spaces that social networks and Zoom calls have never been able to provide.

The fall of social networking

Today's digital conversations are split between social networks and virtual worlds, with social networks dominating. They rose to prominence through newsfeeds, algorithmically-sorted lists of content which prioritize engaging posts to keep users hooked. 

At first, the number of creators and the quality of content was limited. As social networks evolved, more people pursued fame or income through them. People shifted from spontaneous sharing to calculated engagement-seeking and the algorithms, designed to keep people invested promoted this strategically posted content.

Algorithms of outrage

Unfortunately, what got people hooked was rage and engagement bait. Posts which pushed the limits and shocked people to the extent that they couldn't look away, posts which demanded people respond. 

Depending on the platform, the worst and most controversial content rose, and sensible people not wanting to be sucked in backed away. Individuals increasingly retreated from public square social media spaces like Facebook and Twitter, to smaller more direct conversations like those on Messenger.

Understanding the pattern

Why did this happen? How did a platform with the potential for positive impact devolve into something people felt compelled to escape? Since the dawn of time, there have been two other major revolutions in human social organization, farming and urbanization, with the latter still being a relatively recent phenomenon.

Both of these reorganizations of human society led to massive upheaval, the effects of which we are still grappling with today. 

In the Americas, this normally multi-millennia transformation was summarized as collective land was quickly privatized and indigenous people were often forced to leave their land and their way of life. 

These transformations have never been seamless, but they can unfold more humanely if there is a clear understanding of the changes taking place and a deliberate approach to shaping the next steps. 

Shaping the next step

With the era of social networks already undergoing the shift toward smaller groups, the most effective strategy to ensure ethical digital transformation, may be to anticipate the next phase and guide its development. A proactive approach may offer a greater role in shaping the future of connection.

The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, recently said "[AR is]... one of these very few profound technologies that we will look back on one day and ask, ‘How did we live our lives without it?’” 

Meta, Google, Tencent and Nvidia, also believe that this is the future of how individuals will connect. 

What is AR 

AR stands for Augmented Reality. AR allows you to take the computing device we normally bring with us, that is the phone, and embed it directly as an overlay of our reality through a pair of glasses. A transparent phone floating in front of one's face is easy to picture, but these glasses will be immersive, seamlessly integrating holographic objects and applications into the physical world. 

This functionality has already been demonstrated. However, the real magic comes in when you can seamlessly integrate your own space with somebody else's space, seeing other people as if they were in your living room and you theirs. 

If a personal sense of connection can be delivered through these experiences, then we will be on the cusp of another transformation in human social organization. This time, instead of people moving from the country to cities, people will increasingly use digital spaces to connect.

Repeating the pattern

Unfortunately, the problems with this next transformation are likely to be much more severe if we achieve real human connection in augmented reality. 

The positive 

Imagine being with anyone, anytime, anywhere. Imagine being able to build schools without buildings, businesses without physical workspaces.

If true connection can be achieved, then the need to build as many physical buildings as we use today may be radically impacted. 

The negative 

Unfortunately, just as it has become mostly impossible to live life without having a phone number and email, if these spaces achieve their positive potential, humanity may find itself in a strongly unequal relationship with a handful of corporations which are likely to come to dominate the space due to the network effect. 

Our mission

The threat of this unequal relationship inspired the creation of Boundless Humanity Initiative. We exist to ensure that the future of online connection is not controlled by a handful of corporations, but by the needs of it's users. 

We fight for a future in which human life and freedom reign supreme through digital worlds.

• Freedom to think, say and be yourself

• Freedom to be with anyone

• Freedom to benefit from your own labor
  

• Freedom from censorship 

• Freedom from control

• Freedom from exploitation

Join us as we fight for a digital future in which human freedom reigns supreme. Volunteer >>