Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard about artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR). Tech giants promise that these emerging technologies will be all the rage in upcoming years, infiltrating a broad range of industries and activities. 

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence have been available in private settings for years, but now they are becoming available to the public. Systems like ChatGPT and VR gaming headsets are already changing the way people work and live. 

Now with Apple’s announcement that they will be releasing their Vision Pro headset, we are sure to see more people than ever using VR and AI in their daily lives. 

If you’ve seen images or demos of VR technologies, you know that VR systems are headsets that go directly over the eyes and almost look like oversized swimming goggles. There’s been a lot of talk about how screens affect our eyes and vision, so it’s natural to wonder, are these new VR systems safe for your eyes? 

Optometric concerns about VR headsets 

Most of the concerns over VR headsets and vision come from their proximity to the eye. Typically VR headsets have two small LCD monitors, with one focussed on each eye. While optometrists recommend that we hold our smartphones an arm’s length, these LCD screens are mere centimetres from our eyes. 

This makes it very likely that people will experience some kind of eye strain. Even if VR headsets make you feel like you’re looking at something very far away, the physical reality is that these screens are incredibly close to your eyes. 

If you decide to buy a VR headset, it’s important that you limit its use and that you add its usage to your total daily screen time. It’s unlikely that VR headsets would cause long-term symptoms and eye problems for most people, but eye strain is very likely. This could make it harder for your eyes to focus and adjust after extended periods of VR usage, and it could even lead to dry eyes. You may also notice eye strain more quickly while using other screens like smartphones and computers. If you work with screens daily, it’s especially important that you don’t overuse your headset. 

Because of the eye strain possibilities associated with VR headsets, most of them come with warnings about limiting use for children whose eyes are still developing. If you decide to gift one of these headsets to your children for gaming or other fun activities, it’s important to take these warnings seriously so they don’t develop any kind of eye fatigue or vision problems. 

VR headsets offer promising treatment options

Many optometrists warn against extended VR headset usage. But, the good news is that studies have found VR headsets can actually be used to treat or improve some existing eye conditions. While it’s not yet common practice, there have been some exciting breakthroughs, and we look forward to keeping our eye on these developments! 

Some VR systems have been developed to help treat amblyopia. VR can force both eyes to engage with visuals and stay active equally. This therapy encourages patients to use their weaker eye, which can gain strength over time. VR treatment is especially exciting for children with amblyopia, as they often don’t want to wear patches or suffer through eye drops. 

And it’s not just amblyopia that VR headsets have shown exciting improvements for – systems have also been created to help restore eye coordination, reaction time, and depth perception. 

All of these applications require further clinical testing, but the results have been promising so far. Many people have been able to restore control over their eyes and perception thanks to VR headsets. It’s important to note, however, that even people wishing to regain eye strength won’t want (or need) to wear VR headsets for more than an hour a day. Even for treatment, VR use should be limited. 

AI’s role in optometry 

AI is being used to track and even predict certain vision conditions. That’s right – through the use of AI, we’re finding ways to predict eye deterioration that hasn’t happened yet. New research by DeepMind in London has found that by scanning eyes, AI is able to detect eye problems and help diagnose patients.

Like with VR eye correction, this approach is only in the experimental phases. But both show exciting results and could become standard practice if the research continues to go well. 

It’s common to feel nervous about the role artificial intelligence and virtual reality will play in the future and the way they will affect long term human health and development. When it comes to eye health and optometry, virtual reality headsets could pose a threat to comfortable vision. Long-term wear is likely to cause eye strain that may lead to more serious problems like dry eye. However, both VR and AI have shown promising results in helping to diagnose and correct vision problems. 

Optometry is an ever-evolving medical practice that is always incorporating exciting new technologies. Hopefully, AI and VR prove to be powerful allies in the fight against vision deterioration and eye disease.