Reality: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed

G.K. Chesterton’s story “The tremendous adventures of Major Brown” invented a new profession, that of ‘worldbuilder’ for alternate reality games. Technological advances in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have already generated new job opportunities in gaming, military training, education, manufacturing, and healthcare. Mixed reality (MR) is beginning to have a similar impact. MR blends the fully immersive digital environment of VR with the overlaying of digital information onto the physical world that is typical of AR, to allow users to interact with both physical and virtual objects. These technologies continuously create new job opportunities and transform existing ones. We speculate on how the concept of a ‘reality continuum’, combining AR, VR, MR, and AI, will present a playground for future job creation and innovation. As the technology matures, it will further reshape the job market, requiring adaptability and creativity from the workforce.