Apple Vision Pro: Exciting innovation or potential safety hazard?

Apple continues to innovate to fulfil the evolving needs of consumers. February 2 marked the American premiere of the Apple Vision Pro goggles that harmoniously blend augmented reality with virtual elements. The product allows users to watch movies, listen to music, work, utilize social media, and navigate, all through a pair of futuristically designed glasses. The price tag for the device is a notable $3499.

Platforms like TikTok and X have been flooded with posts of the first users of Apple Vision Pro. Common to all these posts are goggles that seem to emerge straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel. Conspiracy theorists were quick to point out that the creators of the "Simpsons" series seemingly predicted the arrival of VR goggles as early as 2016.

The new offering from Apple has already stirred up some controversy. A man was stopped by the police on the highway for driving his Tesla whilst using the Vision Pro. Video from the incident shared by the driver, going by the pseudonym Dante, shows him driving and subsequently stopping at a parking lot with the flashing lights of a police car in the background. The outcome of this encounter remains unclear.

Dante's video has sparked a debate about the safety of using VR goggles whilst driving. Many assert that legislation should be enacted, specifically banning the use of such devices when behind the wheel. Comparisons have also been made between driving with the Vision Pro and a scene from the animated feature "Wall-E," where citizens travel in specially-designed vehicles equipped with control screens.