On Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022, the XR Association hosted a webinar discussion on the AWE.Live platform about the impact federal policymaking will have on the growth and development of the XR industry over the near, medium, and long term. Miranda Lutz, Director of Public Policy at XRA, moderated the discussion and was joined by:
- Cecily Hahn, Senior Legislative Counsel, Office of Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Co-Chair of Reality Caucus
- John Soroushian, Senior Associate Director, Corporate Governance and Technology, Bipartisan Policy Center
- Andrew Lock, Principal, Monument Advocacy
The webinar followed the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, legislation that will bolster the domestic semiconductor industry and channel increased resources to critical emerging technologies, which became law on August 9th, 2022. Due to XRA’s direct advocacy on behalf of the industry, immersive technology was included in the legislation’s “key technology focus areas,” which will make XR eligible for increased R&D funding. Webinar panelists described the evolution of this legislation and underscored how this type of government support can be transformative for accelerating innovation breakthroughs and fostering adoption of emerging technologies.
Members of the webinar panel also discussed the need to educate lawmakers on both the potential and functionality of immersive technology. Tech policy continues to be a top priority for Congress, but more needs to be done to educate policymakers about privacy, safety, intellectual property, content moderation, and more and its impact XR. Consequently, panelists emphasized the importance of ensuring policymakers get hands-on experience with immersive technology.
Members of the XR industry can help support XRA on its efforts to educate members of Congress about immersive technology. Click here to tell your member of Congress to join the House Reality Caucus through the XR Association’s XRAction Center.
