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AI & I · Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Kevin Kelly Reflects on VR's Slow Progress Since 1987

Kevin Kelly shared his early experiences with virtual reality in 1987, noting its significant cost difference compared to today. He expressed surprise at how slowly VR technology has progressed, suggesting it's still waiting for its 'LM moment.'

personJerry Lear

The tape

3 quotes
Jerry Lear showed me VR in 87. I was completely blown away. And I thought, oh my gosh, this is the future.
Kevin Kelly
The VR that we had back then, which is not that much different than the VR you get now. The difference was that was multi-million dollars, and it was now $100.
Kevin Kelly
I've been very, very surprised about how slow that has been. You can say VR is still waiting for its LM moment. AI is 50 year overnight success.
Kevin Kelly
Heard on AI & I — “Best of the Pod: Wired's Kevin Kelly on Why AI Is a 50-year Overnight Success, published Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
Transcribed via Gemini audio transcription · $0.06
Kevin Kelly Reflects on VR's Slow Progress Since 1987 — Heardvine