In Turkey, a rancher has begun putting virtual reality headsets on some of his cattle to see if the animals produce more milk when they believe they are outside in a nice, sunny field. Early results from the experiment are positive, but the actual sight of seeing a cow living in the metaverse so it can produce more milk for humans is sad, reminds me of The Matrix, and is a strong argument against the metaverse itself.
As reported by The Sun and Turkish news outlet Anadolu Ajansi, the VR cows aka cybercows are owned by Izzet Kocak, a cattle breeder and rancher living in Aksaray, Turkey. Because the cattle are trapped indoors during severe winters, the idea was to use virtual reality to trick the cows into thinking they were actually outside. The hope: They would be happier and produce more milk.
The VR headsets were reportedly first tested in Moscow before making their way to Turkey, and were developed in coordination with vets to ensure the cows are safe. Kocak has used the VR devices on two cows so far and the results are positive, even if the actual system is very dystopian and weird. According to Kocak, the cows’ milk output has gone from 22 liters to 27 liters a day.
“They are watching a green pasture and it gives them an emotional boost,” explained Kocak. “They are less stressed.” Apparently, the results are so positive that Kocak is excited to expand his experiment and plans to buy and install 10 more headsets.
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