Where Philosophy Meets Virtual Reality: Rami El Ali, PhD in Information ’27

My favorite part of the program has been the wide diversity of courses on offer! I chose the program for this reason, and it hasn’t disappointed me. I’ve been able to extensively pursue my existing interests in VR/AR and video games, while also developing new interests, particularly in AI and HCI.

 
With a background as a philosophy professor and a deep interest in how humans perceive and misperceive reality, PhD student Rami El Ali brings a distinctive interdisciplinary lens to the PhD in Information. His work sits at the intersection of philosophy, virtual and augmented reality, game design and human–computer interaction, exploring how immersive technologies shape cognition, ethics and experience—and how virtual worlds can become sites for both rigorous research and creative inquiry. Learn more and view recent work in this student profile.

What brought you to the University of Arizona to pursue the PhD in Information?

Before joining the University of Arizona I was a professor of philosophy. A major strand of my research focused on the philosophy of perception, and in particular cases of misperception, like illusions and hallucinations. After virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) devices started to become widely available in 2016, I became increasingly interested in perceptual experience in virtual environments. So to pursue this work fully, I decided to get a second PhD focusing on the design of virtual environments. The University of Arizona’s PhD in Information was the perfect place for this.

Tell us about your areas of research.

I have three main philosophical areas of research: the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of technology and phenomenology. These areas are intertwined with various fields in the information sciences, including artificial intelligence (AI), the ethics and epistemology of digital technologies, game development and design, human-computer interaction (HCI) and VR/AR. Right now I’m pursuing a number of projects in these areas, but I’m most excited about my main project, which is a multi-dimensional investigation of hallucinations induced by VR experience. I’ll be looking at VR’s cognitive impact, and drawing out some of its epistemic, ethical and social implications.
  

A recent VR video art piece by Rami El Ali, “Spacetime Elevator,” shown at the 2024 Tucson Dusk Festival.

What do you like best about the PhD program?

My favorite part of the program has been the wide diversity of courses on offer! I chose the program for this reason, and it hasn’t disappointed me. I’ve been able to extensively pursue my existing interests in VR/AR and video games, while also developing new interests, particularly in AI and HCI.

What have you found most surprising about the PhD program?

As someone coming from the humanities, I think what most surprised me is the number of different areas falling under the information sciences. It’s been really exciting to get a better sense of the field, and to learn about the connections between more traditional areas like library and museum studies, and more recent areas like AI and VR/AR.
 

What has been your biggest challenge at the College of Information Science, and how have you overcome that challenge?

I joined the PhD with a preexisting philosophical research program, so the biggest challenge I’ve faced has been juggling my existing research with learning so many new skills. This was particularly challenging early on as I was building my core skills in the information sciences, and it took a lot of careful time management. But now that I have the basics in place, it’s been great to see my work in philosophy and the information sciences converging.

What has been your biggest challenge outside of the PhD program, and how have you overcome that challenge?

Being from Lebanon, it’s been a tough few years. The region as a whole has been plagued by war, and Lebanon has suffered from a lot of international interference which has left the country struggling economically and otherwise. Having this in the background is always tough. But I’ve tried to overcome this by writing professionally in defense of pacifism, a view I’m committed to, while also creating activist VR artworks and archives. The works that are finished are visible on my website.

Tell us about your previous career as a professor and how gaining a second PhD helps you in your career trajectory.

I spent eight years as a philosophy professor at the Lebanese American University, and had reached the rank of associate professor, before leaving to join the program here. So right now I’m really looking forward to finishing the PhD and continuing my academic trajectory as an interdisciplinary scholar. Ideally, I’d like to continue my philosophical work while also running a VR/AR lab at a university—this would allow me to pursue empirical questions alongside conceptual ones. Still, I’m also open to more industry-focused jobs, particularly on VR/AR, if they give me space for research.

Tell us about any of your publications and other projects building from your work in the PhD program.

The PhD has really accelerated my existing research. Over these last three years I’ve published new philosophical papers on the aesthetics, ethics, epistemology and metaphysics of VR, and I have various new projects in the pipeline, including work on the design of VR technology. I’ve also started to build VR experiences and video games. I have a number of works in progress, including an interactive perceptual illusions museum for VR, a VR archive on the work of the philosopher Fayez Sayegh, a VR video artwork on politically motivated walls and another on perception, as well as a number of small video games.
  

Outside of school, what are your passions?

I love the visual and interactive arts, from photography, painting and movies, to video games and virtual reality. One thing that I’ve really enjoyed in this program is that it’s allowed me to create my own artworks, so I’m no longer limited to appreciating these arts.

What advice do you have for prospective PhD students?

Being in my second PhD, I can definitely say that the number one piece of advice I have is to make sure you have a personal interest in some project throughout the PhD. PhDs can be exhausting, they take a lot of time and they’re intellectually demanding. But if you have a project you’re personally invested in, that makes it much easier to invest the required effort and succeed.
 

Learn more about Rami El Ali and his work on his websites—ramielali.com and idiosyncrami.itch.io—or explore the College of Information Science PhD in Information.