American science fiction author Bruce Sterling has been dubbed "The Prophet of AR” and is renowned for his insightful exploration of the cyberpunk subgenre. Through works like "Schismatrix" and "Islands in the Net" his forward-thinking narratives have profoundly influenced the realm of augmented reality.

Sterling's vision of future technologies, especially his idea of "spimes"—objects trackable through space and time via the internet—laid a conceptual groundwork for understanding the integration of physical and digital worlds, a core aspect of AR.

He was also the opening keynote speaker at the very first AWE event in 2009, and at the time was a rare vocal voice supporting AR. His advocacy for "design fiction" as a tool for speculative design focusing on worldbuilding underscores the importance of AR in shaping human interaction with the augmented world, and continues to inspire AR developers and those creating immersive experiences.