Metaverse: Are we evolving from human beings to virtual beings?
The word Metaverse was coined in the Sci-fi novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson in 1992. The book was about a three dimensional virtual world using our real world as a metaphor, where humans interact with each other as avatars. Back then, it was just a wild imagination of where technology can possibly take us to.
In 2021, when Mark Zuckerburg announced his ambitious plans to invest in Metaverse to build a virtual reality platform that supersedes and replaces the internet, it’s no more a wild imagination or a joke. The entire world, especially the technology world, is behind this buzzword. Everyone is curious to see how this evolves. Zukerburg has come up to share his thoughts on this, progress being made, and how technocrats can collaborate together to make this world functional and creative, just like the real world. Primarily, Metaverse offers 3D virtual platforms to work, play and hang out. Metaverse moves the participants into experiencing the interactions between people as if they do in a real world. Creativity has endless opportunities in Metaverse
All look great and awesome for some. Some are a bit sceptical and concerned. Digitalisation and the obsessive indulgence in the online world has brought about its own concerns. As we proceed further into a three dimensional virtual world from a two dimensional experience, we are bound to experience a lot of difference in the way we carry out our normal day today life. This change is capable of making us less human and more virtual. Is this the evolution of human beings to virtual beings indulging in virtual 3D worlds as ‘Avathars’ rather than real humans engaging in real conversations and interactions that makes us real humans? No one has an exact answer to this. Sooner or later, the evolution of Metaverse and the related developments will reveal this before our eyes.
Primary concern being raised is about the privacy protection of users. Without government-overseen behavioral standards, Metaverse has all the potential to be an extended yet more dangerous version of user data being used for profit making, without users consent. Regulators and governments will have to consider this with utmost priority. Even if the 2D virtual and online world is around for some time, the regulators are yet to implement policies and mechanisms to ensure complete protection of its users. Metaverse, with its never before options and possibilities will further complicate this concern. Adding to this marketplace competition and misinformation to mislead will take this into a much more complicated realm. Control of data also permits control of markets. After capturing personal information, the digital companies’ next step is to build a moat around it to deny access to others.
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust suit against Facebook describes a “buy-or-bury” strategy it alleges to be illegal. By using cash (or stock) generated from the high-margin exploitation of personal data, it is possible to remove a potential competitor via acquisition. If acquiring a competitor doesn’t work, then the company can simply crush the competition by denying it the data necessary to compete with a copycat service built on the incumbent’s data hoard. The opening advantage in the metaverse will go to those with the data to make the new virtual activities relevant to the user. The result is no different from the present online world in which those with the data hoard it to control the market.
Another area of concern is the behaviour of users. For instance, we see a lot of troll campaigns, hate campaigns, bullying on online platforms. The negative messages are being given as a video, audio or a written content. When it comes to a 3D virtual world like Metaverse, people would take avatars yelling at people or things that they do not like. The damage this causes would be much more intense.
Kris Kolo, executive director of the VR/AR association points out that, “Just like with any technology, I think it’s a balance. Technology is here to bring us together, to connect us in different ways and the metaverse is just a new way of immersive online experience.”. While we thrive hard to ensure freedom of speech and expression to all, regulators must create a level playing field for all considering the safety, security of personal data. The creators of the 3D worlds should also not be allowed to have complete access to the personal data of the users. They should also not use it for their profit maximisation without any thought on the privacy to be honoured.
What will happen to human relationships? The metaverse is an augmented reality and virtual reality world that would allow a person to live out anything inside it, replicating several aspects in real life and mixing it with fiction or fantasy. This will pose serious social, psychological and behavioral concerns. Wearing a set of glasses leads us to a world that we like and prefer saving us from the realities. In the metaverse, people can have power and do whatever they want without the bounds of money, boundaries, restrictions, and more. It would indeed have rules and regulations, but a person’s imagination is endless, and there are not as many boundaries in exploring the metaverse once it arrives.
It is a relief that the creator of Metaverse, Facebook has also taken these concerns seriously and participated in discussions and dialogues to effectively address these concerns. Let’s hope that as Metaverse opens up its doors for us, we will be entering a new phase of our life without losing the basic characteristics that make us human.
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