This week Tech Tent talks about what the world will look like in ten years. They also touched on the topic of the future of the metaverse, which we will tell you more about.
Metaverse
According to Mark Zuckerberg, by 2031 we will all be living and working in the metaverse, which will become the most important new technology platform since the advent of the Internet. He is so convinced that this is the future that Facebook announced this week that it is going to create 10,000 new jobs in the EU dedicated to creating a metaverse.
Emma Ridderstad, whose company Warpin develops virtual reality software for learning, believes in the metaverse. "You'll be able to shop, meet friends, work remotely with anyone, share digital music and art," she explains. "You will also be able to integrate digital objects into your physical world, making the world much more technologically advanced than it is today. You could, for example, attend a football match thanks to your digital avatar."
However, Dr Nicola Millard, chief innovation partner at BT telecommunications, is being cautious. She says that first the metaverse will have to convince users that it's really worth spending their time on bulky headsets and that it can really be useful. The user needs to answer the following questions for himself: "Does this help me communicate? Does it help me to cooperate? Does it help me to have fun or get an education?".
Dr. Millard also warns that finding your place in the metaverse may not be easy, especially if there are several multiverse managed by different companies. And if the platform turns out to be as powerful as Mark Zuckerberg suggests, then do we really want him to run it, given the growing concern about Facebook's influence on everything around? Emma Ridderstad says she hopes that Facebook will not rule the metaverse, and is sure that a number of companies like hers will build this new world.
Metaverse
According to Mark Zuckerberg, by 2031 we will all be living and working in the metaverse, which will become the most important new technology platform since the advent of the Internet. He is so convinced that this is the future that Facebook announced this week that it is going to create 10,000 new jobs in the EU dedicated to creating a metaverse.
Emma Ridderstad, whose company Warpin develops virtual reality software for learning, believes in the metaverse. "You'll be able to shop, meet friends, work remotely with anyone, share digital music and art," she explains. "You will also be able to integrate digital objects into your physical world, making the world much more technologically advanced than it is today. You could, for example, attend a football match thanks to your digital avatar."
However, Dr Nicola Millard, chief innovation partner at BT telecommunications, is being cautious. She says that first the metaverse will have to convince users that it's really worth spending their time on bulky headsets and that it can really be useful. The user needs to answer the following questions for himself: "Does this help me communicate? Does it help me to cooperate? Does it help me to have fun or get an education?".
Dr. Millard also warns that finding your place in the metaverse may not be easy, especially if there are several multiverse managed by different companies. And if the platform turns out to be as powerful as Mark Zuckerberg suggests, then do we really want him to run it, given the growing concern about Facebook's influence on everything around? Emma Ridderstad says she hopes that Facebook will not rule the metaverse, and is sure that a number of companies like hers will build this new world.