The Metaverse is a hot new digital concept that seems to be everywhere right now. For something no one can quite define, everyone seems to be very excited about it! And rightly so. It has the potential to spark a full new technological revolution in how we work and play games, with the potential to revolutionise everything about daily life. How could we see this play out in practice? Let’s take a closer look.
What is the Metaverse?
Let’s start with the basics. The idea of the metaverse is still in its concept phases, so it is difficult to pin down specifics right now. However, the core idea will not change. That’s a 3D ‘virtual world’ in which we play, work, meet, and expand our horizons.
Technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and other cutting-edge technological developments will offer the gateway to a space that takes place online but feels real. It will also be something of a one-stop shop for activities and interactions.
It is also powered by the idea of decentralisation or removing the control and power of companies and governments. Instead, the space should be shaped by the community using it to benefit them more. It could be used for commerce, education, work, training, gaming, and fun. It will feel real, with an avatar of yourself interacting in it as if you were physically there. In fact, it’s a little like the core concept of the Matrix redeveloped for new technology.
However, ExpressVPN’s study on metaverse workspace showed that people still fear for their privacy. The majority of them worry that their employers could track their online activities and collect personal data.
How could this change our future? Let’s look more closely.
Expanded Employment
We threw out a lot of new tech roles there, and these will only expand as the concept solidifies and rolls out on a larger scale. It is inevitable that this expanded digital playground will need new human jobs to power it. From the expanding AI footprint to new UX design and interaction right through to 3D technological development, it’s time to start planning for new job roles we can’t even yet fully imagine.
Of course, there will be reinventions of existing job roles to enjoy, too. Remember those 3D avatars we mentioned? We’re already seeing talk of fashion design and other aspects to help conceptualise and bring a real-world feel to this digital space. We will need community builders and people to engage others.
And, because people are who we are, there’s bound to be more evolution in cybersecurity job roles as the metaverse takes hold, too. People already in coding, architecture, system management, and more will see revolutions in their roles, too. And we’re sure many more new jobs are to come!
Changing Interaction Forever
We have already seen metaverse-lite online events take a stronghold in the last two years. Imagine new ways to meet, socialise, and play- and then power them up even further. Collaboration and communication are the names of the game, and it will be easier than ever to hold events and ‘meet-ups’ without having to travel to enjoy them.
And let’s talk about ‘travel.’ We’ve already seen some interesting attempts to bring real-world spaces into the digital landscape- up to and including weather for the metaverse. We no longer have to share the same geographical location to enjoy things together. Let’s head to a metaverse music concert where the fan experience isn’t in the thousands but rather in the millions.
It should also boost accessibility for huge ranges of people, from those with socio-economic disadvantages to the differently abled. For many of these people, both cost and the limitations of access can leave them confined to home. Not so in the metaverse! Because no venues are needed to host events, costs can be reduced, while travel and accommodation will no longer hamper people. For marketers, new opportunities to explore metrics and data will arise.
Increased Immersion
We already know how powerful AR and VR can be. Now imagine not only ‘fun’ opportunities but also learning and training and even workspaces with greater VR/AR integration. Powerful, right? We could see improved performance, better learning outcomes, and lower costs, all rolled into one.
Traditional classroom learning, for example, fails a lot of people who need to experience learning differently. The metaverse can bring a host of new, immersive learning experiences to the table. Resource access can be better democratised, and facilitators can reach wider audiences. It is also easier to respond quickly in digital spaces, updating or tailoring learning outcomes for the people involved.
Social Reinvented
Social Media and the Metaverse will also go hand-in-hand. As the pandemic painfully taught us, working from home can be a lonely experience. Yet it also carries benefits for flexibility of work and work-life balance.
Now imagine we can indulge in an interesting and engaging virtual environment, meeting people from around the globe as if they were across the table from us. From greater socialisation and engagement to more opportunities for fun and creativity, there’s a lot of power in this particular metaverse aspect.
Online Work Environments
With the ability to shape better digital experiences comes a lot of potential for workforces, too. From trialling new product designs in real-world identical spaces that can test them safely and without risk to new innovations in cyber-physical systems and even customer interactions and feedback, digital spaces have a lot of power.
Of course, the metaverse will bring challenges to the table as well as positives. However, the increased focus on people-first collaboration and innovations has immense potential to change how we interact with the world, from work to play. With expanded access to new environments, digital avatars to boost the human experience, and a truly globalised environment, there’s a seismic shift in digital interaction coming- are you ready for it? We certainly are! Cyberpunk may not have gotten the digital future right, but we’re excited about its potential, anyway.
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