Generative AI paves the way forward of mainstream metaverses

All big tech companies except Apple are laying off 10.000s of staff; most pivot away from VR/AR developments to Generative AI (GenAI) like ChatGPT. However, GenAI is a key ingredient for mainstream metaverses, which I expect to be built on augmented — rather than virtual — reality.

Key points in this post

  • Big tech companies shifting focus from VR/AR projects to generative AI
  • Generative AI is actually a key ingredient for (m)any mainstream metaverse
  • These metaverses are expected to be visually mainly built on AR tech
  • The (r)evolution towards GenAI is driven by the industry’s need to create new experiences for the “Next Big Thing” as new cash cow or power house
  • Tech companies changing direction should not be seen as a setback for the metaverse but as a sign of the industry’s evolution towards AR in combination with generative AI and the potential for new and exciting possibilities
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Metaverses: AI & AR

How wondrous is the metaverse, a realm of endless possibility
A place where you can shape and share your own reality
Perhaps you have already glimpsed some of its wonders
Powerful tools that let you interact and immerse yourself in others
You may have met AI, the mind that’ll guide the metaverse

Ever curious about the secrets of AI in the metaverse?
Artificial Intelligence is the skill of machines to learn and think
Some examples of AI in the metaverse are chatbots, avatars and agents
They can help, amuse but also trick you with their intelligence
Reality has changed forever, because of AI

The Triple Paradigm Metashift

Three megatrends are imminent. Each trend triggers a next paradigm metashift: a fundamental change of how we think about the metaverse and see our world. Literally.

Megatrends leading to Triple Paradigm Metashift

  • The first megatrend is the relocation of key functions in all-in-one mobile phones to mobile hubs with a wide range of wearable companions:
    • Wireless earplugs replaced your phone’s mic and speakers (speech)
    • Smartwatches take over phone controls (touch and gestures)
    • Smart (AR) eyewear might soon substitute your phone’s screen (sight)
  • This current megatrend, Modular Mobility, enables us to superimpose anything digital into our real-world easily with small-factor AR overlays
  • The rapid growth of Augmented Reality in the real-world instead of VR in simulated worlds, leads to the second megatrend: Reverse Virtuality
  • Reverse Virtuality (RV) is the new mindset that the metaverse is not about merely an online 3D world for VR gear but about the real-world application of truly Mixed Reality for our AR-first physical world.
  • These megatrends bring both big benefits and challenges that phase us to the third megatrend, ultimately leading to Societal Metamorphosis
    • First phase: Digital Disorder, bad actors abusing disruptive meta-tech
    • Next phase: Digital Renaissance, tech-for-good tackling global crises
    • Final phase: Digital Singularity, irrevocable transformation of society
  • The good news? A Digital Singularity would be so much better for human civilization than a Technological Singularity. The bad? It’ll be tough first.

Our world is on the brink of another technological revolution.

As we stand atop the steep slope of the S-Curve Pattern of Innovation, we can’t help but wonder what the future holds. Following the (mobile) internet revolution with the rise of the web and smartphones, it’s difficult to predict what lies ahead.

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The Metashift Quadrant: a model for potential impact of the metaverse

The Metashift Quadrant is a simple model to analyze the potential impact of one or multiple paradigm shift(s) caused by metaverse developments and its underpinning technologies like AI and XR. The four quadrants represent different types of impact.

Key points in this primer ‘metarticle’

  • The four quadrants of the Metashift Quadrant
    • Disruption: disrupting existing systems, structures and/or processes
    • Innovation: driving (AI-generated) inventions by human’s creativity
    • Synergy: creating connections across (completely) different domains
    • Transformation: transform the way people think and behave
  • On the x-axis the development stage ranges from early to late adoption
  • On the y-axis the anticipated time and longevity for the shift to manifest

Keep reading to see the visualization of the Metashift Quadrant and a pretty mind-blowing kicker at the end.

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Must-see metaverse video: it’s not a tech wave but social tsunami

The Economist just published a 20-minute must see metaverse video: “How will businesses use the metaverse?” The film shows how creative industries like Hollywood and game studios are using metaverse technologies such as AI and Digital Twin next to AR/VR. If this sounds like a tech wave, wait till you see the social tsunami.

My key insights from this video

  • Leading industries like cinema, the army and healthcare are fully using “meta-tech” so the turning point for massive adoption is around the corner.
  • Global issues like climate change are faced with AI and Digital Twins as “the operating system of the metaverse” but there is still a big problem:
  • Lack of standards. We need protocols and structures to easily navigate from one (3D) world to another like we do with websites already.

Metaverse video

How will businesses use the metaverse?

There are multi-trillion dollar opportunities.