The metaverse: will it be safe for use?

The next stage of the internet could be a Wild West if we’re not careful. Alex Hughes spoke to Prof David Reid, an expert in AI, virtual reality, and spatial computing, to find out more

- Alex Hughes

The idea of a virtual world that we can interact with is rapidly becoming more likely. It’s called the metaverse and it offers the potential of an internet that we will explore via virtual reality. But are the first users putting themselves at risk?

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE METAVERSE IS?

There are a few definitions. You can think of it from a technological viewpoint, where it’s simply the successor of the internet. Computers once took up big rooms, but they’ve shrunk until we got things like pocket-sized smartphones that you constantly interact with. The metaverse takes this a step further, making the actual environment you interact with virtual, removing the interface of computers completely.

Most people define the metaverse as an embodied internet. This means it allows you to interact and have visceral experiences in a surrounding that’s almost like real life but isn’t. The third common definition is where it’s a tipping point. It’s a moment in time where everything goes digital. Your friends, your job, your identity, and your currencies.

HOW FAR OFF DO YOU THINK THE METAVERSE IS FROM OUR DAILY LIVES?

It’s here. In the city of Seoul, they’re investing about €3bn into creating a virtual Seoul cityscape. They’ll be able to interact with people and create a virtual communications ecosystem where the municipal administration will take place. It’ll include things like cultural interaction, tourism, education, civil services, and more.