Alexander B. Howard, director of the Digital Democracy Project, wrote: “By 2040, we should expect positive applications of augmented reality in education, science, entertainment, production, governance and more, combined with virtual experiences that mix holographic avatars with people in ways reminiscent of the Star Trek holocuber. Mirror worlds are already taking a foothold in a number of process optimization activities and we are going to see tremendous growth in this technology/methodology, especially as tools improve. But the emphasis here is not on people or their interactions; many of the mirror worlds do not include people, or only include them in very simple ways. There are already really interesting developments in things like traffic planning, emergency modeling in large facilities or modeling the spread of disease using these tools. But again, this is usually simulation and modeling, very different from immersive spaces filled with people. An expert on the evolution of knowledge creation in a time of accelerated technological change responded: “Barriers are not primarily technical, but social, psychological and experiential. I find it hard to imagine wanting to live in an improved and disorienting world, especially considering the likelihood that, based on the current ecosystem (both in VR/AR and in the normal app space) there would be a limited ability to move between platforms and apps without constantly changing identities, avatars, and experiences.
Many said they expect VR worlds not to have the same kind of utility by 2040 and are only gaining ground in entertainment, work, and education/training. They noted that AR apps can be easily and seamlessly integrated into people’s daily lives through mobile devices like add-ons and real-world amplifiers, bringing more and more data into people’s real-world experiences. In contrast, they noted that the current vision of truly immersive 3D virtual reality involves the use of advanced hardware such as specialty glasses or goggles and haptic and handheld gesture devices and requires full immersion that leaves “the real world” behind. Tell us how you’re likely to imagine this shift from many online activities to more immersive digital spaces and digital lives.
Additional experts with proven interest in these specific topics were also added to the list. Tamarah Singh, a Singapore-based technology-led innovation expert global business manager, commented: “How can this change human society? An absolute segregation of the world based on connection. Unless carefully designed and controlled, the metaverse can deepen the dividing lines between the connected and privileged, and the disconnected and neglected. The benefits of the metaverse reach these vulnerable populations even less quickly, allowing them to deprive them of basic social needs such as education and health care. Many expect there to be significant updates in gaming, entertainment, and business/educational communications by 2040, and a notable proportion agree that XR will progress steadily as interactive technologies gradually mature. Many pointed out that while there are already quite a few expansive and/or virtual fairly immersive spaces, those spaces have not attracted a large percentage of the audience’s time and attention. Nearly half of these expert respondents said that many more immersive virtual environments will not have a significantly broader impact on people’s daily lives by 2040.
Despite all the headlines the metaverse gets, it’s not unattainable for everyday brands and our customers. Rather, we are at a tipping point where the right technology and a voracious appetite for immersive experiences are beginning to change our current business reality. When tech companies like Microsoft or Meta show fictional videos of their visions of the future, they often tend to overlook how people will interact with the metaverse. gafas realidad virtual VR headsets are still very inconvenient, and most people experience motion sickness or physical pain if they wear them for too long. Augmented reality glasses face a similar problem, in addition to the not insignificant question of figuring out how people can wear them in public without looking like huge ones. And then there are the accessibility challenges of virtual reality that many companies ignore for the time being.
The 3D technology that exists today will in many ways be the backbone of tomorrow’s immersive experiences. Companies are already using 3D tools to achieve great efficiencies in their current operations, and these brands will be ahead of the game once the metaverse becomes widespread. But as the metaverse, or more specifically the immersive internet, becomes mainstream, the nature of interactions in these virtual spaces will require new approaches to protect the mental and emotional health of their users. However, executives see the current complexity and cost of NFTs as obstacles to widespread adoption.
It’s an important question, as some analysts argue that we’ll spend a lot more time on immersively built land in the coming years. Metaverse is an elastic term, but think of it as any virtual world in which you can explore, shop, play, socialize, or even work. Some require a virtual reality headset, while others can be accessed with just a laptop. Meta, which means beyond and fresh, what universe means: if we combine them, we get the metaverse.
Therefore, they said, it is natural that forays into interactivity will continue to expand and evolve, driven by technological inventions and extensive funding. This report covers the results of the 14th “Future of the Internet” survey that the Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center conducted together to gather expert opinions on key digital topics. This expert survey was driven by emerging debates in the early 2020s about the potential evolution and impact of comprehensive reality tools such as augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality, as well as “the metaverse” or “metaverses”.
As technology advances and comes together and immerses us in new virtual worlds, we believe the industry is at a tipping point. We see investment and technological progress skyrocket as more companies wake up to the vast realm of emerging opportunities. For example, Facebook has changed its name to Meta and invested $10 billion in the development of metaverse1 technology. Meanwhile, Microsoft has announced a record $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard, creators of popular online multiplayer games2. Make no mistake: As the metaverse continues to emerge, many companies will find opportunities for change. In addition to Nvidia’s Omniverse Enterprise, Meta’s Horizon Workrooms and Microsoft’s Mesh are also designed to enable work in a virtual world, both enabling remote collaboration between devices via mixed reality applications.