What is a metaverse? Does it already exist? And are you already in it?
As per Microsoft, a metaverse is a digital space inhabited by digital representations of people and things. Think of it like a new version, or maybe a new vision, of the internet. Many people talk about the internet as a place. Now we can actually go into that place to communicate, share, and work with others. It’s an internet that you can actually interact with - like we do in the physical world. And it's not just a vision anymore.
Right now, you can go to a concert and experience a show with other real people inside a video game. You can walk a factory floor from your own home. You can join a meeting remotely but be in the room to collaborate with your co-workers. Those are metaverses.
The future is already here! Now, We can already hear some skepticism. “But an avatar of me isn’t ME. My digital self is not my physical self.” Well, that is technically true. But Microsoft is working to help you better represent your whole self in the digital space, while also ensuring that you can bring your humanity and your agency over that representation with you. If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that we need that flexibility. The world has never been more connected, but lately, we’ve often needed to distance ourselves physically.
The closer we can reflect our physical selves in the digital realm, the more of these barriers we can break down. Teammates can join meetings from anywhere. Real-time translation allows people from diverse cultures to collaborate in real-time. This is what takes this from a cool idea to a critical one. The metaverse has the ability to stretch us beyond the barriers and limitations of the physical world.
Source: Microsoft youtube video