The Metaverse End-Game

 

It is inevitable that the metaverse will become a significant part of our lives, and for some, it may even be the main area of activity. From many sci-fi movies and fiction books, there are various depictions of how far the metaverse could evolve. Just like any technology reaching a singularity point, the metaverse will eventually adopt its highest form, potentially replacing the real world.

Speaking of the real world, there are theories and conspiracies suggesting that we are already living in a highly advanced metaverse, with convincing data to support this idea. Imagine quarks as the building blocks acting as energised computation units—everything formed reduces to quarks. However, the more we observe the quantum state, the more unstable it becomes. While these discussions are fascinating, let's return to our main topic.

Reaching the ultimate form of the metaverse will be a progressive journey, not an overnight achievement. A series of milestones must be completed before the next progress can occur. It is essential to balance and align functionality, environment, economy, community, technology, and energy. The end-game of the metaverse will require all these elements, but it will also enhance and amplify them, making them more manageable.

As there are many metaverse providers, and this number will continue to grow (similar to Layer 1 blockchains where each chain owner believes their chain solves a unique problem), there will be bridges to link these metaverses. When this happens, users will be able to travel between multiverses, retaining their assets and abilities, achieving the true interoperability sought after by all metaverse developers.

Phase 1

Artificial Intelligence

As we can already see, artificial intelligence has progressed significantly, and generative AI is becoming an indispensable tool across various trades. However, AI is not yet omnipotent; its learning remains structured and limited. The intelligence and relevance of AI still depend on the number of training epochs. Only when self-learning becomes possible will we truly harness the power of AI.

With the immediate progress of AI, the metaverse will soon feature personalised tutorials, concierges, companions, and non-playing characters (NPCs) indistinguishable from humans. The entire experience will be bespoke, curated specially based on individual data. For advanced players, tutorials will be swift and elevated; for newbies, they will be step-by-step with repetitions and assisted learning.

Players will also have access to virtual personal assistants (PAs) that seamlessly cater to all their tasks and needs. To enhance the gaming experience, dynamic NPCs rich in emotion and personality will populate the virtual world, creating an environment as immersive and vibrant as the real world.

Behavioural Intellectual property

When we talk about AI, we know that data is indispensable. AI and data go hand-in-hand, and no training model can perform without data. Data becomes sensitive when it is personally identifiable. In the past, identifying a person involved names, identification numbers, addresses, DNA, and biometrics. Now, a person's behaviour, patterns, style, and even the slightest details can be uniquely classified and identified.

As such, many measures will be put in place to ensure privacy protection for players who want to remain anonymous or to prevent the misuse of such information for malicious activities. The data on how a player behaves in the metaverse will be logged and analysed. This data could include reaction times in events, choices made in the game, paths taken, equipment selected, overall behaviour, and more. This information will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the metaverse and could be monetized or protected.

This is where blockchain and digital signatures come into play. Behavioural data can be stored on the blockchain and recognised as a unique signature if a player consistently acts in a certain way. This not only allows players to sell their data but also helps prevent fraud to a more advanced extent.

Generated Content

As we approach the end of Phase 1, AI will be mature enough to produce high-quality, intuitive, and developer-standard content. At its core, procedural storytelling, also known as dynamic storytelling, will determine what content is necessary. The entire gameplay—from its theme and design to triggers and levelling—will depend on its story. A story will shape what kind of character the player is, what equipment is designed, and how it is utilised.

With procedural storytelling, AI can generate different cities, landscapes, ecosystems, environments, and civilizations tailored to the player's habits and scenarios. This unique, on-the-fly experience and timeline will greatly speed up open-world development and save significant development costs. Additionally, players can monetise the scenarios they find enjoyable by converting these generated environments into IPs and listing them on the open market.

Phase 2

Extended Reality (XR)

Access to virtual reality (VR) is becoming easier, cheaper, and faster with each passing day. An increasing number of providers are releasing VR devices that are more immersive and less straining on the eyes. This enables players to spend longer periods in the metaverse, necessitating a constant flow of engaging content to prevent boredom.

Moreover, the emergence of mixed reality (MR), combining augmented reality (AR) and VR, allows players to interact in the metaverse while continuing real-world activities like driving or surfing the internet simultaneously. Moving into Phase 2, extended reality (XR) will be the primary device for accessing the metaverse, encompassing AR, VR, and MR technologies.

XR devices will integrate biometric readings such as bio signatures, health status, and emotions. These readings can revolutionise government-related services, allowing for remote attendance in jury services, applications, and other sessions that traditionally required in-person presence. Health data collected through XR can facilitate non-surgical consultations in virtual hospitals, reducing waiting times and enabling clearer visualisations and explanations for patients.

This progression not only enhances immersive experiences in the metaverse but also extends the practical applications of XR technology across various sectors, from healthcare to civic services.

Meta-migration

By this point, players will be spending 6-8 hours a day in the metaverse. Unlike social media addicts who waste time purely for entertainment, metaverse players will live a second life and earn actual income for their livelihood. This stage will see an abundance of content, potentially exceeding Earth's total surface area. With most environments artificially generated, storage will no longer be an issue, but rather the device specifications needed to support them.

Virtual tour guides will serve as concierges, capable of creating historical events, hypothetical futures, or any scenario players desire without needing to delve into details themselves. Approximately 50% of offices will shift to the metaverse, allowing access to a global pool of talent without the need for physical relocation or extensive paperwork for permits. Most schooling will occur in the metaverse, with students receiving accreditation equivalent to physical institutions. Virtual classrooms will accommodate more students and offer benefits like multilingual translations, enhancing accessibility.

With education moving online, tutoring and coaching will also transition to the metaverse, offering new courses like navigating the multiverse effectively. Esports will be overshadowed by metaverse sports, fostering greater sponsorship opportunities and ecosystem development. These examples represent only a fraction of what the metaverse can achieve; by the end of Phase 2, approximately 75% of daily activities will take place within it.

Phase 3

The Omni Money

This multiverse currency will be governed by strict rules for its creation, most likely using blockchain as the primary mechanism. With a unified currency system, many more trades and possibilities will emerge within the multiverse. This metaverse currency will also be used in the real world and could be traded on the forex market.

Money makes the world go round; the entire planet's ecosystem primarily functions through wealth and currency. Without this primary source of motivation and direction, the metaverse will never reach its prime or alpha state and will always be viewed merely as a game or platform. Since the establishment of the euro in 1999, the concept of a combined national currency has gained traction, with initiatives like BRICS seeking common currencies to facilitate trade and relations. Similarly, all metaverses will eventually combine their currencies under a fair system of contribution to form a multiverse currency.

By this time, established societies and communities will have emerged, with leadership that is truly democratic and transparent. All decisions will be made through stakeholders and decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs). While the effective execution of DAOs is still debated in the real world, they will find their place within the metaverse. Each metaverse will function like a country or a planet, with guilds and groups acting as states or countries. Group owners will be elected and tasked with ensuring the sustainability of their groups. This essentially places real-world structures into the virtual world, creating a dynamic and integrated metaverse society.

Hyperreality

The prospect of the metaverse directly accessing your sensory and memory systems is both exciting and terrifying. This process involves interlinking parts of our nervous system, directly connected to core brain functions, with a device that translates nerve impulses into digital binaries. There will be a two-way flow where the device can read your senses and simultaneously input these sensations into your brain.

Future devices will surpass current haptic suits, which transmit impulses felt on the skin. Instead, these advanced devices will directly transmit sensations to your brain, mimicking real touch and feel. With such technology, governance and safety become paramount. As mentioned earlier, the importance of DAOs and transparency is crucial. Only a nominated leader may have partial access to sensitive functions, with all operations being registered and monitored through blockchain technology.

This represents the final phase of the metaverse, where the distinction between the real world and the virtual world may blur. AI-driven moderators and real-life counsellors will be essential to ensure a safe transition between worlds. Furthermore, we may even reach a point where we can upload our consciousness into the metaverse, achieving a form of immortality.

Why We Might All Live in the Metaverse in the Future

The possibility of living predominantly in the metaverse in the future is becoming increasingly plausible due to several pressing global challenges. One significant factor is the threat of large-scale wars, which can make physical spaces dangerous and unstable. The metaverse offers a safer alternative where people can live, work, and socialise without the risk of physical harm, ensuring continuity in international collaborations and communications despite geopolitical tensions.

Resource depletion is another critical issue driving this shift. Earth's natural resources are being consumed at an alarming rate, and the metaverse can offer a less resource-intensive way of living, reducing the strain on our planet. By transitioning many aspects of our lives to virtual environments, we can ease the pressure on dwindling natural resources and promote more sustainable living practices.

Pollution and environmental degradation are also making many areas of the world increasingly uninhabitable. As pollution levels rise and climate change impacts become more severe, the metaverse offers a clean, controlled environment where people can enjoy nature virtually without contributing to environmental harm. This virtual refuge can protect individuals from extreme weather events and deteriorating living conditions.

Economic challenges further support the move to the metaverse. With the cost of living rising in many parts of the world, the metaverse provides more affordable alternatives for housing, entertainment, and even basic necessities. Additionally, virtual economies are thriving, offering new ways to earn a living and providing economic stability in an otherwise volatile job market.

Travel restrictions and increasing travel costs limit our ability to explore and connect with distant places and people. The metaverse allows for instant travel and exploration without physical and financial barriers, making remote interactions more real and fulfilling. This capability is especially important as the world continues to face challenges related to physical travel.

The pandemic has demonstrated the viability of remote work and virtual socialisation, paving the way for the metaverse to enhance these experiences. By providing immersive virtual environments, the metaverse can make remote work and socialisation feel more authentic, offering a seamless extension of our reality where we can interact as if we were physically present.

Given these challenges, the metaverse offers a compelling solution. It provides a safe, sustainable, and economically viable way to live and interact, addressing many of the issues that make physical life increasingly difficult. As technology advances, the metaverse could become an integral part of our lives, enabling us to work, learn, socialise, and experience the world without the limitations and risks associated with the physical world.

Core Stopping Factors Preventing the Full Adoption of the Metaverse

One of the primary barriers to fully adopting the metaverse is the enormous energy consumption required to sustain such a vast digital environment. The servers, data centres, and devices that power the metaverse demand a significant amount of electricity, which could exacerbate our already critical energy and environmental issues. Transitioning to renewable energy sources could mitigate this problem, but achieving this on a global scale remains a daunting challenge.

Political and regulatory issues also pose significant obstacles. Governments worldwide have differing regulations regarding digital technologies, privacy, and data security. Achieving a unified metaverse would require international cooperation and standardisation, which is difficult given the varying political climates and interests. Additionally, the potential for misuse of data and surveillance within the metaverse could lead to severe privacy concerns and governmental resistance.

Safety and security are paramount concerns in the metaverse. Ensuring that users are protected from cyber-attacks, identity theft, and other digital crimes is crucial. The integration of advanced biometric and sensory technologies adds another layer of complexity, as any breaches could have direct physical implications for users. Establishing robust security protocols and maintaining trust among users will be essential but challenging.

The loss of human civilisation and social skills is another critical concern. Spending the majority of our lives in a virtual world could lead to a deterioration of face-to-face social interactions and physical community building. Human connection and empathy, which are deeply rooted in physical presence and shared experiences, might suffer, leading to a more isolated and fragmented society.

Economic disparities could also hinder the widespread adoption of the metaverse. Access to the necessary technology and infrastructure may be limited to wealthier individuals and nations, exacerbating existing inequalities. Ensuring that the metaverse is accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status, will be vital to prevent a digital divide where only a privileged few can fully participate.

Ethical and moral considerations must be addressed as well. The potential for addiction, the impact on mental health, and the ethical implications of creating and interacting with AI-driven entities need careful consideration. Establishing ethical guidelines and support systems will be crucial to navigate the complex landscape of a fully immersive digital life.

Lastly, the sheer scale and complexity of building and maintaining the metaverse present significant technical challenges. Developing the infrastructure, software, and hardware required to create a seamless, fully integrated virtual world involves enormous financial investment, advanced technical expertise, and continuous innovation. Overcoming these technical hurdles will require sustained effort and collaboration across multiple industries and disciplines.

Accelerating the Full Adoption of the Metaverse

To overcome the significant energy demands of the metaverse, leveraging AI to explore new energy sources and improve energy efficiency is crucial. AI can accelerate research into renewable energy technologies, such as advanced solar cells, fusion power, and energy storage solutions. By optimizing the development and deployment of these technologies, we can create a more sustainable energy infrastructure capable of supporting the vast digital environment of the metaverse.

AI can also play a vital role in optimising energy allocation within the metaverse itself. Through dynamic processing techniques, AI can ensure that only the necessary resources are used at any given time, reducing energy consumption. For instance, AI algorithms can load only the parts of the virtual world that are actively being used or viewed by players, significantly cutting down on wasted computational power and energy.

Advancing AI technologies more broadly is essential for the metaverse's development. Enhanced AI capabilities can improve the realism and functionality of virtual environments, making them more engaging and efficient. AI-driven procedural generation can create detailed, dynamic worlds on the fly, reducing the need for extensive manual development and speeding up the creation of new content.

To address political and regulatory challenges, fostering international collaboration and standardisation is key. Establishing global frameworks for digital privacy, data security, and ethical AI use can build trust and cooperation among nations. Creating international bodies or agreements focused on the metaverse can help align policies and regulations, smoothing the path for widespread adoption.

Ensuring safety and security in the metaverse requires the development of robust cybersecurity measures and protocols. AI can be instrumental in this effort, detecting and mitigating cyber threats in real time. By continuously monitoring for vulnerabilities and potential attacks, AI can help create a secure environment where users feel safe to interact and conduct business.

Bridging the economic divide is crucial for equitable access to the metaverse. Initiatives to provide affordable technology and infrastructure, such as subsidised VR devices and internet access, can help democratise access. Additionally, creating educational programs to teach digital literacy and skills can empower more people to participate in and benefit from the metaverse economy.

Addressing ethical and moral considerations is essential for a healthy metaverse society. Developing comprehensive guidelines and support systems to manage issues like addiction, mental health, and ethical AI use can ensure a balanced and humane virtual world. AI can assist by monitoring user behaviour and providing support where needed, helping to maintain a positive and inclusive community.

Accelerating the adoption of the metaverse involves addressing energy demands, advancing AI, fostering international cooperation, ensuring safety, bridging economic divides, and addressing ethical concerns. By leveraging AI to explore new energy sources, optimise resource allocation, and enhance virtual environments, we can create a sustainable and efficient metaverse. International collaboration and robust security measures will build trust and safety, while initiatives to democratise access and address ethical issues will ensure a fair and inclusive digital society. Through these combined efforts, we can pave the way for the metaverse to become an integral part of our lives, offering new opportunities and solutions to the challenges of our physical world.