- Nearly 60% of people do not know the purpose of the metaverse.
- AI avatars will be a crucial piece of the metaverse puzzle.
People may feel hyped about the metaverse but let’s face the facts – bots will be everywhere. While this may sound interesting, it is actually a cultural shock to our senses if we observe closely. No one wants to be surrounded by a bunch of robots who are programmed to react in a human-ish manner. Ever wondered about the irony that what’s man-made is asking them if they are human.
There Are A Few Who Believes in The Metaverse Potential
While exploring the internet, there are websites that provide a ‘friendly’ bot to help the lost voyager in the new land. The experience can feel interesting but the user can get bored after realizing this bot cannot go beyond its coded functionality. An advanced version of the technology remains Siri by Apple and Amazon’s Alexa.
While they can tell you where you can get the best burger in this town, they are just incapable of providing you with comfort a real friend can deliver when you are feeling blue. But there is an interesting possibility that the metaverse can provide these AI techs with a virtual body. Similar to Joi from Blade Runner 2049. It would be worthwhile if someone can actually fall for artificial humans just like Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, did.
The experience may get more devastating as we think about it. Imagine how easy it is to erase the memory of a software. Within a blink of an eye, your virtual friend will become a stranger again. Though this cannot be considered exactly as materialism, it will still be devastating for an individual who had grown an attachment with an AI bot. It was devastating for Tony Stark when Jarvis went offline in the middle of a cold night.
Data shows that around 60% of U.S. adults are unaware of the purpose metaverse serves. While around 40% believes it will be life changing. It’s all about how people perceive this technology. Nearly one-third of the global population is dealing with loneliness, according to Statista. The feeling can get much worse in the metaverse if people are not able to find their tribes.
Virtual spaces may remove the distance barriers globally but it would not matter if there is no one to share a story with. The companies developing the virtual worlds must focus on bringing more users on their platforms by delivering them what they actually want. This is possible when people’s purpose aligns with something. It can be gaming, development, learning, socializing and more.
The metaverse will become a revolution if it successfully onboard real users from across the globe. As Robin Williams once quoted in his movie Loneliness, “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone.” And the metaverse could be filled with such ‘people.’
Disclaimer
The views and opinions stated by the author, or any people named in this article, are for informational purposes only, and they do not establish financial, investment, or other advice. Investing in or trading crypto assets comes with a risk of financial loss.
Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.