The metaverse is an immersive extension of the internet via virtual and augmented reality. Photo / 123rf
The metaverse is an immersive extension of the internet via virtual and augmented reality. Photo / 123rf
OPINION
In the two decades since mainstream uptake of the internet, much has changed in technological trends and advancement, and how people use online services in their lives.
One of the most significant changes in the last decade is how mobile networks and smart devices have altered the way weuse the internet. Over the next decade, we will experience another fundamental shift in the journey toward the metaverse.
The metaverse will involve a move away from the traditional online world of flat screens filled with text and images towards immersive experiences akin to the way we interact offline – more physical, interactive, and speech-based.
The metaverse will consist of an interconnected set of digital spaces, including immersive 3D experiences. The defining quality will be a feeling of presence — like you are right there with other people or in another place. As with the internet today, it won't be a single product like Facebook or Instagram, or a piece of hardware like the iPhone. And like the internet, it won't be created or owned by any individual company.
While the fully developed metaverse is still five to 10 years away, we can already use bridging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and devices like the Quest 2 that give us a sense of what is to come.
We're already starting to see the capabilities of using VR in the offline world. When the pandemic prevented APEC delegations from being physically present in New Zealand in 2021, Meta partnered with a coalition of Māori digital creatives and designers, including Arataki Systems, to develop the immersive "Ngā Atua Māori" AR experience. This enabled delegates to learn more about te ao Māori as if they were in Aotearoa New Zealand in person.
As an industry, we know the full benefits of the metaverse are yet to be discovered. Part of building the metaverse will include the need for frameworks, guidelines and transparent conversations with governments and safety organisations about how to innovate responsibly.
To start, we're collaborating with industry partners, including Netsafe in New Zealand, to think through potential issues and opportunities. Yesterday, we announced our work with the broader technology industry, NZTech, and Netsafe, to launch a New Zealand-first online safety regulatory framework that will help keep the digital world safer now. This collaborative approach will continue to be important.
Simon Milner. Photo / Supplied
We're already creating and developing guardrails to address safety, privacy, and well-being in the metaverse. For example, our Quest 2 devices are designed for children ages 13 and up, and some experiences are only for people aged 18 and up. We've also started rolling out parental supervision tools on Quest, allowing parents and guardians to be more involved in their teens' experiences in virtual reality.
We believe immersive learning can dramatically improve the quality of education, bringing new excitement and allowing students to experience things that seem worlds away. Safety and education are key but we also want the metaverse to be a place for online communities.
AR and VR can provide more immersive ways to access the past and present, as well as visualise the future. In one inspiring example, the Antarctic Heritage Trust captured Sir Edmund Hillary's hut at Scott Base in VR, allowing students to interact with this piece of New Zealand's history.
For people considering a career in law enforcement, the "VirtualCop" VR app offers a window into life on the beat. Developed by Wellington creative agency Wrestler, "VirtualCop" illustrates how VR/AR can design everyday experiences.
Building the metaverse responsibly will require collaboration with government, researchers and industry peers. Meta's partnership with NZTech is a part of our efforts to engage in thoughtful debates on this topic.
We're excited about the future of the metaverse, and our work with our Kiwi partners will aim to uphold responsible innovation as we work to build the metaverse together.
• Simon Milner is vice president of public policy in Asia and Pacific for Meta, previously known as Facebook. He will be speaking at NZ Tech's Connect: Responsible Innovation in the Metaverse event on Tuesday.
