THOUGHT LEADER : VIRTUAL LIFE
Welcome to The Metaverse
Andrew Bolwell , Chief Disrupter and Global Head of HP Tech Ventures , explains the next evolution of the internet .
illustrations by satwika kresna
The buzz over the metaverse is new , but the idea of it is two decades old . In 1992 , author Neal Stephenson
coined the term for his virtual world in his novel
Snow Crash . In the simplest description , the
metaverse is the physical and digital convergence of experiences , services , and identity , enabled by an array of new technologies .
Think of it as the internet ’ s next evolution , where people can work , learn , play , shop , meet , and explore in interconnected communities . Websites become interactive virtual worlds , links are replaced by portals between those worlds , a digital avatar replaces your username , and the keyboard and mouse are replaced by mixedreality interfaces . Software and hardware will allow us to move seamlessly between physical and digital spaces , augmenting the real world and creating new shared digital experiences .
That vision is now leaving the realm of sci-fi pages and movies and coming closer to reality , thanks to new technologies , changing consumer habits , and the fact that businesses see
massive economic opportunity ahead . Established brands are
staking their claim in cryptocurrency ,
gaming , and
NFTs . Facebook changed its name to Meta last year and announced its intention to be a metaverse company , not a social media company . This digital universe has also captured the growing
attention of venture capital firms , with startups ( including OpenSea , Animoca Brands , and Sandbox ) attracting millions of dollars in funding .
The rest of us may wonder : Has the metaverse ’ s moment finally come ?
We think so , but only if the technology that underpins all of its future activities can replicate ( or improve upon ) what ’ s in the physical world . That means secure cryptocurrency that will enable us to buy and sell physical and digital items ; customized avatars that can express our personalities , job roles , and moods ; and interfaces that let us move in and out of digital worlds and interact with others where and when we choose .
The metaverse promises to be a digital twin of our physical universe but without physical limitations . It presents endless possibilities , but is the technology ready to deliver them ?
Building the foundation While there have been significant technological advances since Snow Crash , we are still years away from a truly immersive virtual world . For the metaverse to be fully realized , internet connectivity , compute technology , 3D modeling , virtual financial systems , and other critical building blocks have to get faster , more reliable , and more secure .
If your avatar is to accomplish feats such as speaking and moving naturally in the virtual world while simultaneously purchasing or interacting in the physical world , it will require an incredibly sophisticated technological symphony to happen in real time , and to scale .
Avatars that move , touch , and speak as fluidly as we can require access to the high-bandwidth , low-latency connectivity offered by 5G and even 6G networks with multi-access edge computing . We will need widely available , augmentedand virtual-reality hardware that enables hyperrealistic immersive experiences , and last but not least , a robust , trusted security infrastructure that can handle the demands of a blockchain-based metaverse economy .
VR and AR headsets and devices will be the interfaces and gateways to our metaverse world . AR will overlay virtual
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