Will Metaverse Shape Our Future?
In October 2021, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the renowned social media platform Facebook, announced “Meta,” promising it to be the future alternative to mobile internet through its Metaverse. According to Zuckerberg’s vision, Metaverse is a three-dimensional digital space where we can fully immerse ourselves through special headsets. In this virtual world, we won’t just communicate, but we’ll also be able to carry out most of our daily activities, including work, learning, shopping, sports, along with entertainment activities like watching movies or enjoying video games.
After nearly two years, many people believe that Zuckerberg’s ambition seems challenging to realize, with some even speaking of the project’s demise following the announcement by “Meta” – the new name for Facebook’s giga corporation, which owns various platforms and projects, including Instagram and WhatsApp – about its focus this year on developing artificial intelligence technologies and integrating them into its various products and services. So, has the Metaverse dream truly died?
To answer this question, we first need to understand what Metaverse is and the technologies it comprises. You might think that the foundation of this digital world is solely virtual reality (VR) technology, which provides a three-dimensional digital environment that simulates reality using high-resolution sensors, cameras, and complex software. Users can interact with the elements within this world using special headsets and control tools. However, in this digital space, there’s also a place for augmented reality (AR) technology, which adds digital elements to your surrounding environment in real life, allowing you to view and interact with them. We’ll also explore mixed reality (MR) technology, which merges both worlds, enabling you to manipulate reality. Recently, the term “Extended Reality” (XR) has gained prominence, encompassing all reality-altering technologies. Meta aims to provide all of these technologies within a single environment through its Metaverse. But it doesn’t stop there; for this world to be comprehensive, it must also incorporate other equally important technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, Web 3.0, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
You might think that these technologies are only suitable for entertainment, like video games, as this field has benefited greatly from them in recent years, contributing significantly to their development and vice versa. However, that’s not the only field that can benefit from these technologies. There have been many successful experiments worldwide that have demonstrated the potential of extended reality technologies in fields such as psychotherapy, architecture, facility management, urban design, real estate marketing, travel, and tourism. Furthermore, these technologies are expected to revolutionize the communication industry, e-commerce, and many other sectors. For example, in the field of medicine, there are mixed reality-based systems that allow surgeons to view a three-dimensional interactive display of a patient’s internal anatomy during surgery! There are also successful applications of extended reality in sports, proving their effectiveness in enhancing athletes’ performance. If you’re a fan of visiting museums and art exhibitions, you may have already experienced how these institutions apply these technologies to enrich visitors’ experiences and make them more interactive. There are also immense possibilities for their use in training, especially in high-risk or high-cost scenarios, such as in military, industrial, and scientific fields. Also, the significant role these technologies can play in the education sector cannot be ignored.
Successful Local Experience
The aftermath of COVID-19 has shown that educational institutions may need to transition to remote learning at any moment, and virtual reality can provide a more efficient means to achieve that. There are many successful experiments around the world in this regard, and some academic studies have confirmed that virtual reality education can increase students’ interest in learning, make them more interactive with their teachers and peers, and improve their understanding and retention of information.
In this regard, Qatar University has recently hosted a pioneering experiment where the digital space, or Metaverse, has been applied in the field of remote education. Last March, the College of Business and Economics at Qatar University became the first college in the country to use this technology in an experiment involving more than 60 students taking the Services Marketing course. During the experiment, students were able to visit a “digital twin” replica of their campus, a virtual building identical to the physical one, created in collaboration with “Eduka3D” and Microsoft. Some students visited the lecture hall in the virtual building using their laptop screens, while others experienced it through Oculus VR headsets.
The project earned a spot on the shortlist for the ‘Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year’ category during the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards MENA 2023. Dr. Rana Sobh, Dean of the College of Business and Economics at Qatar University, played a pivotal role in the project’s success. She facilitated collaborations with key companies and was instrumental in bringing the project to light. “As the leading national university in the State of Qatar, it’s imperative for us to also develop our programs, curricula, and teaching methods in line with the rapidly evolving business environment, both locally and globally. This obliges us to rapidly innovate and adapt in order to boost the capacity of our graduates to adjust and thrive in a labor market that is progressively reliant on digital technologies. Therefore, integrating cutting-edge technologies into our curricula is of paramount importance,” she said.
Dr. Abdullah Aljafari, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, who took on the responsibility of teaching the course within the digital space after receiving training on the required technologies, believes that the experience was generally positive, and that extended reality technology holds promise and can enrich the teaching process by providing unique tools not available through traditional teaching methods. He states, “I believe that what sets this technology apart is the ability to use three-dimensional models that appear in front of students and help the professor convey ideas more effectively. This improves their understanding compared to just imagining what the professor is explaining or seeing two-dimensional images, for example. This technology also enables us to take virtual field trips to locations and environments related to the topics being discussed, that might otherwise be inaccessible or impractical to visit.”
Most of the participating students found the experience to be highly beneficial and more enjoyable compared to traditional online lecture methods, especially in terms of interaction. The college is working on expanding the application of virtual reality technology to include a larger number of students and professors. Dr. Al-Jafaari believes that the trend toward using virtual reality technology in education will increase in the future, especially if the digital space or Metaverse continues to grow, and more companies and institutions show interest in building their presence in it. Nonetheless, Dr. Al-Jafaari believes that conventional teaching methods will not completely vanish, at least not in the foreseeable future, stressing that “these technologies will not eliminate the need for traditional lectures; personal interaction between the professor and students will always be important. On the other hand, they will enhance the teaching process by providing innovative tools that improve its quality and effectiveness.”
Promising Future
Building a virtual digital space like the Metaverse, which most of the world’s population can easily access, like current internet applications, still faces some challenges. Most prominently among them are the high prices of the required devices, such as VR headsets. Additionally, internet networks around the world may not be readily able to handle the simultaneous use of large numbers of 3D internet users.
However, Engineer AbdulWahid Al Zaydi, who worked as Assistant Researcher at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, believes that digital spaces like Metaverse will sooner or later become a part of the future. He says, “The pursuit of building a digital space like Metaverse to become an extension for the current internet is a natural evolution of the digital technologies. Software, in general, is always looking for solutions to break the barriers of time and space. Technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality help us achieve that. If we look back at the history of the internet, we’ll see that it started simply on computer devices and gradually moved to mobile phones. Therefore, it’s natural that we are now looking for solutions that enable us to transition to different environments.”
Eng. Al Zaydi is one of the leading experts in the field of virtual reality in the Arab region. In 2014, he co-founded “Visual Experience,” a company based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, specializing in the production and development of extended reality applications. The company has successfully executed numerous virtual reality and augmented reality projects in various sectors. Based on his experience, he is confident that the world will eventually find solutions to the challenges facing the development of the digital space. He sees a promising future for extended reality technologies in the Arab region, stating, “I don’t believe that the dream of building the digital space is over. Instead, I see that we are on the verge of a major breakthrough in extended reality technologies. These technologies have evolved significantly in recent years, and the situation in the Arab region is not much different from what is happening around the world. Young people make up a large segment of our societies, and they are a group with a great passion for any new technology and easily adapt to it. Moreover, the infrastructure in many Arab countries has developed significantly with the launch of 5G networks, enabling us to build applications that were impossible to implement just a few years ago.”
New Professions and Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
While there are concerns that extended reality technologies and mega projects like Metaverse may reduce the demand for some jobs, especially when combined with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence in innovative applications, it is expected that new professions and different roles for existing professions will emerge, especially if the virtual world becomes an important part of our daily lives. This will increase the demand for other jobs, especially those related to creating extended reality experiences, such as software developers, artificial intelligence specialists, programming engineers, user experience (UX) designers, sound effects technicians, 3D designers, and cybersecurity specialists. This field may also open new doors for creativity for content creators and professionals in the entertainment sector, providing opportunities for project management, business development, product management, and marketing specialists. Additionally, the impact of these technologies will certainly extend even further, requiring professionals in various fields to learn how to work with extended reality.
Eng. Al Zaydi provides the following advice to anyone looking to succeed as an entrepreneur in this field: “When you’re thinking about innovating solutions based on extended reality technologies, you should ask yourself if there is a willingness from the customer to pay for the service or product you will offer. Sometimes, an idea may appeal to you, but what you see as good for you may not necessarily be so for customers or a large user base that can generate the profit you aspire to.”
“Another important consideration is not to start with a high-cost product that requires a lot of time for development. Start with the lowest possible cost and with an initial product to test the market. If there is interest, work on improving it gradually to reach the final product you aspire to. This will help you avoid significant losses. Also, keep in mind that the final product may not be the same as what you initially planned. As long as its current features provide solutions to its established purpose, you are doing just fine.”
Digital Space Just Around the Corner
Let’s now return to answering the question we posed initially: has the dream of the Metaverse come to an end? Talking about the demise of the Metaverse project doesn’t seem logical at all. Just a few days after Zuckerberg’s remarks, Meta announced the launch of a new generation of Quest VR headsets. Furthermore, the corporation has spent more than 100 billion dollars on Metaverse-related projects! The same applies to other tech giants. They are all still spending billions of dollars on developing products and projects related to the Metaverse. Microsoft, for example, is working on building a digital space called “Mesh” targeted at enterprises, and some of its features are expected to be available through Microsoft Teams soon. Their “HoloLens” mixed reality headset is highly advanced and already used in fields like medicine and industry. Google, on the other hand, is preparing to launch “Project Starline,” a device that will allow users to see 3D holograms of people they’re communicating with, even without special eyewear! As for Apple, they announced their new mixed reality headset, “Vision Pro,” this year, which some consider the most significant device the company has created since the iPhone.
These are by no means the investments of companies that expect the project of building the digital space to wither away soon. On the contrary, they are all racing to develop extended reality technologies, acquiring successful startups and competing to secure the services of the best developers and designers. Their ultimate goal, as in the current internet world, is to own the largest share of the extended reality market, which some research institutions expect to be worth hundreds of billions by the end of this decade, despite its growth slowing down due to the breakthroughs in artificial intelligence technology this year. The opportunity to dominate what could become the future internet is well worth the effort!
While the project of building the digital space, or perhaps multiple digital spaces, is still in its infancy, if tech giants believe that there is a real demand for solutions within a digital space, they will undoubtedly work on addressing the challenges to ensure that the maximum number of people can access these technologies. Consequently, the cost of the required tools will decrease, networks will develop further, and this will mark a true beginning for the internet of the future. Until that happens, we must be prepared for a new chapter in our digital lives, while governments must collaborate with tech giants to ensure these technologies become tools for building a better future for everyone.
After reading the article, you might be wondering, what should I do next? If you’re a student and haven’t decided on your career path yet, why not explore fields such as computer science, software engineering, 3D design, and UX design? If you find one of these suitable for your abilities and aspirations, consider building a career that is connected to extended reality technologies.
However, if you have chosen a different career path or have already graduated and started your career journey, there are still plenty of opportunities to learn more about extended reality technologies through the internet. Online learning platforms like Coursera and edX offer courses covering all aspects of these technologies, and most of them offer free trials. This could be an opportunity for you to upskill and may benefit you later on if you need to deal with these technologies.
