What exactly is the Metaverse?

The recent news that Facebook – the company behind the social network – changed its name to Meta is seeking to lead the development of the Metaverse, hiring a workforce of more than 10,000 people in Europe alone and investing billions of dollars, is sparking conversations around the world. Mark Zuckerberg wishes to establish himself as the leader of the next technological revolution on the internet that seeks to move us from surfing the web to “living” in it.

In fact, when asked why so much enthusiasm for the idea of the Metaverse, Zuckerberg himself responded: “We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet.” However, and even with all the hype that is causing what many call “the internet of the future” or “the next technological revolution,” there are still many people confused and wondering:

What exactly is the metaverse?

In its simplest definition, the metaverse is a virtual world to which we can connect using a series of devices that will make us think, feel, and/or believe that we’re really immersed inside that world interacting with all the elements that are part of it. It’d be something like teleporting to a totally new alternate world by merely using virtual reality glasses and other complementary devices, such as virtual reality gloves.

Are virtual worlds new?

Some will think, however, that this is nothing new since virtual worlds have existed for a long time, especially in the videogames sector; you choose a game, create a character or avatar and enter that world to live adventures, either through mobile, PC, or console. However, the metaverse seeks to be much more than a fantasy world in which to spend hours playing; it’s a kind of an alternate reality in which we can do almost the same activities that we do in physical reality, but without moving from our place.

The term metaverse comes from the 1992 novel “Snow Crash” by science fiction writer Neal Stephenson, and is a term that has been used ever since to describe visions of virtual or three-dimensional workspaces. The metaverse then refers to a virtual world with which we can interact and whose purpose is to resemble physical reality.

Now, the metaverse that Facebook and other large corporations are investing in consists of a parallel and digital universe that we can access with virtual and augmented reality devices so that we can interact with each other within it. The idea is that this metaverse is totally immersive, much more than current virtual reality is. For this, it’d be necessary to use eyeglasses possibly very similar to normal eyeglasses and also different sensors that register our physical movements so that our avatar does exactly the same as us.

It’s even possible to make the devices we use interpret and represent our facial expressions in the metaverse so that the rest of the people with whom we are interacting with can understand us much better. Another idea behind the Metaverse is to give us total freedom of creation, both for our avatar and for our environments and rooms for personal use.

If we look at how the internet is today, it’s full of virtual communities that we can access from different devices, and in the end, we interact with more people digitally than physically. The metaverse would be another step forward to unite the physical world with the virtual world mixing both in a new universe managed by large companies or even by communities, as happens today with many blockchain networks; a plot similar to what we saw in the movie Ready Player One.

Is the Metaverse real?

Up to a certain point. Due to different circumstances, such as rising real estate prices, socioeconomic inequality, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new generations of young people in some countries, especially in Asia and Latin America, are seeing important economic opportunities in virtual worlds, especially if they have something to do with the metaverse.

Remember that the new form of play-to-earn videogames, such as Decentraland or Axie Infinity, has taken the concept of a traditional videogame and has transformed it into a new reality in which it’s possible to earn an income from the game. This has also been possible thanks to new developments and platforms based on blockchain technology, such as NFTs and Enjin.

The so-called MZ generation, the one that was born and grew up with full internet connectivity, is now part of the “untact” subculture, one that describes activities and interactions without any kind of physical contact.

In countries like South Korea or the Philippines, young people flock to these alternative worlds represented by these games as their primary way of making money and surviving. For them, it is something very real, in the sense that it’s as normal as it’d be to watch a TV program for previous generations.

When we watch a TV series, at times, we live the experience as if it were real, even when we understand that it’s only an artistic interpretation. When it comes to younger generations and videogames something similar happens; they know that it isn’t real, but at times they live it as if it were.

This is what is known as hyperrealism, a concept established by the philosopher and sociologist Jean Baudrillard, who points out that under certain circumstances, simulation and reality can be mixed in such a way that at times it is very difficult to distinguish one from the other, reaching a point where virtual reality has more value than “real reality.”

The metaverse could then end up becoming a kind of escape from the calamities that people experience in their own physical reality; a natural behavior in the human being that can take all kinds of forms, including illegal substances.

Is the Metaverse safe?

One of Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitions for some years now is to see how the internet envelops us to the point that we’re able to live within it. Something like what happens in The Matrix or Ready Player One. But parallel to this, he is also obsessed with increasing the security of his social network, which is always in the hurricane’s eye due to its data leaks and the misuse of the personal information of its users.

Based on this, would it be possible to trust a virtual network as ambitious as the one proposed by Facebook?

If there is already a risk that they’ll trade our personal data or purchasing trends for a profit, what would happen when a company can record our physiological responses, our tone of voice, or what we are doing physically at that precise moment?

While it’s true that many of the people who say they distrust Facebook continue to use their apps, like Instagram and WhatsApp on a daily basis, will they do the same with the metaverse?

The reality is that without trust, Meta’s plans are already at risk of failing. Although Facebook has been improving the security and privacy of its portal, recent scandals have sunk the company’s corporate image, condemning it to be less and less relevant to younger users. This could also happen with other companies that wish to participate in the development of the metaverse.

Like everything new and especially in the field of technology, it’s normal that there are doubts and mistrust, but in something as ambitious, promising, and imposing as what Meta proposes, it’s essential that they integrate privacy and security from the first day into the project. Otherwise, there will be problems for sure.

Advantages of the Metaverse

As with the internet, the metaverse will present a series of features that will bring a great number of benefits in all areas, as well as a series of problems inherent in its nature. We will live and interact – and our children – using these platforms, so it’s very important to understand the pros and cons of this new technological promise.

So, what are the advantages of the metaverse?

1. Be in contact with other people, friends, and family in an easy and immediate way. We can even meet for coffee – even if it’s virtual.
2. Attend work meetings without leaving our homes.
3. Get to know different cultures and walk the streets of other countries in a virtual way, without having to leave home.
4. In combination with robotics and the Internet of Things, perform work activities remotely.
5. Unleash creativity, especially in the artistic aspect.
6. Participate in cyber communities without having to be in the same city or country.
7. Participate in a new form of online education by being able to attend the classroom virtually.
8. Greater communication possibilities as there is a greater degree of interaction. It will even be possible to interact with products before buying them.

Disadvantages of the Metaverse

1. As with the internet, there will be unsuitable content, including sexual content, violence, illegal gambling, etc.
2. Cyberbullying levels could increase as there is a greater degree of social interaction.
3. It can create addictions that could lead to various problems, such as losing track of time, neglecting health, losing sleep, etc.
4. Social and family relationships could be eroded as some people could get used to exclusive use of the metaverse to interact with other people.

Projects in the Metaverse

Yet, with all the good and the bad that will come with the metaverse, it’s very likely that the metaverse will still end up becoming the new gateway for most digital experiences and the natural successor to the internet. In fact, a variety of use cases are already outlined for this new digital environment, and many large corporations are already working hard on it.

Let’s take a look at projects that are making their way to the metaverse.

Concerts

We could virtually enter a concert in 3D, after seeing a kind of preview on a 2D screen. An example, in 2019 the rapper Travis Scott participated in a concert in Fortnite with an audience of more than 100,000 users.

Work

Companies like Facebook are already promoting spaces that allow users to create their ideal workplace through virtual reality called Horizon Workrooms.

Videogames

A user could get a reward in a videogame and then display it in other instances of the same metaverse to show it to his virtual friends, for example.

Virtual tours

You could go to virtual representations of cities in other countries to know first-hand everything about the city before making the physical trip.

Companies building the Metaverse

Even with all this, the arrival of the metaverse is still far away. A great deal of collaboration is required from numerous companies to create the software and hardware necessary for this parallel universe. Here are some of the companies that are already working on it.

Roblox

For this videogame’s platform, the metaverse represents a good opportunity for people to meet in 3D scenarios where they can live experiences and even work and socialize. The Roblox platform allows you to create digital worlds for your games, as well as offer the possibility of doing business through the platform using its Robux currency.

Microsoft

Microsoft has already announced that they’re developing a business Metaverse (Microsoft Mesh) that could have some resemblance or relationship with the company’s gaming products, Xbox and Minecraft. Phil Spencer himself, executive vice president of Gaming at Microsoft and head of Xbox, stated that they are creating a metaverse that will function as a kind of “mixed reality.”

Nvidia

The multinational Nvidia already has its own virtual reality platform called Omniverse, a metaverse for simulation with professional objectives. This project is typically used to develop simulations of factories or buildings in the real world so that tests can be carried out before carrying out projects in the physical world.

Unity Technologies

The American company Unity Software Inc. is already acquiring companies such as Weta Digital that will allow them to expand services to companies looking to build in the metaverse. Unity Software Inc. is a SaaS company known for providing tools that produce breathtaking 3D content for videogames and other industries.

Autodesk

This company, which is dedicated to developing 2D and 3D design software for different types of industries, recently launched its first virtual augmented reality glasses for developers who want to experiment with new modalities in their creations.

Tencent

Tencent is a Chinese technology multinational provider of internet products and services and is the largest videogame company in the world. It seems that the multinational doesn’t want to be left behind when entering the metaverse, so it has already registered some trademarks related to the creation of this virtual environment.

Epic Games

The company behind the great success of the Fortnite videogame. The game that has already expanded the experience of its users beyond the normal activities of the game, towards social experiences such as organizing parties and virtual concerts. Epic Games has already secured $1 billion dollars to invest in metaverse projects.

Amazon

The number one company in e-commerce is also the largest cloud service provider in the world. This fact makes it a potential collaborator in the development of the metaverse. In 2020, Amazon invested more than $40 billion in the development of different technologies related to artificial intelligence.

Is the Metaverse halal?

Generally speaking, yes, the metaverse is halal. As we’ve touched on before, the metaverse is merely a virtual world or a multitude of digital platforms that simulate the organic world we live in that people are able to participate in or experience through different technologies and this in and of itself is halal.

However, this does not mean that all aspects of the metaverse are halal. As the building of the metaverse evolves we can say with a high degree of certainty that there will be virtual platforms that are either specifically built for or have some portion or areas of it dedicated to haram activities and this is where scholars will look at the intent and purpose of the virtual platform and derive halal, makruh, or haram rulings accordingly.

In a previous article – Decentraland – Is Virtual Real Estate Legit? – I have already mentioned that Muslims must remember that Allah clearly states in the Quran that He is, “Lord of all the worlds”. This also includes the worlds of the metaverse. All of it, organic or virtual, fall under the dominion of Allah, and Muslims must uphold the same Islamic principles of muamalat (just dealings with people in a social and economic manner) and observe the rights of Allah and His creation in any world they participate in.

Muslims are ambassadors of Islam no matter what world they are in so may Allah guide the Muslims to be of benefit and light in whatever world they are found in, Ameen.

Conclusion

As of now, the metaverse is just a concept that is beginning to be built. Although the idea has been around for some time now, it has been Meta that has taken the lead in making the effort to turn it into a reality. Only time will tell how this all unfolds but the concept of the metaverse is surely moving forward and as such, it is for humanity to always remember that Allah is Rabbul Alameen.

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