Session:

The Metaverse: Foundations

and Opportunities
Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Session Objectives
• Provide an overview of industry definitions for the Metaverse
• Establish a framework for assessing what qualifies as a Metaverse or
Proto-Metaverse.
• Trace the development of the Metaverse from early Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) to
modern virtual reality (VR) platforms.
• Explore the integration of NFTs within Metaverse experiences and their impact on
digital ownership.
• Examine corporate applications and adaptations of Metaverse environments.
• Analyze the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping and enhancing Metaverse
interactions.
• Discuss the challenges, future potential, and ongoing evolution of the Metaverse.

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Agenda
1. What is the Metaverse?
2. Early metaverse experiences
3. Metaverse Meets NFTs
4. Corporate Metaverses
5. Metaverse and AI
6. Conclusions
7. Further Reading

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

1. The Metaverse Defined

Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The Metaverse is popular, but challenging to define
● The Metaverse has concentrated interest across disciplines for its transformative potential, yet,
as we will see, attempts to define it are mostly lacklustre because:
• As a concept, the metaverse is still at its aspirational stage.
• Definitions focus on aspects of the metaverse (e.g., gaming, NFTs) and miss the bigger picture.
• It is a normative shift whose outcome is inherently difficult to understand and predict
● ”Metaverse” search term popularity from December 2020 – October 2024:

29 Dec 2020 21 Apr 2024

Google Trends for “metaverse” term popularity

Source: Google Trends

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Many definitions miss the “bigger picture”
● Many address the aspirational side of what we should expect from the Metaverse:
• “The metaverse seems to be whatever people’s imaginations dream it to be” -McKinsey
• “It’s partly a dream for the future of the internet” –The Verge
• “A seamless convergence of our physical and digital lives” –Onyx, JP Morgan

● Others have focused on its technical aspects:

• “Realtime 3D social medium where people can create and engage in shared experiences as equal participants in an
economy with societal impact” – CEO EPIC Games
• “A massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds which can be experienced
synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and
with continuity of data” – Matthew Ball

● And some have even pointed out issues with contemporary definitions:
• “But the metaverse is not 3D or 2D, or even necessarily graphical; it is about the inexorable dematerialization of
physical space, distance, and objects.” –Jon Radoff
• “The metaverse is the moment in time where our digital life is worth more than our physical life.” –Shaan Puri

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The metaverse as an impactful and persistent digital experience
The previous definitions indicate that the Metaverse is a technology-driven shift leading to substantial
and universal changes (and opportunities) across norms, disciplines, cultures, or other barriers. This
shift relies on a “critical mass” of technologies “coming together”. Central to the Metaverse is also a
notion of persistent, shared experiences giving this shift the sense of the establishing of “new world”.
Experiences in this ”new world” can, but will not always be, immersive and interactive.

● Based on the above, the main characteristics of the Metaverse are:

1. Universal Impact: Across norms, disciplines, cultures, or other barriers, creates new opportunities. This
generalized impact is technology driven.
2. Persistence: In a way that cohesive and shared experiences establish a “new world”.
3. Adaptability: Allowing users to immerse themselves in a limited or ample capacity according to their needs.

● The Metaverse is a universally impactful shift through persistent and adaptable digital
experiences

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

2. Early Metaverse Experiences

Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Proto-Metaverses satisfy 3/6 Metaverse characteristics
● We established that for something to qualify as the “metaverse” it should have (1) Photorealism, (2) Immersiveness,
(3) Persistence, (4) Data Ownership, (5) Openness and (6) Censorship Resistance. Early metaverse experiences
often meet only a subset of these elements.

● Indicatively consider the example of Pokémon Go, Facebook, and Fortnite*:

• Pokémon Go merges the digital with the real via AR and offers a level of immersiveness. However, it doesn't provide
consistent persistence, and aspects like data ownership and full openness are constrained by the game's proprietary
nature.
• Facebook is primarily a social platform whose persistence is evident in its consistent user engagement. Still, it lacks a
true immersive metaverse experience. Issues surrounding data ownership and platform control hinder it from meeting the
criteria of openness and censorship resistance.
• Fortnite boasts high-quality graphics and immersive in-game events. However, its matches are episodic, lacking true
persistence, while the game's ecosystem is controlled by Epic Games, limiting its openness and data portability.
Universal Data Censorship
Elements Persistence Adaptability Openness
Impact Ownership Resistance
Pokémon
❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌
Go
Facebook ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Fortnite ❌ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌
*Note: we use the examples of Pokémon Go and Facebook as they have both positioned as Metaverses by their founders

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
MUDs were a primitive shared virtual world experience
Outside literature, the precursors to the Metaverse find
their roots in the 70’s pop culture, science fiction, and
fantasy realms, and emerged as evolutions of fantasy
tabletop games.

● Multi-User-Dungeons (MUDs)
• MUDs were text-based environments where users could
replicate the playthrough of traditional tabletop
roleplaying games such as DnD.

● This is the interface of Starcraft, a popular MUD →

• The top text is the story and description of the
environment.
• The middle text is the chat between users
• The bottom of the screen includes the vital statistics of
the player.
• MUD1 is another popular example

Source: A Social History of Virtual Worlds

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
tinyMUDs incorporated non-interactive graphical elements
● tinyMUDs
• TinyMUD the first of many similar attempts, was an
evolution of MUDs developed by James Aspnes.
• TinyMUDs incorporate some visual elements and
allowed for more interaction between players,
showcasing the social capabilities of virtual worlds.
• Participants could create game elements, meaning
that they were no longer mere consumers or actors
but active developers in the world.
• however, this social interaction remained limited due
to technological constraints, e.g., it didn’t evolve into
a virtual economy.

● Example of a TinyMUD developed for Apple II →

• The player is now graphically represented with two
swords.
• However, there is still no interaction with game
elements.

Source: A Social History of Virtual Worlds

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
MOOs made graphics and integral part of virtual worlds
● MUD Object Oriented (MOO)
• MOOs facilitated greater socialization in virtual
worlds, allowing users to interact with other
user-created items within the virtual world.
• They became customizable environments and
attracted communities outside gaming.
• MOOs were primarily text-based environments
with a “coating’ of interactive graphical front ends.
• As more graphical elements were introduced, the
social aspects those virtual worlds increased.

● Diversity University is an example of a →

VRML-enhanced MOO dedicated to education
• VRML is a standard file format for representing
3D interactive vector graphics.

Source: MUDs, MOOs, WOOs, and IRC,University of Oxford

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
MMORPGs facilitated social and recreational virtual experiences
● Each iteration of virtual worlds relied on technology
becoming better, cheaper, and more accessible.
● The main factors of this development are:
1. Realism
2. Ubiquity
3. Interoperability
4. Scalability

● Those came together in the development of MMORPGs*.

● The graphical and interactive nature of MMORPGs
established the social aspect of virtual worlds:
1. Collaboration in MMORPGs created a strong social system
2. Players supported social systems outside of MMORPGs
3. This opened the door to non-gamers

*MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games. The depicted is World of Warcraft (WoW). Source: A Social History of Virtual Worlds

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Recreational, social virtual worlds and proto-metaverses
● The increased socialization of gaming virtual worlds gave rise to
social or recreational virtual worlds.
• As those worlds increasingly mirrored the real one, and users
became “virtual residents”.
• The social, financial, and entrepreneurial dynamics which first
emerged in MMORPGs became an integral part of their experience.

● Recreational and virtual social worlds offered:

• Business opportunities.
• Embassies and other public services.
• University campuses and social spaces.
• Teaching and training.
• All while maintaining the sci-fi or fantasy element.

● We can draw a direct line from recreational virtual worlds to

proto-metaverses, and from those to the first metaverse
experiences.

The depicted is Second Life

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
From VR-based experiences to the Metaverse
● As we established, the evolution of virtual worlds relies on technological advances. Their role as social and
recreational platforms and the mirroring of the real world is a by-product.
● The advent of commercially available VR-AR facilitated emersion (i.e., adaptability) in virtual worlds and
gave rise to many proto-metaverses, which in turn, facilitated even more social and recreational activities.
● The increased social nature of virtual worlds facilitated continuity, and thus persistence.
● Many VR-AR-based virtual worlds exist already*, and other digital platforms are increasingly incorporating
VR and AR elements, facilitating persistence and adaptability**.
● Additionally, the shift of focus of Big Tech and Big Consulting, as well as smaller players to metaverse
experiences comes with the funding and expertise needed to enable universal impact.
● This is how we arrive at a full Metaverse experience:

Universal Impact Persistence Adaptability

* Example 1 **Consider Roblox, Fortnite, and Facebook incorporating VR to their platforms

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

3. Metaverse Meets NFTs

Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The role of NFTs in the development of Metaverse
● The role of NFTs in Web 3.0 and metaverse experiences is twofold, they are both:
1. A technological development enabling digital ownership, rarity and physical-digital items in virtual worlds*
2. Which can lead to a shift in the social, financial, entrepreneurial and cultural dynamics (of the Metaverse)

● Notably, point 1 does not necessarily lead to point 2:

• Consider the incorporation of NFTs on X, Instagram, Reddit, and the NFT marketplaces in Horizon Worlds.
• Web 2.0 will, under its terms, incorporate NFTs as a technology tool for verifiable digital ownership and rarity.
• However, the social, financial, entrepreneurial and cultural dynamics of those platforms will remain.

● Whereas, point 2 necessitates point 1:

• A shift in the social, financial, entrepreneurial and cultural dynamics cannot occur without digital ownership,
provable rarity, and an interoperable framework for digital and digital-physical artefacts.

* We have offered more information on the utility of NFTs in previous session.

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Early NFT metaverse experiences and the features of NFTs
● Early NFT-metaverse experiences experimented with properties of NFTs.
• They established social recreational virtual worlds (largely off-chain) that utilised NFTs as their “plumbing”.
• NFTs served as digital artefacts, including real estate and avatar designs, equipment, and other in-world items.
• Market places allowed for the sale of NFT items, most of which were purpose-built for the specific world.
• Creator tools were also adopted to facilitate the creative process.
• They offered creator-friendly business models opting for smaller fees and allowing for secondary sell revenue.
• Early attempts also utilised world-native tokens to facilitate trade in those marketplaces (and profit)
• Some even utilised DAOs for community governance decisions on features, financing, marketplace and fees,
community-run events, and more

● All of the above are notable improvements over Web 2.0 virtual worlds.
● However, the impact and audience of early NFT metaverse experiences remained limited, failing to create
persistent social ties and communities beyond the initial excitement and speculation.
● Many of those platforms also remained largely non-interoperable and off-chain.

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Examples of early NFT-metaverse experiences
● Decentraland
• A browser-based 3D virtual world, where users buy,
and interact in virtual land NFTs.
● The Sandbox
• A computer and mobile 3D virtual world, where users
engage in gaming activities facilitated by NFT assets.
● Axie Infinity
• A play-to-earn browser-based combat game, utilising
NFT per-fighters. Virtual world elements are also
incorporated.
● Illuvium
• An open world auto-battler with NFT-creature
collections

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Open NFT-metaverse world experiences
● Early metaverse experiences utilized NFTs to offer creator-friendly social
spaces but also introduced idiosyncratic elements (tokens, proprietary
markets) and anachronistic business models (e.g., virtual land sales).
● Open NFT-metaverse world experiences ”plug into” open blockchains
facilitating interoperability and, eventually, an on-chain infrastructure.
● They facilitate user-created and owned virtual worlds, and serve as a
”multiverse for metaverses”, without dictating business models or purpose.
● The social and cultural elements of these worlds take precedence over
gaming or speculative aspects.
● Such examples include:
• OnCyber
• Spatial
• Voxels
• Gallery.so

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
100,000,000 people in an open metaverse can change the world

6529’s Vision for an Open metaverse

Source: 6529.io

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Memes are the most important thing in the world
● Memes are intersubjective myths (hat tip to Harari). Memes are how societies organize themselves
across large groups.
● Elections, politics, culture, brands, consumer behaviour, cash-flows all come from the most powerful
memes in society at any given point in time.
● From “Just Do It” to “Digital Gold” to “Yes We Can” / “Make America Great Again,” those who control
the best memes, control societal resources.

Meme NFTs from the Memes collection by 6529

Source: The Memes by 6529

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
"Otherside" by Yuga Labs
• Otherside is a "gamified, interoperable o Unique Characteristics
metaverse" developed by Yuga Labs • Otherside is divided into five unique regions with
• Collaborated with Improbable Worlds and their own lore and culture
Animoca Brands for development
• Player-influenced storylines across five regions
• The "first trip" was at launched in August 2022
• Offers Open Data Kits (ODKs) for cross-platform
• Players can own parts of the world through
NFT use and integration
Otherdeed NFTs and use other NFTs as 3D
characters • Lands have unique characteristics like environment
and resources, while only 10,000 out of 200,000
lands have Kodas
• Functionality
• Players require an Otherdeed (land NFT) and a
Koda (character NFT) to participate
• Otherdeeds can be bought from the secondary
market or minted for certain NFT holders
• ApeCoin, or APE, is Otherside's native currency,
essential for transactions and governance within
the metaverse

Otherside by Yuga Labs Adapted from CoinDesk

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The interoperability challenge
● Interoperability in the metaverse: Ability for users,
assets, and experiences to seamlessly transition and
interact across different virtual environments
• As the number of metaverse platforms grows, ensuring
smooth interoperability becomes crucial for user
experience and the overall success of the metaverse
ecosystem

● Importance of Interoperability:
• Guarantees the preservation and consistency of virtual
asset value across different platforms
• Drives robust sales and fosters a cohesive metaverse
economic landscape.
• Enhances business collaborations by facilitating
efficient digital resource sharing
Interoperability in the Metaverse: Bridging diverse
• Provides a unified, seamless user experience across virtual realities for a unified experience
diverse metaverse technologies and platforms

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Technical & conceptual barriers
● Technical Challenges ● Conceptual Challenges
• Integrating various data forms into cohesive • Establishing uniform standards for shared
digital worlds space functionalities
• Transitioning enterprise content into gaming • Combatting platform-centric restrictions that
engines oppose broader decentralization ideals
• Navigating variability in 3D rendering • Determining how items or assets
techniques across platforms contextually fit when transitioning between
• Ensuring consistent digital asset usage, different metaverse worlds
identity recognition, and transactional • Balancing the requirements of individual
uniformity across multiple metaverse realms against a more universal
virtual environments interoperability approach
• As the metaverse grows and becomes more • Addressing rising concerns as devices and
complex, verifying user IDs will pose people become more interconnected and
increased challenges gather more data, influencing the rate of
metaverse expansion

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Potential Solutions – Interoperability Enablers
● Decentralized Storage (e.g., Solid) Metaverse
Interoperability
• Provides users with data control and ensures seamless data protocol
interoperability
• Elevates metaverse security with distinct user and application identifiers

● Cross-chain Protocols (e.g., ChainLink)

• Facilitate smooth asset and information exchange between virtual worlds
• Reduce fragmentation in the metaverse by standardizing asset transfers

● Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)

• Empowers users with complete control over their digital identities, reducing
reliance on central authorities
• Leverages decentralized ledgers for transparent and tamper-proof
interactions across platforms Interoperability Matters: Metaverse
worlds to become fully collaborative and
easily connected

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
What seamless interoperability could look like
• Unified Identity Systems
• Users possess a unique digital footprint for easy recognition
• Reduces redundancy and ensures smoother transactions across platforms
• Enhances user convenience by minimizing repetitive authentication

• Asset Portability
• NFTs as universal digital assets with cross-platform validity
• Facilitates a seamless economic and cultural transition between virtual worlds
• Ensures users' investments in one platform aren't rendered obsolete in
another

• Shared Experiences
• Initiatives or events started in one environment have continuity across others
Seamless interoperability could lead to unified
• Amplifies collaborative opportunities and builds a sense identity systems, portability of assets and shared
of global virtual community experience among metaverses
• Encourages more organic storytelling or event progression

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Metaverse and NFTs
● Mutually Beneficial Growth
• The metaverse and NFTs evolve together, each
enhancing the value and potential of the other

● Diverse Digital Realms

• The metaverse's vast interconnected virtual
spaces are filled with unique experiences and
environments

● True Digital Ownership

• NFTs provide distinct, ownable assets within the
metaverse, from art to real estate, ensuring true
digital ownership The Symbiotic Evolution: Metaverse’s expansive
virtual landscapes paired with NFTs’ unique digital
assets

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Immersive interactions in the metaverse
● Boundless Exploration
• The metaverse offers limitless digital landscapes
for users to discover and engage with

● Collaborative Spaces
• Users come together for events, discussions,
and shared experiences

● Beyond Reality
• A realm where the physical and digital worlds
blur, offering experiences only possible in the
metaverse Users engaging in diverse metaverse activities: From
concerts to art galleries and virtual discussions

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
NFTs in the metaverse
• NFTs serve as the building blocks of the
metaverse
• NFTS provide authentic digital empowerment, ensuring
user control and authenticity
• NFTs support the economy layer and provide a
standardized way to represent virtual items in a digital
world

• Explosion of NFTs in blockchain-based

metaverses
• The growth of blockchain-based metaverses has led to
the rapid development of the NFT space
• Transformation of physical objects into NFTs enables Redefining digital ownership: The diverse landscape of NFT assets in
their exchange, sharing, and unique identification within the metaverse
blockchain-based metaverses
• NFTs offer players a unique experience to play, create,
and interact within a multiplayer gaming virtual world

Sources: NFTs and the Metaverse Revolution – Research Perspectives and Open Challenges

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Beyond traditional gaming paradigms
● Diverse Interactions ● Future Potential
• The metaverse allows for a range of interactions, • As technology continues to advance, the
from social gatherings and business meetings to boundary between the virtual and the real will blur
educational sessions and artistic showcases • Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)
• Users can attend a virtual concert, participate in a will further enhance metaverse experiences,
global conference, or even join a meditation making them more immersive and intertwined with
session, all in the same virtual space our daily lives

● The Role of NFTs

• While gaming remains a significant part of the
metaverse, NFTs have expanded the possibilities
• They've facilitated genuine rights to digital assets,
from art and music to virtual real estate, allowing
users to invest, trade, and showcase in ways
previously unimaginable.

The metaverse enables immersive experiences

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
From concerts to conferences
• Global Reach
• Attendees from any location can participate, erasing geographical
limitations
• The metaverse brings together individuals from varied
backgrounds and perspectives

• Innovative Experiences
• Utilization of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) offers
a lifelike experience Travis Scott performing in the
• Features such as live chats, polls, and breakout sessions enable metaverse (Fortnite event)
active participation
• Organizers can create tailored online environments to suit the
event's theme

• Cost-effectiveness
• Eliminates expenses related to venue rental, catering and travel
• Offers businesses modern methods to promote within the virtual
space Conference Taking Place in the metaverse

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Galleries, exhibitions, and creative spaces
● Unparalleled Creative Freedom • Revolutionizing Art Ownership and Monetization
• Artists can venture beyond traditional mediums, • Platforms within the metaverse enable artists to
experimenting with spatial and temporal dimensions in showcase and sell their works directly to a global
their creations audience
• Combining virtual reality, augmented reality, and • Through blockchain integration, artists can mint and
interactive elements, art in the metaverse can engage sell their works as NFTs, ensuring both authenticity and
visitors in entirely new ways a new avenue for revenue

● Global Connectivity and Collaboration

• Metaverse eliminates geographic barriers, allowing
artists from all over the world to showcase their work
and perspectives
• Artists can co-create in shared virtual spaces, leading
to innovative art pieces born from global collaboration

Metaverse Art Gallery (from Spacial)

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The new age of travel
● Virtual tourism allows individuals to explore and
experience destinations worldwide through digital
platforms

● Main Benefits
• Comprehensive view of landmarks, landscapes,
and interiors (360-degrees)
• Integrated educational content enhances the
overall experience and understanding of a
destination
• Sustainable alternative to traditional travel,
promoting reduced carbon footprints and site
preservation
• Digital documentation of cultural sites and events Exploring new realms: The rise of virtual tourism in the metaverse
ensures their preservation for future generations
• Often more affordable than traditional tourism

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Jump into the metaverse

Alpha Season 3 in The Sandbox WAGMI Soul Magic Virtual Concert with DJ JesDanz
in Decentraland

Meebits in Cryptovoxels

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Commerce and Trade in the Metaverse
All types of stakeholders can harness opportunities ● Everyday Users
through the utilization of NFTs in the metaverse • Invest in NFTs and virtual real estate for potential returns
• Personalize avatars and spaces using unique NFTs
• Businesses
• Attend diverse virtual events in the metaverse
• Launch exclusive NFT collections for branding & promotion
• Engage directly with favourite brands or creators
• Host virtual events in the metaverse • Express individuality and preferences through NFT
• Monetize through the sale of exclusive NFT merchandise collections
• Engage in digital real estate development and leasing
• Collaborate with creators for unique digital assets

• Creators
• Directly monetize art, music, and other digital creations
• Earn royalties from NFT secondary sales
• Collaborate with businesses for wider reach
• Design unique digital wearables or assets for virtual
avatars
• Host and engage audiences in exclusive virtual events
Depicting economic activities in the metaverse: Integrating NFTs,
virtual commerce, and decentralized transactions

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Scalability – Challenges and Solutions
Challenges Solutions
• Handling Large Number of Users ● Cloud-Based Solutions
• Ensuring the metaverse can cater to millions without a • Cloud infrastructure can help distribute the computational
performance drop load

• Data Storage ● Decentralized Technologies

• Storing vast amounts of real-time data efficiently • Blockchain networks can provide scalability and also secure
data management

• Network Bandwidth
● Network Aware Applications
• Meeting the requirements for high-resolution video streams
• Focusing on Quality of Experience (QoE) can ensure
and other data-heavy tasks
efficient resource allocation based on user needs

• Resource Management ● Human-Centric Networking

• Efficient distribution and allocation of computational • Apps that can adapt based on network conditions and
resources across the metaverse resources

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Interoperability – Challenges and Solutions
Challenges Solutions
• Lack of Universal Standards ● Development of Open Standards
• Without common standards, seamless integration across • Collaboration among developers to establish common
different virtual platforms is difficult protocols

• Diverse Development Platforms

● Shared Virtual Assets
• Each virtual world can be built using different tools, making
seamless interaction a hurdle • Creation of assets that can be used across different
platforms, increasing uniformity

• Economic Disincentives
● Economic Incentive Models
• Different platforms may not see immediate economic
benefits in creating interoperable systems • Introduce models that provide mutual benefits for all
participants in the interoperable ecosystem

• User Experience Consistency

● Self-Sovereign Identities
• Ensuring a consistent experience for users across different
platforms can be challenging • Having a common identity across various platforms can
improve the user experience

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Addressing wealth gaps and inequalities
● Wealth Disparities in the Metaverse
• Mirror of physical world's socioeconomic disparities
• Risk of users with more resources having superior experiences
• Prohibitive cost of high-end VR headsets and equipment
• Opportunities for significant wealth accumulation through digital assets which can exacerbate wealth disparities
• Advantage for those with purchasing power or early adoption creating the notion of "Prime real estate" in the
metaverse

● The Importance of Equitable Access

• Ensuring baseline quality of experience for all, offering affordable devices, subsidized connectivity, or free access
points
• Equal educational opportunities regardless of background
• Diverse cultures, backgrounds, histories should be represented. Tools and platforms for marginalized communities
need to be developed
• Designing for individuals with disabilities and ensuring full participation in digital interactions for everyone

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Predictions and trends - Social Dynamics and Ethical Considerations
● Diverse Virtual Societies
• Communities based on shared interests, transcending real-world geographical
boundaries
• Cultural festivals, events, and gatherings in virtual spaces

● Digital Identity and Reputation Systems

• Comprehensive profiles showing users' history, achievements, and behaviors
• Trustworthiness scales, influencing interactions and transactions

● Ethical Standards for Metaverse Design

• Guidelines to prevent misuse, such as cyberbullying
• Best practices for inclusive design, ensuring the metaverse is accessible to all

● Enhanced Security
• Secure, tamper-proof methods for user authentication
Fortifying the digital realm: Advanced security,
• Enhanced privacy controls and user consent mechanisms ethical design, and trust-based digital identities

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Predictions and trends - Virtual Economy, Assets and Opportunities
• Growth and Evolution of NFTs
• Increasing number of NFTs representing rights, licenses, or access to
services

• Standardization initiatives making NFTs more versatile and user-friendly

• Environmentally-friendly NFTs
• Introduction of "green" NFT platforms using proof-of-stake and other
efficient consensus mechanisms

• Virtual Real Estate

• Increasing demand for space in popular virtual worlds
• Real-world brands establishing virtual presence and storefronts

Emerging digital frontiers: Virtual employment, sustainable

• Job Opportunities in Virtual Spaces NFTs, and the expansion of digital real estate
• Roles like virtual tour guides, metaverse developers, and digital asset
designers
• Shift in traditional professions adapting to virtual environments, e.g.,
virtual architects

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Predictions and trends - Technological Progress and Interaction
● Advanced Sensory Integration
• Incorporation of taste and smell into the metaverse
• Development of brain-computer interfaces for more direct
interaction

● Ultra-realistic Graphics
• Implementation of ray-tracing and AI-enhanced visuals
• Real-time reflections and lighting for added realism

● AR-enhanced Environments
• Real-world overlays providing information, entertainment, or
interactive experiences
• Integration with wearables like AR glasses or smart clothing

● Digital Twins
Future of metaverse economies: Bridging the
• Exact digital replicas of physical assets, facilitating real-time physical and virtual domains
monitoring and decision making

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

4. Corporate Metaverses
Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Defining the corporate metaverse
● Corporate Metaverses
• Specialized type of virtual environment created and controlled by
corporations
• Represent a new frontier in customer engagement and digital marketing
• Offer a branded environment for companies to create distinctive
experiences and shape narratives

● Examples
• Horizon Worlds by Meta Horizon Worlds by Meta
• Fortnite by Epic Games
• Roblox

● Often proprietary and restricted access

• rent-centric
• closed garden models

Fortnite by Epic games

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Corporate vs. Open Metaverses (1/2)
Corporate Metaverses Open Metaverses

• Controlled Environments • Decentralized Nature

• Created and managed by a single entity (company or • Operates with minimal central control
organization)
• Governed by community or decentralized autonomous
• Control over activities, transactions, and content
organizations (DAOs)

• Specific User Experiences

• Designed to deliver experiences aligned with the brand’s • User-Generated Content
vision • Freedom for users to create and share content
• Curated user interactions for quality and engagement
• Encourages a diverse range of experiences and innovation

• Monetization Strategies
• Built-in business models for revenue generation
• Open Access and Governance
• Includes subscription services, in-world purchases, • Fewer restrictions on participation, open to all
advertising • Collective decision-making rather than a single governing
body

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Corporate vs. Open Metaverses (2/2)
Horizon Worlds by Meta Decentraland

Fortnite by Epic games The Sandbox

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Horizons Words vs. Decentraland
Horizon Worlds by Meta Decentraland
• Closed, Corporate Environment • Open, Decentralized Platform
• Operated and curated by Meta, providing a controlled user environment • Governed by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), with
decisions made by the community
• Promotes user autonomy and minimal central oversight
• Monetization of Digital Assets
• Meta charges creators approximately 47.5% on sales of digital assets
• User-Generated Economy
and experiences within Horizon Worlds
• Decentraland allows users to create, buy, and sell digital assets with full
ownership, keeping most of their sales revenue
• Investment in Virtual Spaces • Transactions occur on an open marketplace with a blockchain-based
economy, reducing central fees and promoting a creator-friendly
• Meta is heavily investing in virtual and augmented reality, positioning environment.
Horizon Worlds as an early iteration of its metaverse vision

• Empowerment of Creators
• Designed for Collaboration and Professional Use • The platform empowers creators through decentralized governance and
• Features and spaces are tailored for social interaction, gaming, and the ability to monetize their creations with greater freedom and lower
potentially professional applications. fees

• Encourages user engagement within the boundaries set by the platform • Encourages creative freedom with the ability to create and monetize a
wide range of content and experiences

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Understanding the appeal
• Enhanced Customer Engagement and Brand Loyalty • Collaboration and Innovation in a Virtual Space
• Immersive Brand Experiences: Enable brands to create • Virtual Collaboration: Corporate metaverses provide a
immersive and interactive experiences that can deepen platform for employees, partners, and customers to
customer engagement collaborate in ways that transcend physical office spaces
• Personalized Interactions: They allow for personalized • Innovation Hub: They serve as hubs for innovation, where
customer interactions at scale, which can increase brand companies can experiment with new technologies and
loyalty by making customers feel valued and understood business models in a controlled environment

• Opportunities for Unique Marketing and Branding

Strategies
• Innovative Campaigns: Offer new avenues for marketing
campaigns that are not possible in the physical world or
through traditional digital media
• Product Launches and Events: Companies can use
metaverses for virtual product launches, events, and
experiences that can reach a global audience without
geographical constraints
Adidas enters the metaverse
Source: Adidas – Into the Metaverse

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The metaverse branding journey
3. Current Shift to Immersive Metaverse Experiences

1. Transition from Simple Online ● Major Brands Step into the Metaverse:
Branding ● Adidas has ventured into the metaverse with initiatives like their
"Adidas Originals" NFT collection, which includes virtual
● Early Days: Brands had static wearables for avatars
● Nike acquired RTFKT, a virtual sneaker and collectibles brand,
websites with basic information and
signaling a strong move into the metaverse and NFT space
contact details.

2. Rise of Interactive Websites and Social Media Engagement

● Enhanced Interactivity: Websites became more interactive,

offering personalized shopping experiences, customer reviews,
and live chat support.
● Social Media Revolution: Major brands leveraged platforms like
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for marketing, engaging with
customers directly and building community.

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Nike’s leap into the metaverse
● Acquisition of RTFKT
• Nike's strategic acquisition of the virtual sneaker and collectibles brand to cement its place in
the metaverse
• Nike is positioning itself as a leader in digital innovation, using the metaverse to revolutionize
how it interacts with consumers

● Nikeland on Roblox
• A virtual space where users can play games, design avatars, and engage with the Nike brand
in new ways
• Allows Nike to tap into the burgeoning market of gamers and digital natives, expanding its
reach

● Airphoria gaming Experience in Fortnite

• Allowing players to engage with Air Max sneakers in new, captivating ways
Nike is teaming up with Fortnite to continue
building out its virtual presence adapted from
Vogue Business
● Brand Extension
• Nike is extending its brand into virtual worlds, creating a new dimension of brand presence

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Atari – A classic brand’s modern metaverse play
• Atari X Initiative • New Revenue Streams
• Consolidates Atari’s blockchain ventures under a unified umbrella • Monetizes digital assets via NFTs and virtual experiences
• Emphasizes the integration of community, gaming, and utility • Creates potential for ongoing revenue through virtual real estate

• Gaming Innovation
• Atari Sunnyvale in The Sandbox
• Introduces classic games to the Web3 framework
• Based on nine classic Atari games
• Offers immersive experiences like the Crystal Castles game
• Implementation of unique blockchain identifiers for in-game assets • Part of the Sandbox Alpha Season 3

• Partnerships
• Partnered with The Sandbox to develop and expand on virtual real estate
and gaming experiences in the metaverse
• Licensed deals such as Zed Run with Atari skins

• Strategic Importance for Atari

• Offers a fresh take on popular titles through immersive experiences
• Exploration of new digital experiences and ownership models
• Investment in virtual real estate through platforms like The Sandbox
Atari’s premium NFTs to be used in The Sandbox
Game Maker to create game experiences

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Adapting to the metaverse landscape
● Major brands are employing diverse strategies to
navigate the evolving digital realm of the metaverse

● Nike's Multifaceted Approach

• Nike is actively engaging with corporate metaverse
platforms, seeking innovative ways to connect with
customers within these controlled environments
• The acquisition of RTFKT, known for its web3 ready virtual Nike launched its own virtual world namely
sneakers and fashion items, showcases Nike's NIKELAND in Roblox
commitment to exploring various facets of the metaverse

● Atari's Open Metaverse Strategy

• Unlike Nike, Atari has initiated its metaverse journey by
aligning with open metaverse platforms like The Sandbox
• This approach allows Atari to leverage the decentralized,
user-generated nature of open metaverses, fostering a
more community-centric brand presence ATARI partnership with The Sandbox
adapted from Atari Game Jam

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Adidas’s metaverse strategy
● Early Initiatives and Digital Fashion Entry
• Began with the Adidas Originals Neighborhood in 2010
• Launched Adidas Originals NFT Collection - A line of virtual
wearables for avatars, marking Adidas's entry into the digital fashion
space

● Innovative Collaborations and Brand Expansion

• Partnered, with Otherdeed for the Otherside metaverse, showcasing
their commitment to innovative customer engagement
• Expanded into open metaverse spaces like The Sandbox, termed Adidas Originals NFT-sneakers in the
“adiVerse”
metaverse

● Engagement and Branding in New Realms

• Developed the Ozworld collection, the first personality-based
AI-generated avatar creation platform, in collaboration with Ready Adidas showcased its Virtual Gear
Player Me collection during the Metaverse
• Utilizing virtual spaces for wider reach, engaging experiences, and Fashion Week in Decentraland
enhanced customer interaction
• Strengthening Bbrand loyalty through memorable metaverse
experiences to foster community and loyalty
Sources: 1. Adidas metaverse, 2. Adidas: Into the metaverse

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The Sandbox – A platform for brand expansion
● The Sandbox's Corporate Collaborations
• The platform's innovative approach enables brands to
connect with new, digitally-native demographics
• Offers tools and spaces for brands to cultivate their own
user communities within the metaverse

● Fostering diverse strategic partnerships

• Collaborations with over 200 high-profile brands and
organizations from a variety of sectors including luxury,
sports, music, and gaming (e.g., Gucci, Adidas, Ubisoft)
• Engagements with celebrities that bring a unique draw
and exclusive content to the platform
• Brands can design and take part in immersive and McDonald’s Hong Kong launches McNuggets® Land experience
interactive events, fostering community engagement and in The Sandbox
growth
• This diverse range of industry partnerships enriches the
metaverse with a multitude of experiences
Source: 1. Companies with strategic collaboration with Sandbox

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The Sandbox - Collaborations
● Warner Music's Integration into The Sandbox ● Gucci's Presence in The Sandbox
• Leveraging Sandbox to offer virtual concerts and music • Established Gucci Vault Land within Sandbox for
events showcasing and retailing virtual fashion
• Creating digital stages where fans can enjoy performances • Hosting virtual fashion shows that feature Gucci's latest
from their favorite artists designs
• Building a dedicated space for Warner Music fans to • Offering virtual Gucci items for avatars, embracing
connect and share experiences. New levels of interaction the intersection of fashion and digital identity
between artists and their audiences • Collaborating with artists to create Gucci-inspired virtual
• Offering virtual merchandise and collectibles to enhance art galleries and installations
fan loyalty

Snoop Dog Concert in Sandbox adopted from Gucci Vault Land adapted from Gucci
The Verge

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Brands leveraging the digital universe
● Vision and Transformation ● Strategic Initiatives
• Transitioned from Facebook to Meta embracing the • Virtual goods marketplace and potential advertising
metaverse beyond social media platforms
• Meta’s mission is to connect people through a • Guidelines and tools for secure virtual interactions
collective virtual space

● Future Potential
● Core Technologies • Building the metaverse infrastructure through
• VR Oculus Quest headsets for immersive experiences connectivity, interoperability, and creator tools
• Spark AR for interactive digital overlays in the real • Establishing a creator economy along with seamless
world VR/AR experiences

● Investments and Growth

• Acquired Oculus VR, CTRL-Labs, and more for
technological edge
• Initiatives like Horizon Worlds and
Workrooms facilitate user engagement

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Brands in the metaverse

Virtual factory planning by BMW Group and

NVIDIA adopted from BMW Group

Microsoft's Enterprise Metaverse providing virtual

meetings adopted from Forkast

Gucci and Sandbox collaboration

adopted from Gucci

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Metaverse adoption and potential
● Businesses and Consumer Interaction
• Businesses creating virtual storefronts and branded spaces for new experiences
• The potential for end-to-end customer journeys and community-driven creativity

● Market Potential and Brand Engagement

• Economic forecasts for the metaverse indicate a high-value market
• Diverse sectors are engaging with the metaverse's potential
• User interactions are evolving to be more intuitive and engaging
• Projected $800 billion market by 2024
• Major players include Nvidia Omniverse, Horizon Worlds, Microsoft’s enterprise metaverse
• Luxury brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton selling NFTs on platforms such as Decentraland

● Consumer Adoption and Expectations Immersive Virtual Storefronts: Showcasing innovative

• 70% of consumers use the metaverse for escapism and new experiences business-consumer interactions in the metaverse
• A trend toward enhanced human connections and potential for improved customer service

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

5. Metaverse and AI
Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Empowering dynamic interactions and personalized experiences
• AI in Brief
• Branch of computer science that aims to create systems
capable of performing tasks that typically require human
intelligence
• Includes processes like learning, reasoning, and
self-correction

• Key AI Capabilities
• pattern recognition
• complex decision-making
• natural language processing
• enabling machines to perform tasks autonomously

• The Role of AI in Virtual Environments

• AI enhances virtual worlds with realistic, responsive AI-enhanced virtual realms: Procedural generation elevating user
Non-Player Character behaviors engagement and game longevity
• Procedural generation algorithms expand and diversify virtual
landscapes, boosting game depth and replay value

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The synergy between AI technologies and metaverse platforms
● Estimates of the Metaverse Market Value by
2030
• Citibank predicts a staggering $8 trillion market
potential.
• JP Morgan's Onyx division provides a more
conservative estimate of $1 trillion.

● AI’s Impact on Virtual Experiences

• Enhanced interactivity
• Responsive and Lifelike Virtual Worlds
• Dynamic content creation
• Intelligent Automation
AI integration is a key factor in metaverse market expansion
• Data-driven Decision-Making Using AI Tools
• Immersive Learning and Training

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
AI’s impact on virtual experiences
● Enhanced Interactivity • Intelligent Automation
• AI algorithms help users create and customize avatars • Automates complex tasks within the metaverse, such
and environments, making them truly unique as moderating content, managing ecosystems, and
• Facilitates natural language processing for improved optimizing system operations
communication with virtual assistants and bots

• Data-driven Decision-Making Using AI Tools

● Responsive and Lifelike Virtual Worlds
• Able to analyze vast amounts of data for insights on
• Creates dynamic environments that respond in
user preferences, economic trends, and system
real-time to user actions, enhancing the feeling of a
performance to inform the development of the
living world
metaverse

● Dynamic Content Creation

• AI-driven UI/UX that adapts to user preferences for
• Immersive Learning and Training
seamless interaction • Enables adaptive learning environments and
simulations, providing personalized education and
• Opens new avenues for interactive art within the
professional development experiences
metaverse, much like the work of Refik Anadol

Source: https://refikanadol.com

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Crafting immersive environments
● Generative AI
• Enables rapid creation of virtual assets through simple voice
commands
• Generative models craft unique user-centric environments, enhancing
user experience

● Immersive Workplaces
• AI-driven tools offer real-time translation and accessibility, breaking
language barriers
• Virtual work environments are augmented with AI assistants,
elevating productivity and collaboration

● AI in Art and Creativity

• Innovators leverage AI for dynamic, data-infused artistic experiences
• AI extends the realm of creative expression, allowing for AI can be leveraged to craft immersive virtual
unprecedented artistic exploration in the metaverse environments

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Breathing life into virtual entities
● Introduction to Non-Player/Playable Characters ● Evolution of NPCs
(NPCs) • In early games, NPCs were basic, with limited interaction
• NPCs are characters in games/metaverses not controlled and personality
by players • Modern NPCs are highly responsive and adaptable, with
• They usually have a major role in games, providing quests, the ability to learn and remember
guidance, and depth to the story • This evolution underlines the potential for NPCs in broader
• They play a significance role in metaverses as they applications within the metaverse
enhance realism and engagement, creating a sense of • In the future they will be indistinguishable
community from human-driven characters in complexity and
• AI Integration enables NPCs to mimic realistic interactions responsiveness
and evolve over time

Custom Mincefraft NPC (from Microsoft Learn) Metaverse NPCs in RFoxValt (from RFox)

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
AI-driven avatars for enhanced user engagement
● AI has revolutionized the capability of NPCs ● AI-Driven NPCs Enhance User Interaction
• AI-NPCs, can initiate and sustain sophisticated interactions • Engage with users to drive virtual commerce, utilizing AI to
• Can offer personalized experiences based on user understand customer needs and preferences
behavior and history • Provide real-time assistance and problem-solving, offering
a responsive support system within the virtual space
• Create an immersive social atmosphere by initiating and
● Behavioral Analysis maintaining meaningful interactions, contributing to a
vibrant community
• Utilizing advanced AI algorithms, avatars can interpret and
adapt to user preferences and needs
• They can thus provide context-aware assistance or
entertainment options

● NPC Intelligence
• The integration of AI enables NPCs to partake in
dynamic and spontaneous interactions
• This ensures that each encounter is distinctive
and enriching for the user

AI-driven NPCs: Dynamic interactions in virtual

worlds

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Tailoring the metaverse to individual preferences
● Customized User Experiences Through AI Analytics
• AI dynamically shapes narratives based on user decisions, ensuring a personalized story arc that
enhances immersion
• Personalized NPC interactions and environment adjustments based on user preferences

● AI-Driven Adaptive Narratives

• Narratives evolve with AI's predictive modeling, offering paths that resonate with individual choices
• NPCs react and storylines branch out, reflecting the impact of user decisions

● Balancing AI Creativity and User Control

• AI shapes the metaverse narrative but ensures user decisions remain central to the story progression
• The interplay between algorithmically generated content and user agency results in a co-created
universe

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Navigating the complexities of AI-driven worlds
● High-Performance Computing Needs
• Requires significant processing power for complex calculations
• Essential for real-time physics simulations to enhance realism
• Demands advanced graphics rendering for visually rich environments

● Need for a Seamless and Responsive Experience

• Ensures smooth, uninterrupted transitions between virtual scenes
• Immediate response to user input is crucial for interaction
• Maintains consistent immersion without breaking the sense of presence

● AI Challenges in Metaverse Dynamics

• Balancing between data collection for AI functionality and user privacy
Embracing diversity and security: The essence of a
• Ensuring clear user consent and opt-out options safeguarded metaverse, where a shield of protection
• Appropriate disclosure of AI roles to customers ensures the privacy, equality, and safety of all participants
• Defining enterprise accountability for AI conduct
• Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content
• Identifying points of accountability for ethical outcomes

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Alethea AI: Pioneering intelligent NFTs
• Alethea AI AI's Future in Creativity: Alethea AI is at the forefront of
• Pioneers in creating AI-driven characters from text descriptions integrating AI with art and collectibles, shaping the future of
• AI Protocol: Enables decentralized ownership within the digital ownership and interaction
Generative AI economy

• Interactive NFTs (iNFTs)

• NFTs with AI personalities that engage and evolve with user
interaction

• AI-Powered Evolution
• Machine learning enables iNFTs to learn and develop,
enhancing their value
MyCharacter.ai – Enables the generation of realistic,
interactive, and emotionally expressive AI Characters
• Smart Contract Automation that are tokenizable on the blockchain

• Smart contracts govern iNFT interactions, embedding rules and

behaviours

Source: 1. Alethea.ai

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Botto: A decentralized autonomous artist
• Botto
• Creates works of art based on collective feedback from
the community
• Represents a new paradigm in art creation, where AI
innovation meets collective human expression
• Integrates with blockchain to ensure transparency and
ownership of created artworks

• Community-Driven Art
• Artwork direction is guided by community voting, blending
AI creativity with human preference

• Token-Based Participation
• Utilizes its own token for governance, allowing token
holders to influence art decisions The Botto gallery

• AI Art Generation
• Employs AI algorithms to generate unique art pieces,
exploring the boundaries of machine creativity

Sources: 1. Botto.com

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The power of procedural content generation
● Procedural content generation uses algorithms to create • Generative Models empower the creation of detailed,
data-driven, on-the-fly content in the metaverse dynamic metaverse content
• Enables endless unique virtual worlds with minimal human input
• Enhances the scalability of content, crucial for vast metaverse
environments
• Generates assets like textures, models, and soundscapes for
immersive experiences

● AI algorithms create complex and vast virtual

landscapes
• Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) learn from a range
of topographical inputs to generate high-quality,
varied landscapes
• Generative Adversarial Networks
(GANs) develop environmental elements and textures derived
from real-world imagery for authentic experiences
• Transformers tailor experiences to individual user actions and
histories (e.g., dialogue generation for NPCs)
• Autoregressive Models predict and generate the next
sequence of the virtual world, making it feel alive and dynamic Utilizing a GAN model for user avatar generation in the metaverse
(from Beyond Reality: The Pivotal Role of Generative AI in the
Metaverse)

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Examples of games utilizing AI for world-building
● Minecraft ● Diablo Series
• Uses procedural generation for creating unique worlds • Employs procedural generation for dungeon layouts
• Allows for endless landscapes and exploration and level design
• Each game environment is algorithmically generated, • Ensures varied gameplay experiences through
ensuring a one-of-a-kind experience for every player randomly generated maps
• Procedural elements contribute to replayability and
sustained player interest

● Starfield
• Boasts a revolutionary space exploration experience
with procedurally generated planets and systems
• Promises to provide unique adventures with diverse
planetary environments and ecosystems
• Aims to set a new standard for open-world space
games through extensive use of procedural
world-building
Procedural generation is utilized to create vast worlds in
Mincecraft (from Medium)

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Dungeon Alchemist
● AI-powered map generation platform
• Utilizes artificial intelligence to craft intricate dungeons
and terrain
• Offers an expansive variety of architectural styles and
environments

● Enhanced creativity and efficiency

• Simplifies the dungeon creation process for game
masters
• Encourages customization with adaptable themes and
elements

● Interactive and dynamic gameplay Generated map demo (from Dungeon Alchemist)
• Maps respond and evolve based on player
interactions
• Ensures a unique experience for players with each
campaign

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Examples of platforms utilizing AI for world-building
● NVIDIA Omniverse
• Real-time collaboration and simulation platform
• Connects users and software to collaborate in 3D design and
simulation
Real-time collaboration
• Provides photorealistic rendering through RTX ray tracing (from NVIDIA
• Uses AI to predict and generate realistic physical behaviors Omniverse)
and material properties
• Offers AI-based animation and modeling enhancements

● Promethean AI
• AI assistant for virtual world building
• Supports artists by automating the creation of detailed
3D environments
• Uses natural language understanding to interpret Architectural Visualization
creative commands (from Promethean AI)
• Evolves with user input, learning artistic preferences and styles
• Generates assets and scenes with
context-aware recommendations

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Dynamic Environments in the Metaverse
• Role of AI in Reactive Metaverse Environments
• Customizes virtual settings in response to user habits
• Enhances areas with interactive or personalized elements based on user
presence
• Creates a living ecosystem illusion with responsive virtual wildlife

• AI-Generated Environmental Dynamics

• Weather systems change and evolve, affecting virtual world activities
• Day-night cycles influence environmental lighting and ambiance
• Environmental feedback adjusts to the number of users in an area
• Seasonal changes introduce varying landscapes and activities

• Benefits of Dynamic Environments

An AI-powered metaverse environment showcasing
• Multisensory experiences deepen user connection to the virtual world day-to-night transitions and seasonal variations to
• Environmental storytelling unfolds through non-verbal cues and interactions enhance user experience
• Non-linear experiences foster exploration and repeat engagement
• Personalized stories emerge from user-specific environmental interactions

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Ethical Landscapes in AI-Driven Virtual Worlds
• User Autonomy and Manipulation ● AI Innovation with Ethical Oversight
• AI's potential to subconsciously influence user choices • Ensuring ethical AI development alongside rapid innovation
• Ensuring AI doesn't unduly affect user autonomy • Embedding fairness, respect for autonomy, and
non-discrimination
• Risks of AI-managed avatars
• Periodic ethical audits of AI systems
• Upholding authenticity and trust in identities
• Creating responsible AI regulatory frameworks

• Data Privacy and Consent

• Ensuring transparent handling of personal data
• Protocols for clear user consent
• Ethical aspects of AI's user monitoring
• Guarding against misuse of user data

• Ethical AI and User Safety in the Metaverse

• Strong cybersecurity and data protection measures
• Proactive security against emerging threats
• AI designed with user impact in mind
• Support systems for user welfare Ethical AI: Safeguarding autonomy and welfare in the
metaverse

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
AI and User Autonomy
● Risks of over-reliance on AI for user choices and ● Ensuring user control in AI-augmented
experiences virtual scenarios
• Spread misinformation without human fact-checking • AI systems must signal when outputs are AI-generated
• Miss nuances, leading to poor decisions • Humans should make the final decisions, not AI
• Overuse of AI could diminish human critical thinking skills • Education is key for users to understand and manage AI
• Users may become overly dependent on AI, neglecting
needed oversight
● Strategies for maintaining human oversight in
AI-driven environments
• Continuously reassess the balance of AI and human roles
• Actively work against AI biases with ongoing testing and
ethics frameworks
• Develop the workforce for AI integration and collaboration
• Communicate the changes and benefits of AI integration
clearly to all stakeholders

Harmonizing human oversight with AI innovation

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
The Double-Edged Sword of AI-Powered Realism
• Psychological Impact of Hyper-realistic AI Entities
• Exploration of how AI-driven characters and environments that
mimic reality can affect human cognition and emotion
• Discussion on the potential for these entities to influence behavior,
create emotional attachments, and impact mental health

• Misinformation and Manipulation Risks

• Analysis of how hyper-realism in virtual spaces can be used to
spread misinformation or manipulate perceptions and decisions
• Strategies to identify and mitigate the spread of false narratives
within immersive environments

• Navigating the Convergence of Virtual and Real Worlds

• Consideration of the ethical and legal challenges that arise as the
boundaries between virtual experiences and the real world
become increasingly indistinct
• Development of guidelines and best practices to prepare Guardians of the virtual realm: Cybersecurity, AI, and user advocacy
individuals and societies for scenarios where virtual and physical in the metaverse
realities intersect and influence each other

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Forward-Thinking: AI's Evolution in the Metaverse
• Predicting AI's Trajectory in the Metaverse
• Analysis of current trends to forecast AI advancements
• Investigating how AI could enhance the realism and interactivity
of virtual environments, considering both opportunities and risks

• Adaptability to AI's Unforeseen Impacts

• Establishing robust strategies for a swift and effective response
to unexpected AI-driven changes in user behavior and metaverse
dynamics
• Developing flexible systems to integrate new AI capabilities
responsibly

• Ethical Frameworks for AI Evolution

• Establishing ongoing ethical review processes for AI in the
metaverse
• Development of comprehensive guidelines and ethical codes of
conduct to govern the deployment and evolution of AI within the AI in the metaverse: Navigating future challenges with ethical and
metaverse, safeguarding user interests adaptable frameworks

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Limitations and Challenges
● Code of Ethics for Interaction ● Proactive Ethical Governance
• Respect for inherent human dignity behind avatars • Adapting AI principles for the metaverse context
• Transparency and honesty in roles and identities • Multidisciplinary approaches to ethical challenges
• Prevention of harm and promotion of well-being
• Empathy and understanding towards all users ● Corporate Responsibility
• Designating roles for ethical oversight (e.g., AI
● User Protection & Standards ethics champion)
• Fostering a culture aligned with ethical AI usage
• Active measures against abuse and harassment
• Encouragement of cultural appreciation
and tolerance
• Upholding the privacy and data rights of users
• Upholding human rights and diversity
and ecosystem sustainability
• Ensuring fairness, equality, accountability, and
safety

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

6. Conclusions
Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Conclusions (1/2)
• The metaverse marks a revolutionary shift, blending digital and physical realities.
• Early MMORPGs and virtual worlds laid the foundation for what the metaverse is evolving into.
• NFTs are redefining virtual asset ownership and shaping the metaverse's economy.
• Interoperability is the cornerstone for a unified metaverse experience.
• Technical and conceptual barriers exist in the development of the Metaverse.
• The metaverse allows for a range of interactions, from social gatherings and business meetings, to
educational sessions and artistic showcases.

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Conclusions (2/2)
• The debate between corporate-controlled metaverses and open, decentralized ones, centers around user
experience, content control, and business models.
• The metaverse branding journey showcases a spectrum of strategies from tightly controlled corporate
experiences to open-world user-generated content.
• AI generates unique content and flexible narratives, shaping personalized experiences through user
interaction.
• Procedural content generation by AI provides endless, diverse virtual worlds, increasing scalability and
depth.
• Predictive models and adaptive AI technologies create lifelike, reactive virtual environments and
characters.
• Key challenges involve maintaining user control, counteracting AI bias, managing misinformation,
enhancing cybersecurity, and improving interoperability

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities

7. Further reading
Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Further Reading
Blockchain for the metaverse: A review
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2203.09738

Self-Sovereign Identity for Trust and Interoperability in the Metaverse

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.00422

What Is Otherside? Yuga Labs’ Metaverse

https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/what-is-otherside-yuga-labs-metaverse

The metaverse and generative AI make for a powerful combination

https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/research/the-metaverse-and-generative-ai-mak
e-for-a-powerful-combination

Use Case: How Adidas enters the Metaverse

https://power.xyz/gaming/story/adidas-metaverse/

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Session: The Metaverse: Foundations and Opportunities
Further Reading
Metaverse Economies: How NFTs Are Driving Virtual Commerce and Trade
https://blockchainmagazine.com/metaverse-economies-how-nfts-are-driving-virtual-commerce-and-trade/#:~:te
xt=NFTs%20are%20being%20used%20in,activities%2C%20and%20even%20make%20money

Overview: Technology Roadmap of the Future Trend of Metaverse based on IoT, Blockchain, AI
Technique, and Medical Domain Metaverse Activity
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9728808

NFTs and the Metaverse Revolution: Research Perspectives and Open Challenges
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-95108-5_6

Into the Metaverse: Technical Challenges, Social Problems, Utopian Visions, and Policy Principles
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13183222.2023.2200688

How NFTs Impact Asset Ownership?

https://www.blockchain-council.org/nft/how-nfts-impact-asset-ownership/

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Questions?
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