Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2023 - 39

News
about
the
metaverse
feels
polarized: The aficionados and the
skeptics tend to speak the loudest. But
the center, where the critical (and curious)
mass lives and wonders, is where the
most interesting conversations arise.
If you're dwelling in this gray area, you
might have questions like: What's in the
metaverse for learning and development
(L&D)? Will the metaverse outlive other
technologies that have come and gone?
Will we really spend a significant portion
of our lives there - and how fulfilling will
that be?
If we follow the progression of the
internet from its read-only beginnings
(Web 1.0) through its read, write and
social iteration (Web 2.0), it's clear that
the rising immersive internet (Web 3.0,
home of the metaverse) is the newest
evolution. And just as we've answered
the carpe diem call to engage our team
members, clients and community on
social media, the time has come to meet
them in the metaverse.
The Recursive
Advantage
Having trouble picturing where the
metaverse is headed? You're not alone.
When a technology is new, it's
impossible to imagine how it will evolve.
What we can anticipate is that the value
of the metaverse will increase as more
people join.
As the network grows, metaverse
technology
will
evolve
through
a
recursive process, which " unearth[s]
or create[s] new user behaviors " and
innovations - just as social networks,
streaming services and mobile apps
evolved from our earliest web-surfing
behaviors.
Recursiveness creates a powerful
advantage
for
organizations - and
their L&D partners. We don't need to be
passive spectators as the metaverse's
landscape, governance and purpose
emerge. This is our moment to jump in
and build the foundations of a metaverse
that aligns with values that matter to us.
Life in the
Metaverse
The metaverse has much in common
with real life: It's " a shared, computergenerated
world where people socialize,
work, and play, " writes David Chalmers
in his book, " Reality+: Virtual Worlds
and the Problems of Philosophy. " In
that (often 3D) virtual space, we have a
first-person " sensation of 'being there,' "
or a sense of presence, writes Jeremy
Bailenson in his book, " Experience on
Demand: What Virtual Reality Is, How It
Works, and What It Can Do. "
We experience that sense of presence
thanks to a consistent avatar through
which we move, explore and interact
in the metaverse. Our avatar might be
realistic, stylized or completely fanciful.
For example, a futuristic robot, a
mythical creature or even a crustacean.
Avatars offer benefits for inclusion
as well, leveling the playing field for
individuals living with different bodies
and abilities. Technology strategist
Mark van Rijmemam characterizes this
opportunity as a " Cambrian explosion
of identity. "
Organizations and brands also have
consistent digital spaces, or digital twins,
that duplicate or enhance their physical
buildings. Major brands such as Gucci,
Adidas, and Hyundai have created digital
twins - as well as exciting experiences -
in the metaverse. But organizations in a
wide range of industries can benefit from
the real-time state modeling digital twins
offer. Digital twins allow us to prototype
and test before implementing real-world
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - SPRING 2023 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
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https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/innovation/building-trust-and-delivering-value-in-metaverse.html https://www.investopedia.com/web-20-web-30-5208698 https://www.investopedia.com/web-20-web-30-5208698 https://www.thedigitalspeaker.com/metaverse-change-what-means-be-human/ https://www.thedigitalspeaker.com/metaverse-change-what-means-be-human/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/11/30/gucci-enters-the-metaverse/?sh=436b38b81d66 https://vcmike.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/metcalfe-social-networks/ https://news.adidas.com/originals/into-the-metaverse--how-we-got-here-and-where-we-are-headed/s/6ccb61cb-2135-453e-8626-ac3d56faab30 https://www.motortrend.com/events/hyundai-metaverse-merges-real-digital-worlds-one-robotics https://theconversation.com/what-are-digital-twins-a-pair-of-computer-modeling-experts-explain-181829?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Global%20Economy%20%20Business%202022%2006%2008&utm_content=Global%20Economy%20%20Business%202022%2006%2008+CID_eba7f97aed1e5dab713fbe668f77049a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_global&utm_term=What%20are%20digital%20twins%20A%20pair%20of%20computer%20modeling%20experts%20explain https://vcmike.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/metcalfe-social-networks/ https://theconversation.com/what-are-digital-twins-a-pair-of-computer-modeling-experts-explain-181829?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Global%20Economy%20%20Business%202022%2006%2008&utm_content=Global%20Economy%20%20Business%202022%2006%2008+CID_eba7f97aed1e5dab713fbe668f77049a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_global&utm_term=What%20are%20digital%20twins%20A%20pair%20of%20computer%20modeling%20experts%20explain https://boardleadership.kpmg.us/relevant-topics/articles/2023/the-metavers-is-arriving.html https://boardleadership.kpmg.us/relevant-topics/articles/2023/the-metavers-is-arriving.html https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/innovation/building-trust-and-delivering-value-in-metaverse.html https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2023

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