One more step close; Understanding the Metaverse in light of the Singularity Predictions

Background

Singularity can be summarized as the prediction that human beings and technology will
ultimately become intertwined. And while this might sound bizarre, the intended article will
address what the author views as evidence for the possibility of this eventuality. The idea here is
that persistently, there has been a bridge in the gap between human beings and technological
inventions. Examples in the recent past are avatars in games which take on the embodiment of
human beings in real life, others include sex toys, driverless cars, to mention but a few.

The work will assert then that this bracket embodies the metaverse too, a multi-billion project
brought in light in part by Facebook’s Mack Zuckerberg. In its promotion, the tech-guru
promised that the project had the potential of altering our online interactions as it sought to build
a world of its own almost independent of anything else. While Mark seems to have gone slow on
his ambitions ever since, principles only formerly applying in offline arrangements are still
expected to pioneer under the metaverse and so without a doubt, if successful it will alter our
understanding of ourselves forever thus making it a perfect case study.

In this attempt, my research will broadly handle three key areas; the singularity, the metaverse,
and finally the eminent challenges that the advent of this project is likely to pose to regulators.

Under the singularity, and the metaverse, the study will adopt a descriptive tone first highlighting
what each of the two stands for and then arguing for why it is the case that we are already
enroute towards both projects. In tackling the metaverse, I will seek to view it as an event in the
awaiting eventuality of the singularity arguing that it is the biggest development yet in that
regard.

Finally, the last section will mostly aim at helping the reader understand the challenges that the
project poses to policy making especially in regards to the regulators. The idea therein will be
that once appreciated, governments and other stakeholders can ably prepare to quell the
downside while maintaining the incredible capacity that the metaverse promises to add to the
internet as we know it.

Problem Statement

The Metaverse is yet another emerging technology that has shown that there is still room for the
integration of technology and human life. With it however, comes concerns over issues like
privacy rights of its eventual users. The research to be undertaken will gear towards finding
solutions for the said disruptions while maintaining an environment that allows the project’s
development to proceed.

Conceptual Framework

The singularity was first coined by the mathematician Vernor Vinge. The term is understood to
mean a period in time when artificial intelligence (AI) exponentially grows and then in an
explosion, supersedes human knowledge. Thinkers argue that at this point it would be
impossible for human beings to perceive the environment around them using their cognitive
senses. To be able to keep-up then, humans would have to adopt to the ways of the machine. In
other words, there will be no separation between that which is human at that point from that
which is developed by tech.

In anticipation of the singularity, there has been a deep divide between writers, movie directors
et. al about the form it will take; perhaps unsurprisingly. Just like many have chosen to adopt a
dystopian staging of this coming time i.e., make the world as it is today more admirable, an
equally significant number has painted the opposite stance instead i.e., eutopia. While Adolf
Hauxley’s Brave New World for example tells a story of a factory that deals in hatching babies
despite the fact that its owner has a child of his own acquired through sex, Neal Stephenson is
more optimistic in Snow Crash when in creating a deadly virus _the kind that appears in the
movie Matrix_ he creates the numb-shum built by Enki to counter the crisis.

Kashif Laeeq defines the metaverse as “a simulated digital environment that combines
augmented reality, virtual reality, blockchain, and social media principles.” The initial idea was
that an individual seeking to experience this realm would do so through a terminal though the
way it has played out is that a user will wear googles and earphones and through them he/she is
able to share experience with 3D representations of persons (also known as avatars) elsewhere.
This experience is enabled by lasers which are pointed to the user’s eyeballs. Like with the
singularity, scholars are torn apart on whether the invention will playout positively or it will turn
out to be destructive instead.

What has long missed in the two worlds is a linkage. If it is to eventually happen, the singularity
will go through stages. On their first appearance for example, prosthetic enhancements would
have surprised many like the metaverse does today. And like they marked a step in the
relationship between technology and human beings, the metaverse does even more. This project
will thus capitalize on this aspect highlighting both the potential and the possible pitfalls.

Methodology

(a) Objectives
i) To establish the reliability of the Metaverse project.
ii) To find out the link between the Metaverse and the Singularity.
iii) To suggest practical ways of regulating the Metaverse.
(b) Research Design

The study will mainly adopt two modes of designs i.e., reviewing and then correlational. Under
reviewing, the researcher shall look at several works previously written on the subjects of the
metaverse and then the Singularity. This will give me a firm ground in knowledge before going
on two establish their linkage. I will equally be able to assess whether the studies made in the
past on the subjects are still effective predictors of either of the two concepts.

Under correlation, I shall review whether the metaverse indeed is of any significance under the
Singularity, how much such significance there is if at all, and whether the fact of its emerging
changes any key fundamentals about the Singularity.

(c) Study site

I will take a critical look on some of the companies that are already applying concepts of the
metaverse in the real world and establish how their products are being received. Examples here
include Roblox and Epic games. I shall also hop into Facebook’s Horizon platform to see how
far the company is delivering on its promise.

(d) Sampling

The study will adopt non-probability sampling particularly the purposive technique. This applies
for both the sites to be studied as well as the persons to be interviewed. This is because the
subject of study is still emerging (the metaverse). As a result, there are few people with
considerable knowledge on the same. While there are relatively more persons engaged in the
practical aspects, very few of them are delivering any meaningful products because of the same
reason.

It is not so different when it comes to the Singularity even when it has been around for some
time. Futuristic ideas have been mostly ignored as people tend to view them as having no direct
implications on life as they know it.

The challenge here is that these few persons are often very busy. It is very difficult to have them
agree to creating time.

(e) Methods of data collection

The study will mainly adopt interviews. This is aimed at enabling the experts to express
themselves in relatively unrestricted terms. Prior the real interviewing though, questionnaires
will be sent to them to guide on the questions they should expect from me.

As for the companies, data collection will entirely be through questionnaires. The questions shall
canter around my observation and experience once I hopped into their platforms. I shall pre-test
these questionnaires on some of my colleagues with whom we share interest in tech and the law.

(f) Data analysis

The type of analysis to be adopted is qualitative. Initial analysis will be done as data is being
collected. In understanding the points of the interviewees for instance, I will ask for clarification
or that a speaker comes again on a point they have made if at all I am not completely sure of
what they meant or in case I missed it. There will then be further analysis post fieldwork and this
is how it will be conducted;

Data reduction; This will entail cutting out any information shared that does not relate to the
topic being studied.

Data organization; This will include assembling information around common themes.

Data Interpretation; This is where conclusions will be drawn. I shall equally identify patterns
and trends and as such deduce explanations from them. The task will include comparisons of
facts from different sources as well.
This might prove difficult in some instances as the data collection will be carried out
independently in all cases. Where such information remains incoherent even after several
attempts of devising ways in which it could match, the inconsistent aspect shall be either dropped
or recognized as such in my final publication.

(g) Ethics
i) The final report shall indicate the limitations of the study i.e., those shared already but
also any that will be encountered in the field.
ii) The study will take into account otherwise unexpected outcomes if they are well
backed by evidence.

References

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