Earlier this year, NEOM, the futuristic city taking shape in Saudi Arabia, announced a “cognitive digital twin metaverse.” This is a first of its kind digital twin that will enable visitors to explore NEOM, both physically and virtually, as an avatar or hologram.
More excitingly, it will allow visitors to interact with the construction of virtual buildings by perfecting their design, making them more sustainable, or simply purchasing them — influencing their counterparts in the real world.
This is an example of the promise of the metaverse — a place that breaks the barrier between imagination and reality. At its best, the metaverse could be an economic equaliser that creates new opportunities and uplifts communities, helping us use our limited resources to benefit more people.
The metaverse is not just a buzzword or a catchphrase for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technology. It is the next chapter of the internet. The metaverse breaks down physical barriers.
It can make you feel like you are right there with another person or in another place. It’s hard to fully grasp what the metaverse will be a decade from now as we are still in its “dial-up internet” stage. But the vision of what it could be is crystal clear.
Opening doors
To start with, the metaverse opens multiple doors for society. Imagine if everyone had access to the greatest business models or the brightest minds. Imagine power shifting from the few to the many through streamlined communications.
These are lofty ideals but the potential societal benefits, particularly in education and healthcare, are real and tangible — from helping medical students practice surgical techniques to bringing school lessons to life in exciting new ways. For instance, the metaverse could help aspiring surgeons learn specialised surgical techniques through VR before they ever operate on a real patient.
