This House Would Live In The Metaverse
From Club Penguin and Facebook algorithms one day, to NFTs and VR headsets the next, we are currently living in an age of breakneck digital transformation. In this transformative age, the once niche idea of a metaverse is becoming our new meeting space. As a virtual world in which one can own digital assets, ranging from sneakers to a beach house on Mars, the metaverse raises important questions concerning data and privacy. Advertisers in the metaverse can track users’ emotional state, facial expressions, and even heartbeat. Despite this, some believe that the metaverse will connect people, countries, and communities. It has been argued that an immersive metaverse will substantially increase accessibility, equality, and inclusivity, compared with the Zoom meetings which have become the new normal post-pandemic. Is this a future we should welcome with open arms? Will the metaverse be a decentralised heaven or centralised tyranny?
Proposition
Jim Ryan
President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Under his supervision, the company launched Playstation technical specs and VR controllers.
Mark Penn
Entrepreneur, pollster, political strategist, and author. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Stagwell Inc and has previously served as Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer.
Mati Kochavi
Chairman and owner of AGT International. He has previously founded several other technology companies including 3iMind and Vocativ.
Opposition
Professor Sylvie Delacroix
Professor in Law and Ethics at the University of Birmingham, with a particular interest in Machine Ethics and Agency. She co-Chairs the Data Trust Initiative, which helps people choose how their personal data is used.
Margi Murphy
Journalist who has written extensively on technology and science topics for many news outlets, including Bloomberg and Techworld.
Mike Butcher
Editor-at-Large of TechCrunch. He has co-founded successful startups including TechHub, which provides a global community for tech entrepreneurs.