Unmaking the metaverse

The ‘metaverse’ offers us a vision of next-generation connectivity. Through immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality we may finally move beyond scrolling and tapping cold, glass rectangles, and begin experiencing the internet as embodied, expressive, 3D entities.

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Unfortunately, early visions of this new frontier are being shaped by 90s dystopian fiction, and the fever-dreams of a select few Silicon Valley billionaires. If we are to envision a positive future together, this next step must be taken by a diverse community of people who can unmake the mythos of the metaverse, and design alternative futures that are inclusive and center positive human experience over stakeholder interests.

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In this talk, Verity McIntosh will introduce us to the proto-metaverse spaces proliferating now. She will shine a light on some of the ethical considerations that we can address together now as a design community, and offer some thoughts about how we might build our preferred futures by unmaking and reimagining the metaverse before anything gets set in (virtual) stone.

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