PODCAST

Welcome to exchange where we discuss what’s next for intentional experience design with expert change agents. This season focuses on demystifying the Metaverse and explaining how the foundations of this emerging reality will change how we all come together. In this podcast summary, we’re visiting with change agent, Anne-Marie Enns, Executive Producer of the Immerse Global Summit, Global Events Director for the VR/AR Association and the Immerse Growth Network. Does the Metaverse exist? The lowercase “m” metaverses [miniverses] are already there. The capital “M” Metaverse, no, but it will happen. It’s a matter of how the [miniverses] roll-out, how interactive, interchangeable they are. The Metaverse players  “The key question is who’s going to do it. It’s going to be the small companies that have been working on the Metaverse for a long time, before Metaverse became a term (and large companies tried to plant their flags), that will make the Metaverse happen.”. The creator economy, it’s going to be amazing to watch what happens with it. Information will no longer be limited, consolidated In Web 2 (the current version of the Internet), information is controlled by a few large organizations and simply distributed to the masses. Web 3 levels the playing field, supporting creative ownership for everyone. You own your content and control what happens to your content. The impact of what’s created will be much greater because of expanded accessibility and freedom of creativity. Moving from consumption to experience The metaverse is based on immersive technology grounded in intentional experience design. We’ve been working in the immersive tech space for awhile, but COVID helped make things happen more quickly. Immersive technology supports an amazing sense of community. There’s something welcoming about it. It gives people a chance to interact with others and to work on projects that they otherwise wouldn’t have. Metaverse platforms support relationships, providing the ability to collaborate in immersive, intentionally designed environments. It’s easily accessible for everyone. Interactive, experience-driven spaces are replacing consumption-based, content broadcast spaces. The Metaverse supports creativity It’s enjoyable [working in the Metaverse]. For the first time, you can share in creating part of history, and it’s super fun. That’s awesome. It’s great to have the freedom and openness to try new things. Where does work/life intersect with the Metaverse?  The Metaverse has to be inspiring. There has to be a balance. You can build workspaces that have an element of fun. You have the design flexibility to do subtle things to make workspaces more personal and comfortable. When the capital “M” Metaverse is realized, what will we have gained? It’s about connection, community, and openness. The ability to be truly diverse and inclusive in what we’re doing rather than just saying so. it’s our opportunity to design for people. The best part of the Metaverse is or will be? Bringing together global communities of people in really creative, fun ways – having them work together, create together, design together, and play together. What could hold back the Metaverse from being fully realized or even derailed? People trying to control it, own it. There’s a lot of different groups trying to define the ethics, the rules and the laws. it’s already delaying it as you segment the market. What’s missing in digital communication right now that the Metaverse will add? The sense of being there, seeing people, feeling like you can touch people. Some of the experiences that are available now, you actually feel like you’re in them. The emotion is real, you get lost in it. What would it take for people to want to work, even partially, in a Metaverse setting? The environment has to be easily accessible, the navigation needs to be easy, it must be visually appealing, and it has to be inspiring. What’s a positive change that could come to the world from the adoption of the Metaverse? The digital footprint, not having as much of a physical footprint. What should people keep their eyes open for as the Metaverse matures? It’ll be fun to see what experiences and what worlds come out of unexpected places. Listen to the podcast. Guest Bio – Anne-Marie Enns Anne-Marie Enns has produced events with world-class organizations such as the VR/AR Association, NCFA, TED Conferences, Honda Celebration of Light, CANFAR, White Ribbon Campaign, and Archiact. Enns is also the Executive Producer of the Immerse Global Summit, which brings together leaders in the immersive space to create and share content on topics such as virtual and augmented reality, the metaverse, blockchain, NFT’s, AI, medical advancements, education, and enterprise. About Allseated  Backed by more than a decade of innovation, Allseated sets the standard in 3D virtual reality solutions and digital experiences for the events industry. Allseated powers virtual and hybrid events for some of the world’s leading corporations. In 2022, the company launched Meetaverse, a platform that makes it easy to build corporate metaverses. Allseated.com.

Welcome to eXchange where we discuss what’s next for intentional experience design with expert change agents. This season focuses on demystifying the Metaverse and explaining how the foundations of this emerging reality will change how we all come together. In this podcast summary, we’re visiting with change agent, Stefano Corazza, Head of Roblox Studio at Roblox and former VP, Fellow of Augmented Reality at Adobe. Does the Metaverse exist? The lowercase “m” metaverse – there are so many out there today [where platform providers have their own separate metaverses and control much of the user content and experience]. The uppercase “M” Metaverse doesn’t exist yet. The uppercase ”M” Metaverse assumes that all the lowercase “m” metaverses are interconnected, which they aren’t. So, for now it’s lowercase “m” metaverse only. There are two diverging forces. One tends to aggregate everything toward one [interoperable] uppercase “M” Metaverse. Then, there’s another breaking them down into silos [lowercase “m” metaverses with no interoperability]. They can’t talk to each other. It’s going to be a long battle, but at the end, some level of interconnection will be achieved. Who benefits the most from the interconnected Metaverse? Movement toward the Metaverse includes developing file formats for interconnectivity, pushing an extension of the current GTLF standard and avatar systems that work across multiple worlds. The big brands may push for this interconnected Metaverse. For example, a brand may want that Gucci purse to exist with total fidelity across as many metaverses as possible. The metaverse platform owners, at some point, may allow for more of that. It also depends on the overall sentiment of the people because just by visiting one metaverse versus another it is, in itself, a statement that people support more open metaverses over less open metaverses. What’s the promise of the Metaverse, what does it solve? The Metaverse, as a truly immersive interactive environment, has a mix of internet and online gaming, amazing special audio, and maps. It’s the convergence of all this into something that feels natural, although there are a few missing pieces. One of them is the ability not only to represent your digital identity, but to move your digital identity accordingly – feeling natural movement, being able to apply your facial expression to your avatar, being able to wave, do all the nonverbal communication that we do with other people. It’s going to feel really good. Implications for business It feels like the new work environment in the Metaverse may be an extension of our leisure time experiences in a way that is a bit unpredictable because those two worlds have always been very separate. Do you want to do a video conference, or do you want to play a game? The lines are getting blurred. A lot of the technology built for gaming is fantastic for real-time collaboration for work that you don’t have when you use a video conferencing tool. We’ll see a lot of the real-time collaboration infrastructure built in these metaverses. They could provide a real-world solution for work and B2B in the future, more than we expect. What is remote work missing? One thing that’s missing is the random encounter in the corridor. You don’t have it because everything is so prescripted when you’re working remotely. If there’s a way to hang out in this type of virtual world, then there’s a way to have these encounters. It would require that everyone be persistently in these platforms. What’s the next stage? Visualization and embodiment through wearable devices. Combine the viewable Metaverse with wearable technology so you can move around. I have wearable technology that I can put on, move and broadcast my facial expression in real time, but I’m stuck to a monitor. Once glasses are here and you can connect with your phone, that means you can move with a lot of freedom. The wearable device and the experience are all in the same location, and it feels much more natural. You must learn less about how to operate in the Metaverse because the real-world rules apply perfectly, one-to-one. Why is the Metaverse inevitable? It’s the natural evolution of communication. What’s the best part of what the Metaverse is or will be? The same platform that you use to hang out, you can use it to make movies. What’s missing in digital communication right now? The ability to stream everything about your body and your facial expression seamlessly. What would it take for people to want to work in the Metaverse? It needs to be fun and efficient, and I’m not sure where there yet. What’s a positive change to the world through the adoption of the Metaverse? It can bring a lot of empathy for other people. What people should be worried about with the onset of the Metaverse? Make sure you get your information from the media straight and support open standards. Listen to the podcast. Guest Bio – Stefano Corazza Stefano Corazza is very passionate about new and immersive media and animation. About Allseated Backed by more than a decade of innovation, Allseated sets the standard in 3D virtual reality solutions and digital experiences for the events industry. Allseated powers virtual and hybrid events for some of the world’s leading corporations. In 2022, the company launched Meetaverse, a platform that makes it easy to build corporate metaverses. Allseated.com.

Welcome to exchange where we discuss what’s next for intentional experience design with expert change agents. This season focuses on demystifying the Metaverse and explaining how the foundations of this emerging reality will change how we all come together. In this podcast summary, we’re visiting with change agent, Leslie Shannon, Nokia’s Head of Innovation and Trend Scouting. Does the Metaverse exist yet? Does the metaverse exist yet? Where we are with the Metaverse right now is where we were with the internet in 1993. So, yes, Metaverse exists. It’s certainly not anything like its future format. In 1993, we didn’t even really have a good search engine for the internet. It was just a bunch of unconnected webpages and email. That’s where we are on the Metaverse. There’s no connective tissue yet, but the individual areas that will one day be connected and form this grander fusion of the physical and the digital, which is really where all this is going, there’s plenty of those elements. The elements are there, what’s missing are the things that connect the elements together. Metaverse Adoption: What will it take for the masses? Well, it’s really a hardware game at the moment, the same way that you couldn’t access the Internet without a computer, the same way that you couldn’t access the Internet without a computer you can’t access the Metaverse without your laptop. Moreover, the hardware of the VR headset is critical. The hardware needs to support the virtual reality and augmented reality experience where we have that union of the physical world around us and the visual digital elements showing us the unseen, making the invisible visible for both information and entertainment. That’s the bigger play, the more important one because that’s actually where we start moving away from smartphones toward head-mounted devices that become our main computing interface. This is something that’s going to develop over the next decade of Metaverse adoption. Connectivity is key. As it evolves, the Metaverse will rely on organizations providing business-to-business networking solutions. Nokia sold its handset business, and phone business to Microsoft almost 10 years ago. Since then, Nokia has been a business-to-business network company. It creates the communications networks behind enterprises. Nokia’s interest in this is building the connectivity for this because you need fabulous connectivity to make any of this work. The next wave beyond virtual reality headset adoption, which may not actually happen, is the big game is augmented reality headset adoption. AR and VR will shade into each other. The big game is augmented reality headset adoption. AR and VR will shade into each other. The thing with virtual reality is when you put on that headset as wonderful as it is, as immersive it is, and as life changing as it can be, you’re cutting yourself off from the physical world. You are consciously taking yourself away from everything else. It’s like going to a movie theater where you have a wonderful immersive experience, but after a couple of hours, you come out again. So, this idea that we’re going to do everything in that version of the Metaverse – no. There’s a fatigue. It’s too much cutting off from everything else. What problem does the Metaverse solve? There’re all kinds of fabulous technology out there, but it doesn’t get popular unless it solves a problem. In the virtual reality version of [the Metaverse], we’re entering a world where getting on a plane and going to see people face-to-face all the time may not always be the best solution in terms of sustainability and putting carbon into the atmosphere. Meeting other people all the time in a two-dimensional screen has its limitations too, especially if you’re dealing with creative collaboration or something very sensitive where you need to see a lot of body nuance. Virtual reality meetings are much, much better than a two-dimensional meetings in Teams or Zoom. Those are excellent tools, but for collaboration, particularly in three-dimensional spaces, there is nothing better than being in a fully realized three-dimensional world, talking, working with other people’s avatars through the virtual reality headset. It catches your head inclination, even if it’s not catching the subtleties of your face and the way your hands are moving, you can get a good idea of how somebody is thinking and moving. It’s surprisingly good given that it’s only three movement points on the person’s body. The Metaverse is about experiences Studies show that, as human beings, the way that our brains work, we form memories in virtual reality in the three-dimensional space very similarly to the way that we form memories when we’re in the physical world. But if we’re looking at a two-dimensional screen, that forms a different kind of memory. Having the experience of being in VR, in terms of how your brain perceives it, is very close to being in the physical world. Why do we why do we need metaverse? Why the Metaverse is inevitable? We are always finding new ways to reach out to each other. And this is a way that we can erase time and space distances and be with each other in a way that actually has meaning. What’s the best part of what the Metaverse is or will be? Freedom to do things and freedom from things. In a digital world, everything is possible. What would it take for people to want to work in the Metaverse? We are going to need to have a hardware change. What’s a positive change to the world through the adoption of Metaverse? Better understanding of other people and cultures. Is there anything people should be worried about with the onset of the metaverse? Privacy issues. Guest Bio – Leslie Shannon 5G, augmented/virtual/mixed reality, visual analytics, next-gen gaming, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more. As Nokia’s Head of Innovation and Trend Scouting, Leslie Shannon spends her time looking at emerging technologies and how they’re going to change our lives.

Welcome to eXchange where we discuss what’s next for intentional experience design with expert change agents. This season focuses on demystifying the metaverse and explaining how the foundations of this emerging reality will change how we all come together. In this podcast summary, we’re visiting with change agent, Doug Hohulin, technology & innovation advisor in the areas of 5G/6G and XR/metaverse. Does the metaverse exist? The metaverse is: “As an engineer, I want people to forget about the technology and just have immersive, enjoyable experiences.” Does the metaverse offer meaningful experiences? Yes, you can have meaningful connections. People talk about the real and the virtual worlds, but every connection whether physical or virtual can be meaningful or unmeaningful. The question is can I use emerging technology to enhance meaningful connections. As an engineer, I want people to forget about technology and just have immersive, enjoyable experiences. What’s the equitable use of the metaverse for most people? Equitable use depends on answering the following questions: How will metaverse impact work life? “[It’s about] providing meaningful connections and relationships, bypassing any time and space, where you can connect to people anywhere around the world.” A lot of the adoption of this technology has come in the wake of COVID. Now remote work and globalization are here to stay. So, 70% of people in China use XR technology for business (B2B or B2C). In the United States, in the west, it’s only 30% for business. Why is the metaverse inevitable? Because technology is inevitable. People are investing lots of time and effort and money in the metaverse. And just like technology was inevitable in the past, it will be in the future. The best part of the metaverse will be? Providing meaningful connections and relationships, bypassing any time and space, where you can connect to people anywhere around the world. What’s missing in all digital communication right now? Connecting everyone equally. Only 5 billion people are connected to the internet. In Africa, 50% of them are using 2 or 3G technology. So, it’s equivalent to using technology 20 years ago. We’re working on making technology more equally distributed. What would it take for people to want to work in the metaverse? What’s a positive change with increased adoption of the metaverse? It will allow us to connect with people around the world so we can understand them better. People who like teachers can help people who aren’t ready for some of this technology to learn. What’s your biggest worry about what the metaverse could bring? The question is how to not become addicted and isolated from the metaverse. Are you using the metaverse to connect with others to have a more immersive experience? If at the end of the day, you’ve been using VR/metaverse technology and you haven’t had a meaningful connection with a human, you’re doing the metaverse wrong. Think about: can I have a meaningful relationship with a human and not just AI? Guest Bio – Doug Hohulin After recently retiring from Nokia after 33 years (and Motorola 22 years) in account management and business development, Doug has retired to work on immersive metaverse technology full-time. He has worked with 1G-6G, automated vehicles, telepresence, distance learning, telemedicine, and metaverse technologies. About Allseated Backed by more than a decade of innovation, Allseated sets the standard in 3D virtual reality solutions and digital experiences for the events industry. Allseated powers virtual and hybrid events for some of the world’s leading corporations. In 2022, the company launched Meetaverse, a platform that makes it easy to build corporate metaverses. Allseated.com.

Welcome to eXchange where we discuss what’s next for intentional experience design with expert change agents. This season focuses on demystifying the metaverse and explaining how the foundations of this emerging reality will change how we all come together. In this podcast summary, we’re visiting with change agent, Rabindra Ratan, Associate Professor, Department of Media and Information, Michigan State University. Does the metaverse exist? Mostly, the metaverse doesn’t exist yet. It’s as if you had said the Internet doesn’t exist yet in 1991. The Internet had existed for decades as a form of ARPANET and then opened up to the masses of early adopters. Yet, the phenomenon that was the Internet that changed dramatically the social and cultural fabric of everyday life just wasn’t there yet. That’s where we are now with the metaverse. We’ve got a bunch of early adopters, willing to spend some time in a virtual world, It’s accessible. You don’t need to be a millionaire to jump into a virtual world and hang out with thousands of people, not simultaneously yet, but you can have immersive virtual experiences. There are metaverse-like experiences in the same way as in ‘91 with America Online. The way that the Internet changed our expectations of interacting with each other is going to happen again with the metaverse. I can say meet me in this virtual world. I can assume that you can get easily from one metaverse-type experience to another in the same way as, today, we can very easily jump from one social media platform to website, to browser…. but we’re not there yet. The user experience isn’t great. The technology is getting way better and cheaper. So, that’s why we’re optimistic about the metaverse. What does the metaverse offer in its potential? There’s potential for stronger social interactions, feeling like you’re really with someone, being able to give your grandkid a drawing or a frame, and then they make some art, and they hand it back to you. Being able to sit with your colleagues and look at an object that someone has designed, see it from all angles, and critically analyze it together. Stronger social interactions drive human motivation to do other things: build families, companies, to help each other. We’ll be drawn to these spaces as individuals, as humans who want to do our human things that we do now through other media. We might be able to do it better or more immersively in the metaverse. Companies will be drawn into these spaces with the potential to influence people through advertising, direct sales of virtual items. If you need to have a meeting where you are sharing digital objects, that metaverse makes so much more sense than really any other modality. We could sit in a 3D meet space, and then look at a 2D screen together, and kind of rotate it, but you’re not getting that experience. If you’re selling 3D objects, you probably want to meet and experience those things in a three-dimensional, immersive space. It’s hard to fully understand and appreciate on a flat screen. The other piece is productivity. I have students who write research papers, they’ve got different monitors up, and you can bring other people into that space. Unlike a Zoom meeting where, when you’re trying to share similar things, we can only share one screen at a time. It just becomes so much more efficient than in a Zoom meeting or a physical meet space. Just getting everyone around a table together and having so many people look at different screens at the same time is pretty difficult. The metaverse is not as good as it’s going to be, but it’s already better for some use contexts like that, regardless of what industry you’re in, as long as you’re kind of in an information worker role. Why is the metaverse inevitable? The metaverse inevitable because we humans just can’t stop building new stuff. The technology is progressing incrementally. As we see the potential for the metaverse to emerge, we just run to it. The best part of the metaverse will be? Sharing truly connected moments. What’s missing in all digital communication right now? We need more human empathy. When we interact with people through mediated communication, we lose that sense of individual identity, our sense of self that allows us to temper some of the things we are likely to say to a stranger whose feelings we don’t care about. What would it take for people to want to work in the metaverse? We need experiences that are seamless and less fatiguing and taxing. I can put this headset on and spend an entire class period with my students. Everyone has a great time, but we are tired afterward. As augmented reality becomes easier to use and less invasive, I think it’ll be easier to work in the metaverse. What’s a positive change with increased adoption of the metaverse? Potentially, we could see an improvement in environmental degradation. If, we can truly replace business travel with metaverse technologies, then, in theory, that would reduce our carbon footprint. At the same time, you’ve got to think about net change. We’ve got to spend all these resources on facilitating the metaverse through server time and mining crypto, if we’re still doing that to support the metaverse. So, I would hope there’s a net benefit in terms of climate change. What’s your biggest worry about what the metaverse could bring? Privacy. The information the headset collects as you’re moving around, involves things related to your body, the locus of your health information. If you have something you want to keep private, the headset, or at least the company using that data to allow you to move in the metaverse, might have access to that. So, we need strong privacy protections – government-supported, HIPAA-type regulations. Listen to the podcast. Guest Bio – Rabindra (Robby) Ratan  Rabindra (Robby) Ratan is an Associate Professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State University’s Department of