They have also raised legitimate concerns over Meta exercising control over a virtually limitless internet landscape without solving its existing problems first. The technologist is not the only one feeling uneasy about the aforementioned aspect, as numerous stakeholders that have been developing metaverse experiences have also called out Meta for hijacking the whole discourse with its announcements. That is because augmented reality will fundamentally change all aspects of society and not necessarily in a good way,” Rosenberg writes, while also expressing concern over powerful platform providers controlling the metaverse infrastructure.
Writing for Big Think, Rosenberg notes that the XR-heavy metaverse will blend the real and virtual in such a way that it is likely to alter the very sense of reality for people. Related: Meta Wants Disney-Level Safety For Its Ambitious Metaverse Augmented reality pioneer Rosenberg is no different. Cash-rich names like Nvidi, Microsoft, and Epic have already thrown their hats in the ring. However, experts are also wary of the metaverse’s negative impact, especially when it comes to harassment in a more immersive environment. Of course, the company knows that serving as a gatekeeper for ‘Internet 2.0’ won’t really spur excitement, especially with its not-so-stellar track record. Meta plans to pour billions of dollars into building its metaverse, something it says must be a collaborative effort. Ever since Mark Zuckerberg revealed a grand metaverse plan, the tech industry has been abuzz with visions of a more immersive internet where AR and VR take center stage, with its very own digital economy and all kinds of experiences from work meetings to concerts and games.
Louis Rosenberg - the prolific inventor behind the world's first functional augmented reality system - thinks that the metaverse is going to be a terrifying change that has the potential to distort reality and dramatically affect how users perceive things in their real lives.