Nov 13, 2021
In the terminology of technology development, the Singularity describes a transition point
where powerful technologies radically transform our reality beyond the cognition of
previous generations. Would the Metaverse lead us to the Singularity? Prof. Dr. Tang
Zhimin, director of CASPIM, explains the concept of the Metaverse and observes how the
Chinese IT giants like BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent), ByteDance and Huawei are
laying out their domain in the Metaverse (元宇宙 yuan yu zhou):
“Metaverse” was first coined in 1992 by Neal Stephenson in his science fiction “Snow
Crash”. The word “metaverse” combines the prefix “meta” (meaning “beyond”) with
“universe”. It is “beyond” the universe as we knew in the past because it is created by the
convergence of “virtually enhanced physical reality” and “physically persistent virtual
space”*
Roblox, the online game platform which pioneered the Metaverse arena, describes the
virtual space with 8 characteristics (figure1): You have to have an avatar with a virtual
identity; You can make friends with real people and socialize in the Metaverse. It has to
be “immersive,” or make you feel like you’re somewhere else and you lose your sense of
reality; It has low friction, as you can move across time and distance instantly. It has a
variety of content to support the long tail of interests people have; You should be able to
log in from anywhere, with a low-latency connection; There is a vibrant economy to
ensure that people can make a living: not only buying but also selling virtual goods and
services. And finally, there should be digital civility, so that people can come together in
safety and stability.
