The evolution of the use of internet has been significant and a result the evolving technology has created a need for virtual management of work, life, business processes, machines, and equipment regardless of the geographical location of the ownership possessor. The exploration of humans in different sectors has improved their living standards which can be traced in the domain of technology from 1969 in which the first Internet used was APRANET over which the sharing of data was made easier, the speed for the internet in 1969 was up to 56 Kbps which was expected to increase to 110.4 Mbps in 2023 according to Statista. This evolution was in multiple dimensions such as the change in the version, the capacity, and access to the increasing population which currently is reported as 7.89 Billion by The World Bank and among this 90% of the population in the developed nations are active internet users.

The advancement in internet has always created a space for humans allowing them to share data, collaborate with people across nations, share services and products all over the world, and connect with people across the globe etc. In other words the evolvement of internet has shifted the functions performed by humans from physical existence to virtual existence. Currently, the evolution is taking place in the form of a collective virtual space known as Metaverse. Metaverse was a concept originated by Neal Stephenson in 1992, in his novel Snow Crash. Metaverse was a combination of two words “Meta” which means beyond and “verse” which represents universe. Metaverse can be described as an environment that merges the existence of tangible things with digital space, creating an augmented reality that enriches the experience of the user. This evolution is possible by the use of multiple technologies which include data science, big data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, Block chain, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, extended reality, Web, and other technologies. Metaverse is considered by many experts as 3 dimensional extension of Internet which include features such as shared experiences, interconnectedness, and sensory perceptions that can be accessed by users in different domains such as use of Metaverse for social purpose which include chatting, virtual engagement etc., for medical purpose where the diagnosis of the disease can be done virtually, for collaboration purpose in which avatars would be used to communicate, for education purpose in which a virtual classroom will be built to deliver lectures, and for embracing cultural diversity.

CHALLENGES:

• Metaverse being a technology that allow users to experience the physical environment in a virtual space has security issues. The attacking of the digital avatars through any means is one of the major concerns as avatars would be link between people the virtual world and would play a major role in connecting the people with the virtual world. Therefore, ensuring the safety and security of avatars would require protection through laws and regulations which might be a challenge.
• The other challenge is limited resources in the form of a sustainable management system that allows the distribution of resources among a number of large population without collapsing, the option of switching from one language to another language is also limited which is a challenge because people from different areas of the world would be using this technology. .
• The complex infrastructure of Metaverse is expected in the future that if attacked can negatively impact the economy which may require a safe environment for Metaverse to operate.

References:

• Chen, Z., et al., 2023. Open Metaverse: Issues, Evolution, and Future.
• W. Gan., et al., 2019. A survey of parallel sequential pattern mining.
• The World Bank. Total Population.
• 4- Statista. Global average fixed internet speeds 2018 to 2023.