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19 December 2023
What are our future prospects when it comes to the emergence of virtual worlds?
The European Commission’s strategic approach to Web 4.0 and virtual worlds signifies a proactive move in navigating the dynamic contours of our digital terrain. At its core, this strategy represents a comprehensive blueprint poised to encompass multifaceted dimensions pivotal in shaping the trajectory of our evolving digital ecosystem.
Having that in mind, in this episode of NOWMORE Questions, we explore the evolving role of virtual worlds in our increasingly digitalized society. We discuss their expansion beyond gaming and entertainment, their potential applications in various fields, and the overlooked risks they might pose. Additionally, we examine the infrastructure required to access these worlds and ponder their potential influence on policymaking and democratic engagement, questioning whether they’ll become mainstream or remain specialized niches.
It was an honor to converse with Mel Slater, the Coordinator of the European Metaverse Research Network, as we delved into this intriguing topic.
About Mel Slater
Mel Slater is a Distinguished Investigator at the University of Barcelona in the Department of Clinical Psychology. He was at ICREA 2006-2017. Mel is a co-Director of the Event Lab (Experimental Virtual Environments for Neuroscience and Technology). His background is computer science in the field of computer graphics and virtual reality. Mel started a VR research group at what is now Queen Mary, University of London in 1990, and joined the Department of Computer Science at UCL in 1996 where he founded the Virtual Environments and Computer Graphics group, and was Professor of Virtual Environments from 1997. His research in the UK was supported mainly by the EPSRC, and in Barcelona by the EU FP7 program and European Research Council Advanced Grants. Mel was Immersive Fellow with London’s Digital Catapult 2017 and 2018. Furthermore he is a co-Founder of Virtual Bodyworks S.L..
The European Metaverse Research Network (EMRN) is conducting interdisciplinary research into the concept and practise of the metaverse to explore the implications of this transformative technology.