Welcome to the Metaverse: Unlocking the Potential of Virtual Worlds

A clear-eyed guide to the metaverse and how this powerful technology—along with advances in spatial computing, VR, and AR—will impact our economy, our lives, and our world.

The metaverse. That term elicits a wide range of ideas and opinions. For many, it represents the next evolutionary phase of the internet—a fully immersive, digital universe where people can interact, work, and play in virtual environments. For others, it's yet another overhyped technology. So what is it, exactly? And what will its impact be?

While speculation and predictions about the metaverse are varied, one thing is clear: it is impacting the world of business as well as people's lives, and it will continue to do so in the future. The global metaverse market is predicted to be worth about $1 trillion by 2030, with over two billion users participating in some form of immersive experience.

There's a reason why companies are investing heavily in spatial computing and why platforms like Roblox are thriving. The metaverse, along with the technologies that underpin it, is still evolving, but it will eventually offer more ways for people to experience the world and each other.

In Welcome to the Metaverse, David Shrier, a world-leading futurist and the author of Welcome to AI, offers an entertaining look at the potential uses and impacts of this virtual space on business and life.

David L. Shrier is the globally recognized author of Welcome to AI and an expert on technology-driven innovation. He is a Professor of Practice, AI and Innovation, at Imperial College Business School in London; founder and cohead of the Trusted AI Alliance, a multiuniversity initiative focused on creating responsible and trustworthy AI; and Managing Director of the venture studio Visionary Future. He previously held a dual appointment at MIT and the University of Oxford. Shrier has advised public companies, private enterprise, and more than a hundred governments on fields such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and financial technology. In addition, he has launched multiple AI-based university spinouts.