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- The metaverse will not be built overnight by a single company. We will work with policy makers, experts and industry partners to bring this project to life.
- We are announcing a $ 50 million investment in global research and program partners to ensure these products are developed responsibly.
We are developing technology rooted in human connection that brings people together. As we focus on building the next computing platform, our work on augmented and virtual reality and consumer hardware will deepen this human connection regardless of physical distance and without being tied to devices.
What is the metaverse?
The “metaverse” is a collection of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who are not in the same physical space as you. You will be able to spend time with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more. It’s not necessarily about spending more time online, it’s about saving time to do spend more online.
The metaverse is not a one-size-fits-all product that a company can build on its own. Much like the internet, the metaverse exists whether or not Facebook is there. And it won’t be built overnight. Many of these products will not be fully realized for the next 10 to 15 years. While this is frustrating for those of us keen to take the plunge, it gives us time to ask the tough questions about how they should be constructed.
How we build responsibly
We will work with experts from government, industry and academia to reflect on the issues and opportunities of the metaverse. For example, its success depends on building robust interoperability between services, so that the experiences of different companies can work together. We also need to involve the human rights and civil rights communities from the start to ensure that these technologies are designed in an inclusive and empowering manner.
Here are some key areas where we will work with others to anticipate risks and make the right choices:
- Economic opportunity: How we can give people more choice, encourage competition and maintain a thriving digital economy
- Privacy: how we can minimize the amount of data used, develop technology to enable data uses that protect privacy and give people transparency and control over their data
- Security and integrity: how we can keep people safe online and give them tools to take action or get help if they see something they are not comfortable with
- Equity and inclusion: how we can ensure that these technologies are designed in an inclusive and accessible way
Presentation of the XR programs and the research fund
There is a long way to go. But as a starting point, we are announcing the XR Program and Research Fund, a $ 50 million investment over two years in external programs and research to help us in this effort. Through this fund, we will work with industry partners, civil rights groups, governments, nonprofits and academic institutions to determine how to responsibly develop these technologies.
Here are some of our initial partners:
- We work with the Organization of American States on vocational training and skills development for students, creators and owners of small businesses.
- All over Africa, we support Africa No filter, Electric South and Misisi3D to support creators who have pushed the boundaries of digital storytelling using immersive technology through “Amplifying African Voices”.
- With Women in immersive technology, we are support women and under-represented groups in virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors in Europe.
As part of this effort, we also facilitate independent external research with institutions around the world:
We will share more partners and updates on our progress as the work continues.
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