Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the metaverse and the technologies making it possible — mixed reality, Web 3.0, AI and 5G. There’s a lot of hype around these concepts, but what really blows my mind is what happens when they all merge. Let’s explore this together!
Looking back, I remember when smartphones first became a thing. Then came widely available 3G, and suddenly, everything changed. Smartphones turned into our essential companions, combining cameras, navigation, and instant access to information.
Just the other day, it hit me — how crazy is it that with just my phone, I can travel anywhere, translate languages in real-time, pay for anything, and connect with people across the world? And that got me thinking — what’s next?
Maybe soon, I’ll be buying virtual outfits for my digital twin, sending him to an important business meeting on Zoom while I’m off on vacation. And honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day my kid asks for a virtual bike instead of a real one.
Crypto is creeping into our daily lives at an insane speed. Tesla is accepting Bitcoin, the U.S. president is launching his own meme-coin, freelancers are getting paid in crypto, and if I wanted to, I could pay my German teacher in Ethereum. Just recently, I saw a charity raise millions through NFTs — something that would’ve taken months with traditional banks. It’s all happening fast.
Then there’s mixed reality. The Meta Quest 3 is now more affordable than most gaming consoles, and over 30 million people around the world are doing mind-blowing things with it. I tried a new VR game last week, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. But it’s not just about gaming — artists are using VR to create entire digital worlds in hours. What used to take teams of professionals weeks now takes a single person a fraction of the time.
And then, you turn on the news and see the CEO of the world’s biggest corporation renaming his entire company, stepping on stage, and declaring:
“I announce the era of the Metaverse! Create! Invent! The new world awaits you.”
The AI will shake up industries, forcing businesses to retrain entire workforces which make VR/MR adoption skyrocket. Most of the university will be using MR for traning one way or another.
Conversations about avatars will become normal. People will debate which virtual outfit to wear for a business meeting, just like we discuss real-life fashion today. And with 5G making cloud computing faster and cheaper, we won’t need powerful computers anymore — just a basic device with a solid internet connection.
Big players like Meta, Apple, and Google will release sleek, affordable AR glasses that will likely replace smartphones. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in a few years, we look back at iPhones the way we see flip phones today.
With AR, the world around us will be layered with digital enhancements, creating a shared experience that millions can tap into at once.
It’s wild to think that these aren’t the ideas of sci-fi writers or tech prophets anymore. This is happening now. Today. By the second half of this decade, 5G will be as common as 4G, and with it, an entirely new digital infrastructure will emerge. The evolution of AR wearables and the rise of generative data will unlock the next iteration of the internet as we know it: the AR Cloud.
Ori Inbar, the founder of AWE, coined the term “AR Cloud.” This refers to a digital 3D replica of the real world, designed to enable seamless AR experiences across multiple devices. The AR Cloud will provide real-time data and services directly tied to users’ physical surroundings, creating an sort of digital infroamtion layer over everyday life.
Meanwhile, crypto will become ubiquitous. Grocery stores will accept it, local farmers’ markets will adopt it, and decentralized finance (DeFi) will gain more trust than traditional banks. NFTs will make a major comeback, evolving far beyond digital art to play a crucial role in copyright protection, supply chain management, smart contracts, and high-value transactions.
And here’s where things get really wild — AI-driven virtual personalities will start competing with real influencers. AI-generated celebrities could host TV shows, interact with audiences, and even build dedicated fan bases. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if entirely digital entities emerge on Web 3.0, forming their own communities, much like something out of The Matrix.
Then, of course, there’s robotics. Autonomous vehicles, self-driving deliveries, fully automated restaurants — the list goes on…
What’s truly incredible is that these ideas aren’t just the fantasies of futurists or scenes from a sci-fi movie — this is a reality that could unfold as soon as tomorrow. Many of these changes are happening right before me and you.
Just think — what other groundbreaking technologies will emerge alongside these advancements? Billion $ business done group of few teenagers, careers built entirely within virtual reality, entire digital nations with their own laws and economies, and virtual worlds where people can generate real wealth. Perhaps some will even prefer living their alternative digital lives over their physical ones. Sounds a bit crippy? But hey, progress always have two side of the coin!
One thing for me is certain: the pace of change, both in our everyday reality and in the metaverse, is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Those who recognize this shift and learn to navigate it will hold the power to shape the future.
