Interview Questions for William Webb, the Chief Technology Officer at Access Partnership:
Firing up the Metaverse Policy Lab
We had a chat with William Webb, CTO at Access Partnership, a tech policy firm stationed in the heart of London. He fill us in on the company's Metaverse Policy Lab, decoding the metaverse, the importance of interoperability, and the role of governments and civil society in supporting metaverse infrastructure.
Chat with Patrick Grady: How was Access Partnership's Metaverse Policy Lab born, and where do you envision it heading?
William Webb: As a company, we've been tackling metaverse-related issues. Gathering internally to discuss these matters seemed a natural move. We started inviting external speakers for insights, then opened it up further. To our delight, we've had great participation in all our events, hence our plan to keep it going strong. In the recent season, we focused on four main topics, next up, topics left unexplored, such as financial payment systems in the metaverse. We'll see where it takes us while it's still valuable.
Grady: In layman's terms, how do you define the metaverse? And to what extent does it currently exist?
Webb: I've got my own definition, but it may not be entirely useful. For me, it's similar to the vision of folks like Matthew Ball – a virtual world that's immersive, persistent (just like the real world), and open to unlimited participation. However, the metaverse aficionados dislike this comparison. Second Life, for example, achieved a persistent and virtually unlimited virtual world but fell short on immersion (most users didn't use VR headsets).
Most people today classify anything involving virtual or augmented reality as the metaverse, disregarding whether it's a limited world. For instance, a surgeon using a VR headset may qualify, but then again, you don't want others partaking! This is being termed as the metaverse now due to an increasing number of VR applications. If we stick to the purest definition, we still seem far from the actual metaverse. Real-world limitations like the number of people that can interact in a single environment persist.
Grady: What's the role of governments and civil society in supporting metaverse infrastructure?
Webb: Some metaverse champions insist on incredibly high bandwidth, super-low latency, and edge computing for its realization. However, my belief is that a lot can be achieved already, as I speak with a pair of VR headsets and a standard fiber setup, and it works just fine! High bandwidth requirements might indeed be a specific circumstance, but it's not necessary.
Our national infrastructures would need significant upgrades, but it's uncertain if these investments are essential. History has shown us that cheap and ubiquitous technologies can still become popular even without super high-end infrastructure.
Grady: Previously, you implied that interoperability is not crucial for the metaverse. Why so?
Webb: It's always nice to have, but I find it less critical. I can't think of a gaming platform where people have been dissuaded because they couldn't transfer their in-game items to another platform. If a game is intriguing, people will play it. Some annoyance may arise, but it's generally tolerable. Standardization often restrains innovation, but at this stage, we need more innovation than standardization in the metaverse.
Grady: In the past, you've predicted new AR/VR entertainment forms would struggle to find widespread acceptance. What hurdles do you foresee?
Webb: This prediction applies to headsets demanding direct wear. Humans generally aren't fond of sticking things in front of their eyes – 3D TVs suffered a similar fate. VR headsets have made progress but have a long way to go before reaching the masses. People simply don't like them. A compelling app could attract users, but considerable challenges remain, even if headsets become more comfortable and experiences become more gripping. The fundamental challenge of getting people to don AR/VR headsets in the first place might be years away from resolution.
- William Webb, Access Partnership's CTO, mentioned that the company's Metaverse Policy Lab has focused on topics like financial payment systems in the metaverse for the recent season.
- In discussing the metaverse, Webb pointed out that while most people today classify anything involving virtual or augmented reality as the metaverse, the purest definition might not be entirely achieved yet due to real-world limitations.
- During the conversation, Webb expressed his belief that a lot can be achieved in supporting metaverse infrastructure without requiring super-high bandwidth and super-low latency that some metaverse champions insist on.
- When asked about the importance of interoperability in the metaverse, Webb suggested that it is less critical compared to the need for innovation, adding that standardization often restrains innovation in this field.
