According to Mark Zuckerberg, the “metaverse” – which the founder of Meta describes as “an internet that embodies, where instead of just viewing the content – you are in it” – will radically change our lives.
Hitherto, By Meta main reverse the product is a virtual reality playground called Horizon Worlds. When Zuckerberg announced his company’s super reverse push in October 2021, popular sentiment was that it was something that no one asked for nor specifically wanted.
Many of us wonder what people are really going to do in this new online space. Last week, amid announcements of new hardware, software and business deals, Zuckerberg offered an answer: what everyone would do in the metaverse was work.
But who is this for?
What are the implications of using these new technologies in the workplace? And will it all be as rosy as what Meta promises? The future of work? At the heart of last week’s Meta Connect event was the announcement of the Quest Pro headset for virtual and augmented reality. Cost $1,499 (about Rs 1,24,000), the device has new features including the ability to track the user’s eyes and face.
The Quest Pro will also use an outward facing camera to allow users to see the real world around them (with digital add-ons).
Meta’s presentation shows this function in use for the job. It depicts a user sitting in the middle of several large virtual screens – what it previously named “Infinite Office”. As Meta’s technical director Andrew Bosworth said, “Ultimately, we think Quest might be the only screen you need.” Meta also announced it is working with Microsoft to provide virtual versions of business software such as Office and Teams. These will be integrated into the Horizon Workroom virtual office platform, which has been derided by many for its low-quality graphics and floating, legless avatars.
Microsoft’s approach
Partnerships can bring significant benefits to both companies.
Microsoft’s mixed reality headset, HoloLens, has had limited adoption. Meta dominates the augmented reality and reality market, so it makes sense for Microsoft to try to take on Meta’s efforts.
For Meta, its project was able to gain credibility due to its association with Microsoft’s long history of producing reliable business software. Partnerships with other businesses in the technology sector and beyond are a major way in which Meta seeks to realize its fusion ambitions.
Microsoft also represents an alternative approach to making a product successful. During several decades of unsuccessful attempts to sell VR technology to consumers, Microsoft has become a household name when it comes to selling to businesses and other businesses.
By focusing on the enterprise market, companies can normalize emerging technologies in society. They may not be things that consumers want to use, but things that workers are forced to use.
Recent deployments of Microsoft’s Teams software in industry and government across Australia provide models of how the metaverse could come to the office.
Advanced Bossware
While advocates of work envision a future in which technologies like AR and VR are easily incorporated into our work lives, bringing prosperity and efficiency, There are still some areas that need attention.
First, technologies like VR and AR threaten to create new forms of worker control and monitoring. The rise of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an explosion of “bossware” – software for employers to track the every move of their remote employees.
Technologies such as VR and AR – which rely on the collection and processing of vast amounts of data about users and their operating environment – can also enhance such dynamics.
Meta says such data will remain “on the device”. However, recent research shows that third-party Quest apps have been able to access and use more data than they need.
Privacy and safety
Developers are understanding and concerned about the privacy and safety implications of virtual and augmented reality devices and platforms.
In the test setting, VR data was used to track and measure biometric information about the user with a high degree of accuracy. VR data has also been used to measure things like attention.
In a future where work goes in reverse, it’s not hard to imagine how things like gaze tracking data could be used to determine the outcome of your next promotion. Or to envision workspaces where certain activities are “programmed,” such as anything deemed “inefficient,” or even things like organizing a union.
Microsoft’s 365 platform already tracks similar metrics for digital workflow – you can see your own here, if your organization subscribes. Microsoft 365’s entrance to the VR space will give it plenty of new data to be analyzed to describe your work habits.
Censorship of content and behavior in cyberspace can also be an issue, which can lead to discrimination and unfairness. So far, Meta has offered few specific protections to its users amid a growing number of claims of harassment.
Earlier this year, a report by consumer advocacy group SumOfUs found that many users in Horizon Worlds were encouraged by other users to turn off safety features, such as “personal safety bubbles”.
Likewise, the use of safety features in the workplace may be seen as antisocial, or not part of a “group”. This can have negative effects on workers who are already disadvantaged.
