The development of the internet, particularly the World Wide Web, is currently hitting its limitsboth technically and socio-culturally, as well as economically. A new internet is promised as a solution, one that aims to overcome the boundaries between the real and the virtual world, merging reality and digitalitythe metaverse. Technical, semantic, and organizational details are closely intertwined in this context.

But what does this mean upon closer examination? What technical and technological challenges must be overcome to achieve such a merging? What economic opportunities ariseand which ones may be precluded? How can we ensure that an open and universally accessible metaverse is created? And how can we prevent a few large providers from imposing their proprietary ideas in this new metaverse? This book aims to provide answers to these questions.

Critical Engagement with the Topic of the Metaverse Highlights the Present and Future of the Metaverse Discusses How the Merging of Physical and Digital Space Can Be Achieved

Autorentext

Dr. Peter Hoffmann, on one hand a professor of business informatics and on the other a passionate Media Computer Scientist, has been exploring for over 20 years the questions of what "digital media" and "virtual worlds" actually are and how users can interact with them.

Inhalt

Metaverse?.- Where from ... where to ... or: what is it anyway?.- The merging of worlds and ... verses.- Another dimension: Economic merging.- What cannot be omitted: Critique.- The real vision.- Now is the time to build!.- Addendum 1 - Because it is so current: Artificial Intelligence in the Metaverse?.- Addendum 2 Almost Even More Current: Is the Hype Already Over?.