Since the emergence of the Internet in the 1990s, cyberspace has kept developing. We have made various computer-mediated virtual environments including social networks, video conferencing, virtual 3D worlds (e.g., VR Chat), augmented reality applications (e.g., Pokemon Go), and NonFungible Token Games (e.g., Upland). Such virtual environments, albeit non-perpetual and unconnected, have acknowledged various degrees of digital transformation. The term ‘metaverse’ has been developed to further facilitate the digital transformation in every aspect of our physical lives. At the core of the metaverse stands the vision of an immersive Internet as a gigantic, unified, persistent, and shared realm. While the metaverse may seem futuristic, catalyzed by emerging technologies such as Extended Reality, 5G, and Artificial Intelligence, the digital transformation of our cyberspace is not far away.
What is the importance of metaverse for us?
Metaverse is characterized as an expansive virtual space where users can interact with 3D digital objects and virtual avatars in a complex manner that mimics the real world. This makes the metaverse the other side of the real world we currently have, but one thing appears to be certain: The metaverse would be an immersive next-generation version of the internet, likely rendered by virtual or augmented reality technology.
According to a report by Bloomberg Intelligence, the metaverse environment has such excellent economic prospects that it is expected to reach 800 billion by the middle of this decade, and by 2030 expected to multiply to 2.5 trillion. Looking at these numbers, it is clear why the big technology companies see the metaverse as the future of technology.
Role of AI in metaverse
It's mesmerizing for us to think about how companies may leverage the metaverse as a customer support channel. Consider how mobile phones have evolved as the go-to medium for customer care. If big tech experts are correct about the metaverse being the successor to mobile, customer service might become virtual-first, which fuels the need for Conversational AI.
1. Bridging the gap between virtual and reality
If previously we were familiar with virtual assistants whom we could only meet through computer screens or cell phones, the existence of the metaverse does not rule out the possibility of conversational AI transforming into AI-driven virtual characters that can be used to populate virtual immersive worlds.
These Conversational AI-powered avatars would be able to engage with many of the modalities that people utilize, such as facial expressions, body language, emotions, and physical interactions, in addition to speaking.
2. The Future of digital interaction
At present, a lot of organizations use sophisticated chatbots and virtual assistants to assist their users by performing various tasks such as making restaurant reservations, booking hotels, handling complaints, etc. The metaverse would also need virtual customer service – but with these virtual characters, users can engage in open-ended conversation, seek advice from, crack a joke or even make you laugh in return.
Metaverse is not totally here, but a piece of it is already here
We expect interaction, emotional engagement, and personality in our digital environments – on websites and apps. When businesses give it, whether in the metaverse tomorrow or online nowadays, the results can be seen across the customer journey.
The metaverse is the next evolution of digital interaction, and conversational AI will bring it to life by powering human-like avatars as well as by humanizing artificial objects, enabling meaningful and natural conversations in multiple modalities.
However, the implementation of the future of digital interaction certainly takes a long time. With the conversational AI technology that we offer, your company can digitize customer service starting from today. As is our vision to leverage AI as a way to Humanize the Interaction between people and technology.
