Interview: Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook’s metaverse
Jul 22, 2021
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In a fascinating conversation, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, shares his ambitious vision for the metaverse, an immersive embodiment of the internet. Interviewed by Casey Newton, they tackle the challenges of governing this new digital frontier and the pressing issue of misinformation, especially in the context of COVID-19. Zuckerberg emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and economic opportunities for creators in this evolving landscape, while also discussing the need for public spaces to foster healthy virtual communities.
The Metaverse will be a hybrid environment accessible on various platforms, enabling new forms of social interaction and work opportunities.
Facebook strives to balance content moderation with promoting authoritative information, tackling misinformation, and fostering collaboration for governance in the Metaverse.
Deep dives
Vision of the Metaverse and Facebook's Role
Mark Zuckerberg discusses his vision of the Metaverse as an embodied internet where users can experience a sense of presence while interacting with others. He emphasizes that the Metaverse is not limited to virtual reality and will extend across various computing platforms like VR, PC, mobile devices, and game consoles. Facebook aims to contribute to building the Metaverse in collaboration with other companies to create a hybrid environment combining social platforms with embodied experiences.
Economic Opportunities and Job Creation
Zuckerberg envisions the Metaverse as a platform for creating new forms of work, such as designing virtual spaces, organizing events like comedy shows or concerts, and developing immersive experiences like gaming. He anticipates a thriving creator economy where individuals can generate virtual goods and content for a vast audience. Facebook's focus on augmented and virtual reality aims to enable individuals to work remotely, customize their virtual offices, and engage in new job opportunities within the Metaverse.
Content Moderation and Misinformation Challenges
Regarding content moderation and misinformation, Zuckerberg highlights Facebook's efforts to promote authoritative COVID-19 information, facilitate vaccine access, and tackle misinformation through fact-checking measures. He acknowledges the importance of balancing content removal for imminent harm versus flagged misinformation. Despite criticism, Zuckerberg asserts Facebook's positive impact on vaccine acceptance and its ongoing commitment to integrity, reflecting on the challenges faced since the 2016 election.
Interoperability and Governance in the Metaverse
Discussing the governance of the Metaverse, Zuckerberg underscores the need for interoperability to facilitate seamless user experiences across different platforms. He envisions an open and interconnected Metaverse where diverse companies collaborate on shared standards and infrastructures. Zuckerberg compares the establishment of governance norms for the Metaverse to defining protocols in the early days of the internet, emphasizing the importance of creating public spaces and fostering inclusivity in virtual environments.
Casey Newton talks with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about his vision for an embodied internet (or "the metaverse), the challenges of governing it, and gender imbalance in virtual reality today. They also discuss President Biden’s fierce criticism of Facebook’s failures in removing anti-vaccine content in the headlines.