The possibilities related to virtual reality seem endless. Especially for Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Meta, who evoked, during an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, the possibility of dialogue with his deceased loved ones through the metaverse, stressing all the same that it was a complex issue, according to Insider.
During this interview, which was held in the metaverse, Zuckerberg elaborated on a new technology used by Meta to scan users' faces to create 3D virtual models. He was then asked about the possibilities of this technology being used to speak with deceased relatives. While acknowledging that the project was "complex", the Meta boss thought that there was "probably some balance" and logic in this idea.
Potentially unhealthy
Beyond the reproduction of the face (Meta has already developed ultra-realistic avatars), the artificial intelligence developed by the American company could make it possible to dialogue with the missing person. "If someone has lost a loved one and is grieving, it might be helpful to interact with that person or relive some memories," Zuckerberg said, while acknowledging that it could become unhealthy. "I'm not an expert on the subject, so I think we should study this and understand it in more detail," the billionaire said.
Quest 3, Meta's new mixed reality headset (virtual and augmented) will be sold from $ 500, for delivery from October 10. With its new devices that make it possible to perform virtual experiences without cutting itself off from reality, Meta hopes to encourage more developers to create applications in the metaverse, and more consumers to discover these parallel universes.
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In late 2021, during the pandemic, Facebook became Meta with the idea of becoming a metaverse company, described by Mark Zuckerberg as the future of the internet, after the web and mobile. But the Californian group went through a difficult year 2022, marked by the first decline in its advertising revenue since its IPO in 2012. And Facebook lost users, before regaining some.
The company, which had never launched a redundancy plan in its 20 years of existence, laid off more than 20,000 people between November and March. Reality Labs, the arm responsible for developing devices and applications for the metaverse, lost $13.7 billion in 2022, and Meta expects a further hefty addition in 2024.