Elon Musk continues to act as one of the more controversial big tech personalities. And certainly, that isn’t changing anytime soon given his recent call out of the metaverse.
Yep, Elon Musk seems to think this metaverse hype is a load of crap. Well, not in those words.
Musk prefaced his scathing metaverse commentary by noting he might be “too old” to grasp metaverse tech. Musk turned 50 last June, I’m not sure he’s living in an elderly home just yet. Point is, that comment feels more patronizing or condescending of youth than anything else.
“Am I like one of those people who was dismissing the internet [in] ‘95 as some fad or something that’s never going to amount to anything?” He said. But he also wants us to understand that in the mid-1990s, he felt confident in the Internet.
But when it comes to the metaverse, a virtual reality technology touted by many prominent tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg, Musk isn’t down with it.
“Sure you can put a TV on your nose. I’m not sure that makes you ‘in the metaverse,’” he said. “I don’t see someone strapping a frigging screen to their face all day and not wanting to ever leave. That seems — no way.” He later added: “I currently am unable to see a compelling metaverse situation.”
Here’s the short of this: Musk just doesn’t see any use for the metaverse. At least, not enough to warrant this hype. In some ways, it feels as though Musk is saying that the metaverse will become an improved virtual reality ecosystem. People really appreciate virtual reality, but they aren’t sitting on it all day long.
Musk’s criticisms certainly contradict that of Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse promises. And he’s the first big tech executive to outright shout down the metaverse. But he’s also Elon Musk, inflater of random cryptocurrencies. Both Apple and Microsoft are forging foward with their own metaverse domination ambitions.
Is Elon Right? Is the metaverse overhyped?
That’s certainly a possibility.
The metaverse is the future of virtual reality, that’s hardly contested, but it may not be the future of the Internet in general. There are many people who believe that the metaverse’s virtual experience will replace visiting websites online. That’s a bold prediction and directly relates to Web3 concepts.
So while Musk’s sentiments might feel a bit haterade, he might not be entirely off-base. Then again, Musk has a habit of saying just about anything for some publicity.