The document discusses the hype and potential of virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and the metaverse. It begins by outlining the hype cycle for these technologies and compares their development to previous technologies and concepts. It then discusses five principles for developing VR, AI, and the metaverse, focusing on user consent, equitable payment for creators, and prioritizing user safety. The document argues that building technologies based on these principles can help realize the positive potential of VR and AI while avoiding some of the negative outcomes often associated with their development.

1. Avi Bar-Zeev, Founder & President www.xrguild.org & www.realityprime.com
Hype or Hero
Separating Bullshit from Reality for XR, AI, and The Metaverse
No Generative AI was used or harmed
in the making of this presentation

2. Source: Avi Bar-Zeev / RealityPrime™
The XR / Metaverse / AI Hype Cycle
The Future of Work
The Future of Information
The Next Internet
2021
Facebook
Rebrands
2022-23
Wal*Mart
Metaverse
1992
Snow Crash
2008
Second Life
2022
NFTs
~2025
Interoperability &
Standards
Metaverse
Cyberspace
Next Name
Virtual Reality
Information
Superhighway
Arti
fi
cial
Intelligence
1960s-1980
Ussing, Gibson
The Future of Everything
Above/Below the Radar
linkedin

3. The Year as Memes
Bubbles Bursting = Bad Air in :: Bad Air out
Meta
Execs
AI
Metaverse
Hype
Metaverse
Hype
Metaverse
Investors
First Law of Hype:
Hype is like Bad Air
Once In
fl
ated, Hype Bubbles
can only be De
fl
ated
Catastrophically

4. Move Over Metaverse
AI is the New Hotness

5. (Menlo Park, CA) The company formerly known as Facebook, that
bought the name Meta from an XR startup two years ago, is rebranding
yet again to reflect their renewed focus on AI.
BREAKING NEWS
BREAKING NEWS UPDATE:
Metaio was another early AR+ML company, acquired by Apple in 2015.
The company will now be called Meta-AI-O or more simply Metaio.

6. Status Report
Hey Avi-Bot, what’s the story with AI?
Sure thing! As a Large Language Model, I love talking about AI…
advertising
• AI Ads will make money by persuading
manipulating you!
AB
꩜
• Generative AI lets people create with the power of a billion creators!
➡ No more work! Just kidding! AI doesn’t work unless people
fi
rst create
• We’re moving from Social Media to Personal / Conversational Media
➡ For example: bad training data can make existing inequalities even worse
• AI changes work forever!
➡ Ask: when does a given AI work for you or against you? Who is paying for it?
• AI is a tool. Worry less about evil AI agendas and more about lazy or greedy humans…
➡ A billion creators are not being paid for this. Can AI help?

7. “Computer, make my imagination real…
Using context and a little creative iteration…”

8. Separate “Verses” and “Purses”
• Contextual Discovery Engine —
fi
nds the most relevant content (anonymously)
• Personal AI Shield — keeps private data safe and defends from external world
• Holographic Telepresence — merges some of your context with some other’s
World
Data
Verses
AR is Mostly Personal and Contextual
AI
AI
AI
Avi Bar-Zeev / RealityPrime™
Personal
Data
Purses

9. XR is the Interface for AI
(both build & manage Context)

10. Is AI Coming for Your Job?
WTFY?
Second Law of Hype:
(“Force and Reaction”)
Fear Moves Masses
(e.g., FOMO, FUD, FOA)

11. AI is Made of People—it’s People!
Soylent Green or Amalgamated Human Intelligence?
AI
Model
Human Prompt
Machine Learning
Human
Creators

12. Advertisers Advertisers
Our Perception of Digital Advertising
You

13. Future of Ads+AI+Personal Data
$39995
Only One Left
Your
Family
Friends
Attention
Behaviors
Preferences
Weaknesses
Memories
Emotions
Desires
You
Your
Mom
Your
Dad
BF Sis
GF
Cat

14. Regulate AI
Even the “AI” Companies say:
Like Nuclear Power, Medicine & Genetic Engineering
(ooops oligopolies)

15. It must work only for the benefit of each
person and with their informed consent
Principle 1
Transparency isn’t enough
When people are confused or overwhelmed

16. Creators should be able to make a living
in a thriving ecosystem
Principle 2

17. Those who benefit the most from a
thriving ecosystem should pay for it
Principle 3

18. Challenge AI Companies to Solve This
The Distributed Authorship Graph: Who Inspired & Remixed

19. Arti
fi
cial Intelligence
Hype
AI is a misnomer for Machine Learning
ML is nothing without the training data
Most “AI” startups have nothing unique
It’s a YAGR (Yet Another Gold Rush)
Hero
AI is great at re-mixing human work
Will lower XR content gen costs 100x
Will help humans communicate + collab
Brings us Contextual+Personal XR+AI
Hype vs. Hero

20. Metaverse Rex

21. Chief Metaverse O
ffi
cer’s Report
Sept 2022 March 2023 Today
Third
Law of Hype:
Reality Always
Wins
It’s a BIG day for
Walmart, Roblox,
WalmartLand

22. To Metaverse-AI-Bullshit Experts
Please STOP — You’re Hurting People
• Journalists, investors and the public are disappointed and confused
• Big layo
ff
s at big companies due to wrong, broken, disproved ideas
• Great XR startups—with working products—have trouble raising money
Third
Law of Hype:
Reality Always
Wins
• What we need instead is consistent, honest, patient education
• Be open about the
fl
aws, timelines and di
ffi
culty of building new platforms

23. Companies are still spending over $10B/year on XR…

24. XR is the Next Big Interface
Since
1968
A tale of
two visions
The Mother of All Demos
2D Windows, Mouse, Hypertext
The Ultimate Display
Transparent AR, 6DOF input, 3D worlds

25. All Successful Interfaces
Input: Minimum Effort/Mistakes for Maximum Gain
Output: Clarity & Utility Matter Most
(even more than mobility)
Follow similar patterns

26. Awkward, Slow, Tiring, Distracting, Anti-Social
All Unsuccessful Interfaces
Follow similar anti-patterns

27. Needs to be Easy, Natural, Private, Better-than-before & Pro-Social
GGV: [eye]Gaze + [micro]Gesture + [sub]Vocalization
New Interfaces must be Proven Safe, Effective & Universal
Video Credit: Pillantas & Botond Bognár

28. The Metaverse
A spatial and shared digital
universe in which “everyone
sees the same stu
ff
in the
same place at the same time”
Consensual Reality
Personal and private spaces,
or interfaces to any reality,
shared only with consent
and appropriate context
FaceTime/Zoom, IM, (most) Meetings,
(most) Games, Home, O
ffi
ce, or just
sitting together in a Co
ff
ee Shop
—Neal Stephenson
vs
Avi Bar-Zeev / RealityPrime™
Virtual Planets, Cities, Malls, Stadiums

29. Global Reality
People can hurt each other
Authority exists to keep us safe
and regulate public concerns
Big decisions about:
Libertarian ⟺ Authoritarian
Individualist ⟺ Collectivist
Local Reality
Communities of known people,
reforming or expelling* bad actors
We evolved with social dynamics
We invest in these groups
The rules are much clearer
*some abusers need stronger measures
Law, Police, Punishment Social Accountability
Avi Bar-Zeev / RealityPrime™
vs

30. Who may Feel Unsafe and Why
Safety = Consent, Respect, Equity & Trust
• Women
• People of Color
• People with Disabilities
• People born Elsewhere
• Religious/Ethnic Minorities
• Children
• LBGTQ+
• Even the Richest
• Objecti
fi
cation & Harassment
• Bullying & Abuse
• Suppression & Erasure
• Prejudice & Discrimination
• Financial or Political Exploitation
• Loss of Mental Autonomy
• Government Oppression

31. Safety is non-negotiable
Principle 4

32. The Metaverse will
Behave like Society
(As long as humans are involved)
Less physical risk is o
ff
set by
less accountability + new harms
All Moderation is Policing (esp. AI)
(see Libertarian⟺Authoritarian spectrum)

33. Why is Consensual Reality Safer?
(nothing is 100% safe)
Start with trusted groups and
mutually accepted rules
Everyone makes more of an
investment to risk & lose
Misunderstandings may still happen
Mediation is still needed
We must still address “bubbles” of
isolation, as part of social life

34. You can’t trust technology to
Solve anti-social behavior
Principle 5
Anti-social problems require pro-social solutions

35. XR and The Metaverse
Hype vs. Hero
Hype:
Few people want to spend time in unsafe environments (10/10/10 rule)
Marketers continue to push brand-first & money-first instead of user-first
Companies are still shipping unsafe UX+HW, bad ergonomics, empty promises
Hero:
Consensual Reality is the most safe and useful interface to any reality
XR Education, Training, Wellness, Games and Design are strong exemplars
Contextual AI+XR Personal Agents (within 5 years & only safe w/regulation)

36. Wrap-up And Takeaways
Three Laws of Hype
1: Once in
fl
ated, hype bubbles can only be de
fl
ated catastrophically
2: Fear moves masses
3: Reality always wins
Five Principles for XR and AI
1: Works only for the bene
fi
t of each person and with their informed consent
2: Creators should be able to make a living in a thriving ecosystem
3: Those who bene
fi
t the most from a thriving ecosystem should pay for it
4: Safety is non-negotiable
5: You can’t trust technology to solve anti-social human behavior
XR is the Interface for AI
(both build & manage Context)
to follow

37. The Printing Press
A Revolution in Rights
First Instances:
Invented: 800s China
Movable Type: 1000, China
Guttenberg: 1450, Germany
Copyright:
First law: 1710, Britain
Author’s moral rights + publisher rights +
purchaser’s rights + government roles
The Printing Press Inspired New Laws to Protect Creators