Philip Rosedale, CTO of Linden Lab, is the visionary behind Second Life. He recently shared all of his predictive knowledge about the direction of the metaverse, mixed reality (MR) and artificial intelligence (AI) during an onstage conversation at Linden Lab’s headquarters. In 2020, Rosedale further underscored why it’s so important to have inclusive virtual worlds. He demonstrated AI’s ability to create avatars that are more expressive and lifelike. He called on all of us to seriously reflect on what this technology means for our privacy and our society.
Arguing with Linden Lab founder Philip Rosedale at an informal pow wow in the Lab’s San Francisco offices, we… This positive emotion from the engagement created a very favorable disposition toward Rosedale’s hospitality and visionary concepts. The panel, hosted at the Second Life headquarters, went beyond the technical developments to discuss the broader virtual reality ecosystem and its future.
Rosedale argues that today’s VR technology, particularly eye-covering headsets, can’t be used broadly. He believes a few key improvements must be made before it can really take flight.
"We have to get to equipment that doesn't cover your eyes." - Philip Rosedale
He envisions one where virtual world experiences are less isolated and intrusive.
Rosedale further discussed how AI could be used to improve experiences in the virtual world, especially in avatar creation. He suggested a day when AI could generate avatars that would be indistinguishable from users. Such avatars would be able to accurately convey subtle facial expressions and body posture.
"Improvements, maybe using AI to the avatar and to facial expressions, can create some amazing new virtual world experiences." - Philip Rosedale
Rosedale understands that many people are perfectly happy with the current virtual world offering. He’s acutely aware that it hasn’t broken into the mainstream, per se. Piecing it all together He’s convinced that with continued progress, these kinds of experiences will become possible for a much wider audience.
"It hasn't gotten to the mainstream, yet" - Philip Rosedale
He ended his speech by speaking on the drawbacks of today’s VR headsets, saying they fall short of offering a fully realistic experience.
"The current VR headsets, just they don't make it work. They're not good enough yet. It doesn't feel real." - Philip Rosedale
Rosedale warned against replacing human interaction with AI before it’s warranted. He advised that creators think critically about each technology’s ethical ramifications.
"Replacing people with AI is a very dangerous idea. We're not ready for that yet." - Philip Rosedale
He posited that AI should be focused on increasing human connection, not taking it away.
"I think that AI might be able to help people be better friends with each other." - Philip Rosedale
Rosedale’s emphasis on the importance of privacy in virtual worlds underscored its pivotal role. User agreements and guidelines “So it’s vital that we set these guidelines out clearly.”
"This is a privacy violation that is very serious." - Philip Rosedale
"That agreement around privacy is very important." - Philip Rosedale
"We need a rule for what we can share with each other." - Philip Rosedale
He lamented the growing homogenization of the planet and stressed the need to resist that forces of sameness to allow invention and artistry to thrive.
"I think also the world is becoming too simple, it's becoming too homogeneous" - Philip Rosedale
Rosedale pushed back, arguing that we need to make the societal decisions about how we use technology, and what shape it takes.
"as a society, we have to just make some decisions about" - Philip Rosedale
Rosedale’s vision for the future of virtual worlds includes more accessible, realistic, and ethical environments. He delivers encouraging news about AI’s limitless potential and reinforces the notion that privacy matters. His future-focused perspective provides valuable context for the exciting and innovative new world of the metaverse.
