Why Governments can’t miss the bus on Metaverse?
If you thought Metaverse is a rage only with the megacorps, brands and their users, you have missed the action on the other side of the fence. Whom am I hinting at? The governments? Then, you stare with gaping wonder and pop this query- what have governments got to do with the Metaverse? True, the government is a stakeholder. As a regulator or a facilitator? There, we are belittling the role. What if I claim governments can be a disruptor too and major investors in building Metaverse platforms?
For the still incredulous reader, I’ll cite what happened in South Korea lately. The government in this technology-first nation has earmarked $117.1 million for the Metaverse. South Korea, known for producing tech disruptors like Samsung, LG and Hyundai, is keen to jumpstart its Metaverse industry as part of its Digital New Deal. The metropolitan government in Seoul is already building a Metaverse platform which will spend $3.14 million in providing virtual public services to citizens. In India, the Telangana Government has unveiled its Space Tech framework with ISRO on PartyNite, the Metaverse platform created by Gamitronics.
How Metaverse can be crucial for public services
The Metaverse contagion is catching up with other nations too. The US military has developed a Metaverse platform to enable fighter pilots to practice dogfighting against virtual opponents, including Chinese and Russian warplanes. Indonesia is already taking steps to embrace Metaverse technology. Anies Baswedan, Jakarta’s Governor, established a strategic partnership with WIR Group, Southeast Asia’s leading provider of augmented-reality technology. By using a Metaverse platform, the partnership aims to support Jakarta’s Smart City vision. Shanghai also released its five-year Metaverse development plan, including Metaverse usage in public services and business offices.
All the examples quoted above show why governments anywhere can’t ignore the Metaverse. In fact, governments are keen to leverage the potential of the Metaverse to upgrade the efficiency and quality of public services and improve collaboration between local and national government agencies.
Metaverse has the potential to make available seamless and frictionless citizen services and applications through digital avatars available 24x7 anywhere and everywhere. Also, it can enable enhanced communication and engagement between the Government and its people. For governments, Metaverse has applications beyond citizen engagement too, it can build public-private synergy. To corroborate, the World Economic Forum (WEF) recently announced that it is building a ‘Global Collaboration Village’, positioning it as the virtual future of public-private cooperation in collaboration with Accenture and Microsoft.
Minding the tech, budget and energy mandate
Any government needs to reinforce its tech capabilities to make a success out of Metaverse projects. Metaverse is underpinned by multiple cutting-edge technologies like AR/VR, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twins, 3D modelling and 5G. Governments need to upskill their workforce in the use of such niche tech applications and forge partnerships with enterprises that excel in their deployment. Besides, the upfront costs of onboarding the blockbuster technologies can be exorbitant, and this calls for national and local governments to set aside significant outlays in their Budgets, taking cues from what South Korea has already done. The next worrying factor is navigating the energy challenge. Metaverse platforms need enormous energy to operate seamlessly. A viable option could be tapping hydrogen fuel to generate electricity. It is cheaper as opposed to wind and solar and does not stack up emissions.
Think Metaverse not as a game but as a game changer
As a secure and bankable infrastructure for citizen services, Metaverse offers the leap of faith to transform governance. Predicated on blockchain technology, it presents an opportunity for governments to improve their transparency and accountability. The future opportunities of Metaverse are bristling with promises galore. And governments need to take Metaverse seriously since it offers novel ways to generate employment, impart education, deliver healthcare and map urban planning. With Metaverse, governments can blur the surreal with the real. What seems elusive will be tangible once this Extended Reality universe matures and evolves fully. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications of UAE, has got it right in this succinct quote — “The Metaverse could serve as a type of bridge that, until very recently, would have been difficult to grasp”. That bridge is now a work in progress, with a promise to take governments and the governed afar.
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