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Some believe the "metaverse" has the power to revolutionize the digital world while others have warned it could spell grave danger for humanity. Elon Musk, however, just thinks it’s over-hyped.
In a recent interview with conservative satirical news site The Babylon Bee, the universe’s richest known being was asked about his opinion on the Metaverse, a newly revealed project by the company formerly known as Facebook that hopes to create an immersive virtual reality environment in which people can interact with others.
Musk sounded distinctly unimpressed by the idea, dismissing it as all hype and little substance.
“I’m not sure I buy into this idea of the Metaverse stuff. Sure you can put a TV on your nose. I’m not sure that makes you ‘in the metaverse,’ y' know,” 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 continued. “I think we’re far from disappearing into the Metaverse. It sounds kind of like a buzzword."
“I don't want to be like some old codger dismissing the internet in like 1995 [saying] it won't amount to anything, there's some danger of that," he noted, "but I currently am unable to see a compelling metaverse situation."
Musk touched on a number of hot topics during the lengthy podcast interview, from the planet’s environmental problems to UFOs.
Speaking about climate change, Musk said: “I’m not in the camp of super-alarmist global warming. I don’t think we’re screwed because of the current [carbon emissions].
“However, there’s so much inertia in the direction of mining and burning hydrocarbons. The world is still overwhelmingly dependent on mining and burning hydrocarbons, so if this continues and we really start driving up CO2 in the atmosphere, there’s increased risk of climate change, warming up the oceans, and raising the sea level. I think that’s probably not a wise risk to take.”
On the subject of extraterrestrial life, Musk said he hasn’t seen any real evidence just yet. However, from this idea, perhaps humanity can gain some inspiration.
“If anyone would know about evidence of aliens it would be me, and I’ve seen nothing,” he stated.
"Where are the aliens? Maybe there aren't any in this galaxy. Maybe what we have here [on Earth] is a very, very rare situation. A brief, flickering of consciousness like a little candle in a vast darkness – and we should not let that candle go out.”
