Makers of The Metaverse: Adobe’s Chris Duffey On The Future Of The VR, AR & Mixed Reality Industries

The Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality & Mixed Reality Industries are so exciting. What is coming around the corner? How will these improve our lives? What are the concerns we should keep an eye out for? Aside from entertainment, how can VR or AR help work or other parts of life? To address this, we had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Duffey.

Chris Duffey is recognized globally as a foremost authority on the design of digital experiences utilizing AI and metaverse cutting-edge technology. He is a preeminent strategic futurist and a leading expert in identifying growth prospects for brands, organizations, and society through the use of technology and creativity. Duffey spearheads Adobe’s Creative Cloud strategic development partnerships. He is the author of the award-winning book Superhuman Innovation which was the world’s first book co-written by AI about AI. He has also penned the forthcoming book Decoding the Metaverse: Expand Your Business Using Web3.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory and how you grew up?

I am Chris Duffey, a digital theorist who aims at transcending time and space. I was raised in a multicultural household, with an Irish father and a Mexican mother. From a young age, I have been intrigued by the blending of seemingly disparate elements, such as the convergence of art and science, creativity and technology, and more recently, the integration of right-brain and left-brain thinking to merge physical and digital realities within the metaverse.

My focus is on identifying growth prospects for brands, organizations, and society through a lens that prioritizes diversity, equity, purpose-driven values, and ethical use of technology and creativity. I specialize in product and business opportunities with the metaverse, Web3, blockchain technology, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), decentralized finance (DeFi), cryptocurrencies, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), generative artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and virtual worlds.

Is there a particular book, film, or podcast that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

My father, a literacy and comprehension expert who worked with urban bilingual students, instilled in me a passion for reading and writing. Even though I started my career as a product and marketing designer, books in general represent a rare opportunity to affect positive change and shape a future that is inclusive, diverse, and equitable. By reflecting on our collective history and striving toward unity and happiness, I believe books can serve as a powerful clarion call to create a brighter world.

Is there a particular story that inspired you to pursue a career in the X Reality industry? We’d love to hear it.

In 2013, my attention was directed toward the field of digital health, and I was honored to receive an invitation to participate in the beta program for Google Glass. The objective was to utilize the device’s form factor for a healthcare application. Working with my team, we utilized Augmented Reality (AR) to demonstrate the mechanism of action of a novel and innovative oncology therapy. It was through this process that I witnessed firsthand the potential of immersive technologies to generate impactful and meaningful experiences.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this fascinating career?

I had the privilege of collaborating with Ms. Kim Kardashian and delivering a keynote presentation together at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Our topic of discussion was the future of real-time mobile gaming as a stepping-stone toward the metaverse. The keynote generated millions of impressions and received widespread media coverage, including coverage from Access Hollywood, Extra, OK Magazine, Hello, People, Daily Mail, and Euro News. This was a captivating project that significantly contributed to elevating gaming to the forefront of popular culture and the metaverse.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I am pleased to announce the upcoming publication of my latest work, Decoding the Metaverse set to launch on February 28th in the US and Canada. The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive guide for individuals, businesses, and society to navigate the complexities and opportunities of the metaverse. The book offers a clear roadmap for entry into the metaverse and begins by exploring the evolution of the internet and the development of Web3, leading to the creation of immersive digital technology. The book then delves into the fundamental building blocks of the metaverse, offering a valuable resource for those seeking to understand this transformative technology.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. The VR, AR and MR industries seem so exciting right now. What are the 3 things in particular that most excite you about the industry? Can you explain or give an example?

The physical and digital realms are converging to form the metaverse, which is being crafted from the ground up to provide unparalleled shared experiences. This virtual environment harnesses advanced technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) machine learning, and more, drawing inspiration from social media, entertainment, gaming, and e-commerce to foster virtual communities. The creation of the metaverse is a continuous process, as seen in its early stages in VR gaming and AR applications across various industries such as manufacturing, retail, medicine, and forensics. Similar to the evolution of the internet, the metaverse is an ever-evolving concept.

Immersive Meetings

The widespread adoption of virtual meetings has led to individuals connecting with others via mobile devices or desktop computers. Initially, these meetings lacked the nuances of human interaction, presenting information in a limited and structured manner due to the constraints of screen space and bandwidth. Despite these efforts, virtual meetings can still be draining as participants are limited to staring at screens instead of engaging in face-to-face interaction.

In a more immersive setting, virtual meetings could be transformed into lively gatherings that more closely resemble physical interactions. Participants would be able to see each other in full 3D and interact with each other, including the ability to hear speech, observe reactions, and even shake hands. This would all occur within a virtual world, creating a more engaging and inviting atmosphere.

Immersive Healthcare

The applications of the metaverse are not limited to leisure activities such as vacations, advanced conferencing, and gaming. Its capabilities extend to the medical field as well. Medical professionals will be able to use the metaverse to perform intricate surgeries by gaining a virtual perspective within the patient’s body. This, combined with the technology of robotic microsurgery, will result in a new era of medical breakthroughs. The precision of diagnoses and treatments will greatly improve. For example, exploratory surgeries will no longer be conducted through random tissue removal. Instead, doctors will be able to navigate a simulation of the patient’s organs and make any necessary corrections with greater accuracy.

Immersive Manufacturing

The impact of the metaverse on manufacturing is equally revolutionary. The possibilities include fully automated factories capable of producing complex machinery. These factories will be equipped with IoT sensors placed throughout the floor, enabling technicians to monitor the performance of each robot and machine. Additionally, the metaverse holds tremendous potential for the aviation industry. In the event of an aircraft experiencing technical difficulties, IoT sensors will allow air traffic control to observe and comprehend the experiences of the pilots and passengers in real time or during post-incident investigations.

What are the 3 things that concern you about the VR, AR and MR industries? Can you explain? What can be done to address those concerns?

The utilization of digital technology has become a crucial component for the success of modern society on numerous fronts. VR/AR/MR and the metaverse introduce an unprecedented next level of opportunities and uses. Businesses, governments, and individuals will be further empowered as the metaverse expands globally. Similar to the internet, the metaverse raises ethical questions regarding its impact on individuals and society. Therefore, the metaverse must be designed to promote collaboration, connect people, and enhance the quality of life.

In addition to the metaverse, supporting technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Big Data, also have significant implications for society. It is crucial to implement these technologies in a positive manner that improves people’s lives and contributes to the betterment of society.

Ultimately, the most beneficial use of the metaverse is to leverage its potential to improve society and individual freedom within ethical boundaries. The technology must align with the values and principles that are in the best interest of society. Three of the pressing issues going forward are:

User Authentication
Currently, user authentication involves establishing an account that requires a registered email address, password, and either a two-factor code or biometric verification. Platforms usually request personal information such as age, but this data is not validated. Upon successful account creation, users can perform actions such as reading, posting, editing, and connecting with other participants on the platform.

To enhance the authentication process, it may be necessary to require users to prove their identity through a third-party entity that is not affiliated with the platform. The following are the proposed levels of authentication:

• No authentication: This is the current method utilized, which allows anyone to create an account, regardless of whether it is genuine or not.
• Captcha verification: To deter bots, a captcha challenge can be added, requiring users to prove they are human. However, this may not prevent the creation of multiple spam accounts.
• One-time identity verification: Users must prove their identity through a third-party entity during account creation and are only allowed to create one account. The information is not stored by the platform.
• Third-party stored information: The third-party entity stores the verified information.
• Real name authentication: All users must authenticate and post using their real name.

Special considerations must be made for individuals living in repressive countries or whistleblowers to protect their identities.

Age Restrictions and Age-Appropriate Design

Individuals are typically able to publish a variety of content on digital platforms, as well as in the metaverse. However, certain digital media platforms may limit the posting of certain subjects, such as explicit material and inaccurate information. Despite the challenge and resources required to monitor and ensure compliance with these restrictions through examination of images, videos, and other media, most digital platforms currently rely on self-reported user age without proper verification. To prevent minors from accessing age-sensitive content, it is imperative to establish a validating method for user age through the use of a trusted process for authentication purposes.

Platform Accountability and Transparency

Given the widespread utilization of digital platforms by the general populace globally, these platforms must maintain transparency in their operations and are held accountable as we head into a more immersive metaverse. To this end, the Platform Accountability and Transparency Act enables independent researchers to request access to platform information by submitting proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Additionally, the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2022 was enacted to augment the regulatory authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to monitor and regulate the effects of algorithms utilized by the private sector.

I think the entertainment aspects of VR, AR and MR are apparent. Can you share with our readers how these industries can help us at work?

The field of gaming offers a glimpse into what VR, AR and MR (metaverse) could resemble. Its extensive utilization of web- and cloud-based immersive experiences make it an ideal use case for the metaverse. Many games make use of the available computing power on clients, such as mobile devices or gaming consoles, by outsourcing complex functions to cloud-based infrastructures. The metaverse has the potential to adopt several established practices from the thriving gaming industry, resulting in an elevated level of immersion and features.

For many individuals, gaming serves as their first exposure to virtual worlds, with several concepts of the metaverse having roots in gaming. Players create avatars to represent themselves or a character in the gaming world, allowing them to interact with the game and other players and serve as their point-of-view during gameplay. Despite earlier games being heavily scripted, new versions permit players to engage in unscripted ways.

Gamers attach great significance to their digital identity or persona within the gaming world. They personalize their presentation to other players by customizing their avatars, which reflect their personality and social standing. As people spend more time in gaming worlds, they develop connections with other players, increasing the importance of their digital identity.

Are there other ways that VR, AR and MR can improve our lives? Can you explain?

As a demonstration of the capability of VR, AR and MR to create immersive experiences, a study published in Nature Scientific Reports describes a VR experience called Isness-D. The experience allows groups of four to five users to experience a sense of transcendence. The study found that by gathering in the same virtual space, the participants experienced “energetic coalescence,” which led to overlapping virtual bodies and a feeling of deep connectedness and reduced ego. This self-transcendent experience dissolved the participants’ self-definition and blurred the lines between themselves, others, and their environment, leading to a sense of unity. The designer of Isness-D, David Glowicki, drew inspiration from quantum mechanics, where the distinction between matter and energy becomes vague. The study involved 75 participants and measured their emotional responses, finding a strong intensity of positive emotions. This provides us with an early indication of how immersive VR and AR experiences will be.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about working in your industry? Can you explain what you mean?

The advent of more immersive experiences in the metaverse marks the impending realization of the greatest expansion of societal and business potential ever seen in human history. The impact of the metaverse on the business landscape will be profound, requiring a radical shift in thinking and approach. Business growth in this new era will not hinge on exploiting customers’ time and attention for financial gain, but rather on valuing and rewarding it.

• It’s no longer about centralized authority; it’s about decentralization.
• It’s no longer about giving up ownership; it’s about self-ownership.
• It’s no longer about a singular economy; it’s about a shared economy.
• It’s no longer about giving up control; it’s about autonomy.
• It’s no longer about isolation; it’s about interoperability.
• It’s no longer about insecurity; it’s about security.
• It’s no longer about separation; it’s about a shared economy.
• It’s no longer about one-dimensional experiences; it’s about immersive experiences.

The metaverse will enable individuals to unleash their creative potential and unleash their imagination. The emergence of the metaverse marks the beginning of a new era.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The VR, AR or MR Industries?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

The Institute for the Future (IFTF) has declared that 85 percent of the occupations that will exist in 2030 have yet to be invented. Given this prediction, it is widely believed that critical thinking and creativity will be among the highly valued skills in the future. With this in mind, I would offer the following five key factors for success in the future:

Asset Composability: The ability to do more with less, which in turn, can lead to more rapid and compounding innovation. For example, an asset is composable if its existing resources can be used as building blocks and programmed into higher-order applications.

Imaginative Sustainability: A main driver of ways to co-exist with the world, environmentally, economically and socially. Creating a circular economy to develop new growth strategies for products, marketing and experiences.

Persistent Utility: A customer-first methodology to consistently provide service and value at every touchpoint. Creating a flywheel-of-value to catalyze business growth.

Creative Agility: An organizational mindset both technically and creatively to ideate, execute and deploy experiences dynamically based on changing marketplace pivots.

New Realities: Leveraging the rise of the metaverse, Web3 and 3D immersive worlds, which lets users interact with new realities through VR, AR, MR, XR, and powered experiences.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

As we transition from the Information Age to the Age of Creativity in the metaverse, our choices will have a profound impact on our future. Hence, if we cede control to others, we risk losing our ability to shape the lives we desire. The only sustainable response to technological disruption is to try and lead it.

When designed with intention, the metaverse has the potential to be a world of empowerment, encompassing areas such as gender, social, educational, economic, political, psychological, physical, and individual empowerment. The metaverse puts individuals in the driver’s seat of their destiny and serves as a call to action for businesses to acknowledge that it is not about placing brands at the center of the universe, but rather putting people first.

Rather than viewing the metaverse as just a virtual reality, it may be more accurate and certainly more exciting to consider it as a new reality in and of itself. As the metaverse becomes a reality, we will all have the power to explore this new dimension as empowered travelers, much like the prophecy in Led Zeppelin’s song “Kashmir”: “I’m a traveler of both time and space.”

Looking forward to seeing you all in the metaverse!

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

I hold high regard for Lex Fridman, who is a distinguished research scientist at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mr. Fridman is renowned for his work in the areas of autonomous vehicles, deep learning, and human-centered artificial intelligence. Additionally, he is well known for his podcast, which features comprehensive interviews with leading experts in fields such as technology, science, and philosophy. I appreciate his unique blend of scientific knowledge, philosophical insight, and inquisitive nature.

Thank you so much for these excellent stories and insights. We wish you continued success in your great work!

Thank you!