The Metaverse has brought us a lot of innovations. Just when we thought that blockchain, DeFi, DAOs, and P2E could be all the features we would receive, immortality entered the queue. Yes, it might sound like some Sci-Fi concept, but Metaverse could step into a realm of immortals.
Now, what does that mean? Artur Sychov, the founder of Somnium Space, is ready to take the technology to the next level. The CEO of Somnium Space has shared a heart-touching story about his father and how his children might never get to meet their grandfather. This has inspired an idea to explore the Metaverse’s possibility for digital immortality.
The Leverage Of AR/VR
Many things today feel like they are from Sci-Fi. If you travel 10-20 years back in time and tell people about the tech we have today, they won’t believe you. As human beings, we keep striving for excellence and have also achieved a lot of impossible feats.
Another prominent example is AR/VR. It is rapidly becoming the everyday ‘norm.’ You probably can’t even recall the hype when it was first introduced.
AR/VR can make you feel like you’re in a different world by stimulating your senses. At first, it was just a sense of balance and visual perception. Now, companies are working on adding other feelings like suffocation, pain, and more.
The Resurrection Of Legends
Over the years, either through video games, animation, or some other media source, we have attempted to resurrect famous personalities. These include JFK, Michael Jackson, and The Notorious B.I.G. Not just the dead, but we have tried to copy the living in various gaming universes and animation.
Reportedly, there are hologram programs, and metaverse innovations in the process of resurrecting these legends. How is it possible?
It’s All Data
Let’s return to Somnium Space and Sychov’s ambitions. They plan on expanding into the Metaverse, utilizing blockchain capabilities, and producing digital replicas of the people that are dead.
Ultimately, you could meet people that have long passed. It is primarily available for families looking to resurrect their dead and interact with them in the digital world through AR/VR possibilities.
To make this innovation come true, Somnium Space is working on data collection.
- The data collected will copy the way of speech, gestures, walking, and other aspects.
- It will entirely replace a person’s personality and appearance in the virtual world.
- In the future, the possibilities of evolution for these digital entities exist.
- Evolution will give it a more of a life-like feeling. As if our departed have never left us, just shifted to a virtual world.
- Digital personalities will change with experience, among other things.
Of course, the evolution and personality improvements are further into the future. For now, Somnium Space is attempting to work on the baseline experience.
In the project, they will attempt to use AI and data to provide an experience. An experience where people can meet their loved ones that have passed away. The attempt will provide as real experience as possible without feeling robotic or AI-driven.
The Potential Challenges For Somnium Space
When asked about Data Privacy, Artus Sychov didn’t back down. He admitted that the data would be used deeply in the project. That’s an integral part of the AI-generated digital people that aren’t alive.
Of course, the data collection will begin while people are still available. It will only be for the people that volunteer, the families that would want this.
Shedding more light on data privacy, Sychov highlighted the dangerous elements of Facebook, now known as Meta. That collects dangerous amounts of data. However, drawing out the difference, Sychov stated that Somnium Space doesn’t plan on selling any kind of data to third parties.
The data collected by Somnium Space will be decentralized and aimed to produce the digital persona. That’s about it.
Either way, data privacy, and other correlating regulations will challenge Somnium Space.
The Lack Of Tech Stimulation
Another challenge for Somnium Space would be to utilize the tech. Currently, we are relatively limited in the VR/AR world. They will work on various sensory stimulation and encompass an ‘organic’ environment as possible.
The current technology is limited, but that might not be the case long.
The Bottom Line – Immortality Is The End Goal
.The ethical aspects of the project could easily be put under question. But if we look beyond these debates, Somnium Space is working towards something incredible. It could potentially open the realms of possibilities where people can attain immortality through digital versions and more.
Almost like the famous series, Altered Carbon, and more. We are looking at a new frontier that is all possible with Metaverse. We can only speculate on the other possibilities.
Sychov also pointed out that the objective isn’t to generate profit and sell NFTs as much as it is about achieving their goals of helping people meet their loved ones forever.
