By
Andy Watson
April 26th, 2024
As the metaverse becomes popular, ex-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates believes that the feature will host most office meetings in the near future.
According to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, the metaverse will host most office meetings within the next three years. Gates, who was the world’s richest individual throughout much of the ’90s and 2000s, made this assertion on his personal blog. As he put it:
“Within the next two or three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids…to the metaverse, a 3D space with digital avatars. The idea is that you will eventually use your avatar to meet with people in a virtual space that replicates the feeling of being in an actual room with them.”
Gates stated that the coronavirus pandemic revolutionized how people interacted with one another – both for business and pleasure. An endless number of people spent a chunk of their productive hours in front of computer screens. According to Gates, that is only the beginning. “These changes will only intensify in the coming years,” said the billionaire.
An increasing number of companies, having experienced the flexibility of working virtually, now continue to make it the mainstay of their productive hours. However, Gates also added that although telecommuting improves the ease (and removes obstacles) with which humans interact, it may also have its shortcomings. Prominent among these is the loss of ‘spontaneous’ interaction between colleagues at a business meeting. In Gates’ words:
“In your living room you’re not exactly going to have an unplanned conversation with a colleague about your last meeting.”
Gates also revealed that Microsoft is working on creating 3D avatars and other metaverse paraphernalia for its Teams workplace software. Furthermore, the business communication platform is reportedly collaborating with Meta to integrate the latter’s business social network with Teams.
Bill Gates Says the Foundation Blocks Are Still Being Laid For the Metaverse
Gates, who exited Microsoft’s board in 2020, acknowledged that it might be a while before the virtual workplace metaverse becomes widespread. He especially noted that adopting it would invariably come down to the willingness of those in the workplace. In addition, the metaverse itself is still in its formative phase. Also, the required tech in accessing it, including VR headsets, are still substantially expensive.
Microsoft Leads Funding Round for Palm NFT Studio
Through its venture capital firm M12, Microsoft recently led an early-stage $27 million funding round of Palm NFT Studio, a crypto startup. Participating investors included Griffin Gaming Partners, RRE, Third Kind Venture Capital, Sfermion, and Warner Brothers.
According to Palm’s spokesperson, the generated funds will go into expanding business operations, especially in recruiting new staff. Palm is looking to leverage the explosive growth of non-fungible tokens in the crypto industry. This has led to the rise of other NFT-centric establishments and seen the phenomenon seep into sports and entertainment. What drives NFTs at the moment is the scarcity and uniqueness they provide for their owners. However, Palm’s CEO Dan Heyman suggests that NFTs will eventually segue from a place of exclusiveness to community building.