Responsible Metavers
An exceptional collaboration between Simplon.co, the Simplon Foundation, Agefiph and over 30 committed players has resulted in the presentation of the fruit of a year's work dedicated to immersive technologies. A White Paper entitled "For more responsible immersive technologies, uses and experiences".
Towards more responsible immersive technologies, uses and experiences
An exceptional collaboration between Simplon.co, the Simplon Foundation, Agefiph and over 30 committed players has resulted in the presentation of the fruit of a year's work dedicated to immersive technologies. A White Paper entitled "For more responsible immersive technologies, uses and experiences".
This unprecedented initiative, involving major partners such as Microsoft, Meta, Cisco and many others, aims to explore the uses and issues surrounding immersive technologies, particularly metaverses. The resulting White Paper has been submitted to the French Minister for Digital Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, and to the rapporteurs of the Metavers Report.
Over the past year, these organisations have been working together to identify problems, list existing solutions and sketch out a more responsible future for immersive technologies. The White Paper, coordinated by the Simplon Foundation and Agefiph, takes a detailed look at the emerging world of metavers and immersive technologies. Acknowledging the preliminary phase of metavers, marked by divergent opinions, this document is intended as a joint initiative to anticipate the challenges and sustainability of these technologies on a global scale. It seeks to avoid utopian and dystopian extremes, preferring a "protopian" approach that embraces the diversity of immersive experiences, whether connected or autonomous, persistent or ephemeral, with or without blockchain. It also highlights the potential economic importance of immersive technologies, which could add up to €105 billion to France's GDP each year, and reach €489 billion in the EU by 2035.
At the heart of this White Paper, an egalitarian approach ensures that every contributor, whether a freelancer or a major corporation, has an equal voice. While it aspires to exhaustiveness, it recognises that it cannot cover every aspect of the subject, thus encouraging further research in the area.
The main conclusions of the white paper
- Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility: The White Paper highlights the crucial importance of diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the development of immersive worlds. Despite the risk of reinforcing stereotypes, these technologies offer immense potential for encouraging empathy and celebrating differences through immersion and avatars. Immersive worlds have already demonstrated their ability to combat prejudice and promote diversity, particularly in education. However, the cost of virtual reality equipment still limits access, particularly for disadvantaged groups.
- Physical and mental health: Immersive technologies, including virtual reality, have therapeutic benefits, but they also carry physical and mental health risks, affecting almost half of all users. Symptoms such as cyberkinetosis and physical side-effects have been reported. The White Paper stresses the need for cautious use, particularly for young and vulnerable people.
- Ecology, Climate and Biodiversity: Although immersive technologies have a significant environmental impact, they offer alternatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing physical travel through telepresence. In addition, they can be a valuable tool for education on climate change and biodiversity. Despite these benefits, recycling, reconditioning and awareness-raising measures are needed to minimise the carbon footprint of these technologies.
- Governance, law and regulation: Immersive worlds raise specific legal and ethical challenges, including personal data management and harassment. Although safe zones and self-regulatory initiatives have emerged, more structured governance and regulatory adjustments are needed to ensure a safe and fair user experience.
The White Paper, the result of an egalitarian and collaborative approach, addresses key themes such as diversity, inclusion, health, ecology and governance.
Frédéric Bardeau, Chairman of Simplon.co and the Simplon Foundation, underlines the importance of this initiative: "It's precisely because metaverses don't yet exist and immersive technologies are still finding their uses and their place in the digital ecosystem that we need to work on the issues of responsibility and sustainability that concern them. After that, it will be too late."
Download the white paper (in French)
