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Opportunities in the metaverse powered by AI: human capital development
T
he Metaverse offers unique opportunities to advance
As things change, many believe the Metaverse will offer all
education and collaboration. In doing so, it can foster the
kinds of new opportunities for a more sustainable economy
development of human capital, which is a crucial aspect
which balances growth and environmental impact. This will
of economic growth. And by providing easier access to
see reduced reliance on traditional industries and business
a diverse range of resources, it can enhance learning,
practices which are known to harm the environment.
promote international exchanges, address inequalities, and help to bridge the digital divide.
Instead, economic activities will increasingly shift to the virtual realm, lessening the demand for physical resources
Moreover, with the integration of AI-powered tools, which
and leading to a significant reduction in the associated
support language translation and personalised needs, there
carbon footprint.
is great potential to add new dimensions to the overall learning experience. As a result, individuals from many
Such a transition aligns with the concept of “green growth”,
different backgrounds will be able to play an active part in
with its emphasis on the importance of sustainable
ongoing academic discourse and become directly involved
development and initiatives which protect, rather than
in the acquisition and transfer of knowledge.
compromise, the environment.
For universities and other institutions of higher education,
This philosophy entails promoting resource optimisation,
the challenge is to leverage the Metaverse to create
lower consumption, and less waste. And, to that end,
immersive learning experiences. The chance now exists to
greater use of the Metaverse can certainly contribute to the
transcend the limitations of traditional classroom settings.
creation of a more circular, eco-friendly economy.
So, the goal must be to offer more engaging, effective, and personalised forms of education, with a view to developing
Therefore, policymakers and businesses should make it
a future workforce with the skills and adaptability to meet
a priority to explore ways to leverage the potential of the
the demands of a rapidly changing economy.
Metaverse. Doing so will help them to achieve sustainable growth while mitigating possible negative effects, such as the increased energy consumption of data centres.
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