The metaverse is attracting a huge amount of attention as the next version of the internet, and companies are starting to explore the many new business opportunities it provides. However, based on experience with artificial intelligence, we know that there are also potential negative ethical and social consequences of the massive use of technology that must be dealt with. In this white paper [Social and ethical challenges of the metaverse. Preprint at https://www.telefonica.com/en/communication-room/the-social-andethical- challenges-of-the-metaverse/ (2022). Accessed Dec 2022], we briefly describe what the metaverse is, what technologies are part of its ecosystem, and where it comes from. We then focus on the potential societal/social and ethical risks of the metaverse. We argue that companies that are implementing the responsible use of AI are well prepared for the social and ethical risks of the metaverse. Not because they know the future, but because they have the right governance and culture in place to deal with such risks.
Richard Benjamins, University of Amsterdam: Amsterdam, Netherlands
PhD.
Yaiza Rubio Viñuela, la Chief Metaverso Officer de Telefónica
Chema Alonso
Chief Digital Officer, Telefónica S.A.
Журнал “AI and Ethics”, 2023.