Pioneering the Future with the Metaverse
The metaverse generation
By Eliza Fury
For those unaware, Vogue Australia and Optus have been coming together to host Vogue Codes. Vogue Codes STEM event ensures that female innovators have a platform to share wisdom and information.
Every year the event focuses on a different theme. This year’s theme was Change for Good; this allowed attendees to learn about changes happening within the STEM industry that have a positive social impact. As a programmer, the highly relevant talk was“The Metaverse Generation — Reinventing Shopping, Brands, and Identity” panel.
In this panel, we were introduced to trailblazing female panellists — Lisa Wade, Carli Johnston, Marcellina Mardian, and Lilly Ryan, who captivated the audience with their profound insights on the Metaverse, AI, social changes, and data rights.
The panel emphasised the positive impacts that can be achieved in this ever-evolving landscape and the potential consequences to which we need to be tuned.
Throughout the panel, our panellists were confronted with various thought-provoking questions that allowed me to think and reflect on what I believe Metaverse should look like.
Without further ado, here are the key moments that resonated with me, along with links for further exploration:
Ethics and Diversity: Part of the discussion highlighted the significance of ethics and conscientiousness in new AI developments. Our panellists emphasised the importance of diverse data inputs and urged us to be mindful of the information we feed into intelligent machines. As women in tech, most of us understand the value of inclusivity and want the metaverse to be diverse. Marcellina Mardian, the Managing Director of Code Like a Girl, emphasised the role of diverse teams in shaping products and representing the interests of different subsets. Her statement highlighted the necessity of women and other various minorities being adequately represented in these technologies.
Data Storage: Another part of the conversation is the need to be critical and understand how AI systems store data. We were enlightened about the efforts of the European Union in data regulation, which reminded us of the responsibility individuals building or maintaining AI systems should uphold. One sentiment that particularly resonated with me was caring for AI as we would for another person. This perspective encourages responsible and ethical handling of data. Carli Johnston, Co-founder and Head of Product at Virtual Method, encouraged understanding the system and its controls to ensure reliable and honest data handling. Her statement emphasised the importance of familiarising oneself with the inner workings of AI systems.
Creating Safe Spaces: An enlightening perspective emerged, highlighting the Metaverse’s potential as a space for vulnerable groups. This empowered me to think about the transformative power of the Metaverse in providing individuals with a safe space to freely express themselves, unburdened by the physical world’s limitations.
Upon reflecting on this panel, it became evident that society’s contemplation of the future of the Metaverse and the treatment of data is critical. The Metaverse, along with accompanying technologies, has its pros and cons.
I’m by no means am I saying you have to be a Metaverse wizard, more that we can continuously take small steps to improve our understanding. To ensure we are actively helping to shape the desired output and limiting harmful production.
By being active participants, we can collectively navigate this new landscape, ensuring that the values of these advancements have positive impacts.
So, whether reading a short article on your way to work or chatting with your co-workers, let’s do our best to commit to understanding and influencing how we and others think about the metaverse.
