The metaverse, web3, and of course, AI, have been the three inescapable tech trends. Improbable is one of the few companies that can claim to be at the forefront of each of those trends.
In our latest TechTalks with TFN we spoke to Peter Lipka who with Herman Narula founded metaverse pioneer Improbable. He discussed their latest moves to create an open metaverse, embrace AI, and how to thrive in a sector dominated by just a few tech giants.
Watch the full episode on YouTube here, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to TFN!
Creating an open metaverse
Although the metaverse has been with us for many years — Improbable itself was founded in 2012 — it has not seen the explosive growth that other tech trends have experienced. In part because of the close link to proprietary hardware and software that slowed adoption. Improbable’s M² aims to remove those barriers to adoption.
“The entire idea behind M² is that it allows you to create self-sovereign metaverses that have characteristics that don’t exist anywhere else,” Lipka explained. Because they are built on Improbable’s platform, it also means they are not isolated. “The idea is that they’re all built on a common fabric, a common network that allows a trade of goods between them.”
Like real-world trade, that openness creates more value for everyone involved, Lipka said. “We’re trying to not allow walled gardens that certain platforms right now have on the internet.” He used the example of buying gig merch, currently, in the metaverse that t-shirt could only be worn in that virtual venue, but in real life you could wear it anywhere, and that is what gives it value. “Those goods have more applications,” he explained. “Those items that metaverse operators sell are more valuable because there’s more utility. It’s a very beneficial symbiotic relationship,”
Embracing AI to transform businesses
Lipka stressed the importance of AI for businesses. “It’s an incredibly powerful tool that is going to be like the printing press, like personal computers, or the internet,” he said. “I’m not sure any industry is going to be untouched by it.”
He pointed out that AI adoption was happening naturally, whether businesses approved of it or not. “It’s not going to be about a centralised approach where a company has to make an active choice to start using AI. It’s naturally already happening. Even when the companies have banned AI, employees are using it all the time.”
Lipka is pleased to see the steps the UK government is taking to promote AI, although he is sceptical about the government’s ability to be an AI leader. While he welcomed the investment in AI and related infrastructure, he wondered how feasible working closely with the government would be.
“I think building AI in close collaboration with the government is going to be quite difficult,” he said. “The reality is that many of the companies have got these incredible foundational models. They’ve done a few not so legal things to get there as well.” Referring to allegations about the use of copyrighted materials to train models, Lipka suggested that the government involvement would slow UK companies compared to freer companies elsewhere. “You have to move fast, collaboration with government could potentially slow things down.”
Improbable’s approach to AI is to help other businesses use it, rather than building their own models. “It’s our belief is that models don’t solve problems like directly,” Lipka explained. “You need people, you need software to effectively transform an organisation to start using AI.”
“Some of the businesses we’re building are around that kind of AI transformation of larger, enterprise businesses,” Lipka told us. “The more traditional businesses will struggle, so, that’s where there’s a big opportunity for us to help support them into AI transition.”
Competing with tech giants
Lipka also commented on how they are remaining competitive with tech giants, and provided some lessons for other startups.
Part of their strategy is to be a step ahead of human behaviour. “I think in five-to-ten years from now, humanity itself will be spending a lot more time in metaverse experiences. That’s just the reality,” Lipka told us. “I think you can build much better experiences and more engaging experiences.” He even suggests that the metaverse might start competing with what are currently firmly physical-only experiences. “Going to the pub, for example … might be more inclusive and wider because they will no longer be limited by your geography.”
Fundamentally, though, Lipka feels the giants are limited by their size and status. “A lot of these businesses, Apple, Meta, Google, have these huge revenue streams that they want to protect.” The result is that they create walled gardens, which allows Improbable, and other startups, to succeed by being different.
“Our approach is completely the opposite of that. We want to spur on the creation of an open network, just like the internet, where anyone can contribute to it, where anyone can participate, no one can gate keep it.”
Improbable’s return to the internet
At a time when many are feeling let down by tech giants, Improbable’s vision may be attractive. Although the technology may be a far cry from the text-based foundations of the internet, the core principles, of independent, but connected, nodes, are central to the concepts that helped the internet explode into our lives.
While ideas like watching movies downloaded from Apple, or working with colleagues in a Meta headset may not have captured imaginations, perhaps the next generation of metaverse experiences, built on Improbable’s foundations, it might be at the stage that it takes off.
“We’re trying to build an ecosystem,” Lipka told us. “We don’t think that a single company should own the metaverse. What we’re trying to do is build out an entire ecosystem of independent businesses.”
This article is part of a media partnership with Improbable.
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