Ophthalmologists should improve their knowledge of the metaverse
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Like many of my senior colleagues, I am not well acquainted with the metaverse and cyberspace, much like I was unfamiliar with the power of computers and the internet 5 decades ago when I entered medical training.
Today, I could not function without a computer and smartphone with access to the internet and Zoom. This morning, when I opened my digital devices, I did so without a specialty optical device on my head, and my interaction was two-dimensional.
Entering the metaverse and cyberspace requires a virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headset or glasses to convert the two-dimensional internet to the three-dimensional metaverse. As one example, while sitting at home at a computer, the metaverse allows an individual to simulate attending a live meeting with hundreds of people in the room in 3D. When in the metaverse, the user can jump from one educational session to another in a single meeting or even jump from attending the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting to a meeting elsewhere in the world. At a metaverse cocktail party, the user can sit at home in a comfortable chair, sip their favorite drink and “walk” with the attendees, allowing one-on-one or small group conversations simulating the social interaction we all find so valuable at live meetings.
The metaverse user creates their own metaverse identity in the form of an avatar, and the visual experience of chatting with a diverse group of avatars is itself unique. Entering the metaverse requires one to employ a computer or smartphone and a VR/AR headset. Some systems use augmented earphones as well, allowing a movie theater-like sound experience. The financial barrier to enter the metaverse is low. Amazon Prime sells a powerful top-of-the-line Oculus VR/AR headset with 256 GB for $499. I just ordered one to continue my trip into the metaverse. Significant investment is occurring in the metaverse, which will expand its capabilities and, as I will discuss in a moment, potential downsides.
Microsoft and Facebook (now Meta Platforms) are both investing billions into developing and enhancing the metaverse. The U.S. Department of Defense has determined that it needs to be prepared to wage war and defend America and its allies on land and sea and in the air, space and cyberspace.
On the benevolent side of the equation, the metaverse promises enhanced social interaction and communication. The potential of the metaverse to enhance and revolutionize remote patient examination, strengthen telehealth and improve medical education, especially surgical skills training, is enormous. Many steps in an eye examination could be performed at home with the patient wearing VR/AR goggles and interacting with their doctor facilitated by the metaverse. An ophthalmology resident using the metaverse could potentially observe the greatest surgeons in the world performing a cataract operation and then have them as mentors on their own simulated or actual procedures, all in high-definition 3D.
On the malevolent side, we have potential user addiction, information privacy concerns, user safety and the specter of cyber warfare. Predators of all kinds will find the metaverse participant an interesting target. The monetary currency of the metaverse is cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens using blockchain encryption technology. I recently bought my first cryptocurrency to start my learning here as well. If you think the stock market is volatile, purchasing Bitcoin or Ethereum will make it look tame. The opportunity for fraud, abuse, monetary theft and identity theft is significant. Children and the elderly are likely to be especially vulnerable.
The innovation cycle, accompanied by huge investments of human and financial capital, is hard at work expanding the metaverse. It is time for all of us to increase our understanding of and comfort with the metaverse as it may prove to be as disruptive and beneficial to ourselves and our patients as digital devices and the internet.
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