The fusion of AI, blockchain, and VR—“technological convergence” will expand the limits of possibility in 2024 | CoinDesk JAPAN

The year 2023 will be remembered in human history as the year when the future went beyond speculation and became a concrete reality.

This is the year in which artificial intelligence (AI), once confined to the world of science fiction, blossomed into a multifaceted tool that is fluent in humanity’s many languages. As if reversing the legend of the Tower of Babel, AI has become a bridge between languages, bringing us closer to universal understanding.

That same year, blockchain technology quietly permeated our digital universe like an invisible but fundamental force in the universe. While providing a secure foundation for our virtual assets, we didn’t need to understand their complex inner workings.

The virtual world will also reach a major turning point in 2023. In 2022, after being initially excited and then disappointed by the Metaverse, things are starting to look up again. This change is thanks to advancements in hardware companies. We are on the verge of having something that could be called the “iPhone of spatial computing” that can bring the digital world to life in a way that we can touch and feel.

Although each of these evolutions is unique, they did not occur in isolation. It’s a new culmination of a concept called “technological convergence,” in which separate technological paths intersect and influence each other, weaving a unified tapestry of innovation.

This convergence is not just a fusion of technologies, but a harmony that enhances, expands, and redefines the experience of the digital world.

As we approach 2024, we are ushering in a new era in which the seamless integration of AI, blockchain, and VR (virtual reality) heralds a future of limitless possibilities and unprecedented digital interaction.

Fusion of AI and Metaverse

Interestingly, this fusion is rooted in the very hardware that supports it. GPUs, which render rich virtual spaces, are also used to train AI models. GPUs capable of parallel computing are not only extremely useful in AI development, but can also bring the complex environments of the metaverse to life.

This synergy is evident in the soaring value of GPU makers like Nvidia, highlighting the intertwined growth of AI and virtual reality technologies.

As we move towards 2024, the convergence of AI and the Metaverse looms as a pivotal development in our technological journey. We are about to witness AI transform the act of creation in the Metaverse.

Over the next year, we predict that AI will advance beyond its current capabilities, allowing creators to create vast virtual worlds using only natural language. The Metaverse will no longer require complex skills in 3D modeling and animation, but will instead respond to the impulses of human creative thought brought to life by AI.

Future trust architecture

2023 has been a challenging year for blockchain, with the industry overcoming legal challenges and bankruptcies. These trials were reminiscent of the growing pains of great technological advances and signaled the maturity of blockchain.

Even amidst the legal turmoil, the digitalization of asset ownership, which is the essence of blockchain, stood firm and unscathed and continued on its way to a technological revolution.

We predict that blockchain will become woven into the Internet, much like the invisible but essential protocols that power email and instant messaging.

This convergence makes blockchain assets a native element of the digital realm, essential, but most importantly, invisible to users.

Interacting with blockchain will become as easy as sending an email, its complexity will be hidden, and its effectiveness and security will become widespread. In such a future, blockchain will not just be a technology, but a silent, autonomous system of digital trust and ownership.

Synergy between VR and Metaverse

In 2023, virtual reality (VR) will emerge as the next frontier in human-computer interaction, providing unprecedented capabilities for digital communication and embodying the essence of presence.

This leap forward has been driven by advancements from major hardware manufacturers, including the release of Meta Quest 3 and long-awaited VR headsets from Apple and Nintendo.

Each step we take in this area is not just a technological advance, but a redefinition of our perception of and interaction with the digital realm.

As we move towards 2024, we are entering a defining moment for the spatial computing industry. The use case of being able to experience an event like the NBA Finals from the comfort of your own home with the best seats in the stadium will capture the imagination of many.

This type of experience, which bridges the physical and digital worlds, will likely become a catalyst for widespread adoption among the early majority. The road ahead for VR is long and full of possibilities, but the convergence of technologies such as AI, blockchain, and advanced hardware is setting the stage for dramatic change.

Cultural and economic impact

In the story of digital evolution, Gen Z emerges as the vanguard of a new cultural era. Born into a world where VR is as real as air, digital natives are the first generation to fully immerse themselves in the products of technological convergence.

Their first playful and experimental efforts to create memes and digital items are just the beginning of deeper, more important changes.

With tools shaped by AI and the Metaverse at their fingertips, they are not just using technology, they are reshaping it, transforming the digital universe to fit their imaginations.

We’re seeing these young minds not just embrace creation, but master the technology in new realms.

They are pioneers in a world where user-generated content is not just entertainment, but a new economic frontier.

In their hands, creativity and innovation are more than expressions, they are the keys to unlocking new forms of value and impact. Power that once belonged to a select few who understood coding and legal intricacies is now democratized in the hands of young creators, ushering in a future where the only limit in the digital realm is imagination. I’m telling you.

Outlook for 2024

As 2024 approaches, we are entering a period of technological change. The fusion of AI, blockchain, and virtual reality is creating a new digital environment. This fusion is not just a mix of technologies, but a revolution in how we interact with the digital realm.

Advances in AI will redefine creative possibilities in the Metaverse, allowing us to shape our environments with just our thoughts.

Blockchain has evolved into a fundamental layer of digital trust, making asset ownership a seamless part of the internet.

Virtual reality, on the brink of breakthrough, is poised to fundamentally change our sensory experience in digital spaces.

Importantly, this technological synergy is Gen Z’s playground. They are not just users, they are actively creating and shaping these areas. Gen Z’s interaction with technology is more than just entertainment, it is shaping a new economic and cultural climate where imagination is the primary currency.

In this new era, the limits of the digital world will be defined only by our creativity, opening up unprecedented avenues for innovation and interaction.

2024 marks the beginning of an exciting journey, promising a future where technology and imagination combine to expand the boundaries of possibility.

｜Translation and editing: Akiko Yamaguchi, Takayuki Masuda
｜Image: Shutterstock
｜Original text: The Unified Future of AI, Blockchain and Virtual Worlds in 2024