The Seoul metropolitan government said it intends to become the first major city to create its own metaverse. It plans to use it to welcome residents and host cultural events, Euronews.
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According to media reports, the project is planned to run until 2030. City authorities have already invested 3.9 billion won ($3.3 million) in it.
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If implemented successfully, Seoul residents will be able to use virtual-reality headsets to meet with officials and attend mass events. For example, the traditional festivities on New Year\’s Eve 2022 will take place both on the Boshingak Bell Square and its digital version.
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In 2023, a virtual center for social services is planned to open under the working title Metaverse 120 Center. Here, officials\’ avatars will receive and advise citizens.
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The \”Virtual Tourist Zone\” project will allow users from around the world to visit Seoul\’s major sights, including lost monuments. Authorities plan to recreate in the digital world the Donuimun Gate, which Japanese colonialists demolished in 1915 during the construction of a tram line.
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\”Seoul will become a pioneer in the field of augmented and virtual reality, uniting public demand with private technologies,\” said Pak Jong-su, head of smart city policy for the metropolitan government.
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The Seoul authorities plan to employ artificial intelligence technologies to monitor the state of infrastructure such as sewer networks and drainage systems. They also plan to expand the role of chatbots in city life, which will respond to residents\’ requests and complaints, for example, taking reports of traffic violations and helping generate COVID certificates.
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Officials say the metaverse and modern technologies will ease life for Seoul residents and help \”overcome the constraints of the real world, such as lack of time and resources, language barriers, and more.\”
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ForkLog previously explored the history of virtual worlds and the role of cryptocurrencies in the metaverse.
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Earlier in November, Liverpool Hope University professor David Reid warned of a \”horrific danger\” of the metaverse.
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In October, Meta (formerly Facebook) unveiled realistic avatars, an environment for their existence, and a neural interface that enables controlling them.
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