2025/02/04others
Author：CISO Service Division Kazuyuki Nakamura
The term "Web 3.0, Metaverse" has been around for a long time, but what exactly does it refer to? Could it become a steppingstone to revolutionize the world in the future? There are many issues that remain unclear on the subject, so I'd like to summarize it a little to help toward a better understanding.
To begin with, what does "Web 3.0" mean? What kinds of benefits will the "metaverse" bring to us humans? Could it be harmful? I would like to summarize these two trends, which are usually just keywords floating around in ones head.
First, while it's a bit of clichéd approach, I looked up "Web 3.0" and "metaverse" on Wikipedia.
According to Wikipedia,
...is a concept proposed as the next generation of the World Wide Web. It incorporates elements such as decentralization, blockchain, and token-based economy, and some engineers and journalists contrast it with Web 2.0, where data and content are concentrated in major IT companies called "Big Tech." The term "Web 3" was coined in 2014 by Gavin Wood, co-founder of Ethereum, and in 2021 it attracted interest from cryptocurrency enthusiasts, major IT companies, and venture capitalists. It is also called Web 3.0.
In Japan, this is a type of virtual space and refers to companies and commercial spaces that have entered the market from 2021 onward. It is presented as a concept that the Internet environment will reach in the future, and it is expected that users from all over the world will participate in a virtual space of 3D computer graphics constructed online, as their own avatars, and while communicating with each other, they will carry out economic activities such as shopping, making and selling products, and living a new life in that space as another "reality."
Source: Wikipedia
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8
I think one of the most important points of "Web 3.0" is that everything is traded and decided on a token basis. With the blockchain, all transactions will be recorded in a decentralized manner, making it impossible to tamper with them, just like locking the doors of a house that were previously open - and all communications will be securely carried out using advanced encryption technology. Such changes are taking place, but I think the most important transformation is that all community decision-making and economic contracts will be replaced by a token base, to a greater or lesser extent. A token base is a decentralized and trustless system and refers to a smart contract, which is a mechanism by which a contract is automatically executed when a certain pre-set condition is met by a "code" that exists on the blockchain. In other words, the process of signing a contract after agreeing to it, as in the past, will no longer be necessary.
In addition to "Web 3.0" and the "metaverse," we must not forget the existence of "generative AI."
It can be said that the metaverse = Digital twin space + avatar (that is, people, things) + business process
Figure 1. Elements that make up the metaverse (manufacturing site case)
Source: Based on "Manufacturing DX: Learning from the EU/Germany: Latest Digital Strategies" by Isao Fukumoto (first edition published on December 22, 2023)
If you think about it that way, it seems that the "metaverse" can be replaced by a world in which avatars of people and things are placed in digital space and the business processes they perform are represented. By reproducing the real world in digital space, making it 3D, and using the digital twin data, it becomes possible to realize predictions and provide recommendations using machine learning.
At first, I thought of "WEB3.0" and the "metaverse" as separate big techs, but as I looked into it, it is noticeable that although they are expressed differently, they share the same aspects. They can be seen as being "clues for solving cultural problems." In other words, how we interact with people in the real world and how we see ourselves will be influenced and oriented by what we experience directly in the online world.
At first, I thought of "WEB3.0" and the "metaverse" as separate big techs, but as I looked into it, it is noticeable that although they are expressed differently, they share the same aspects. They can be seen as being "clues for solving cultural problems." In other words, how we interact with people in the real world and how we see ourselves will be influenced and oriented by what we experience directly in the online world.
All this is often spoken of as a technological revolution, but I believe it actually has the potential to have a major impact on the evolution of humanity and to dramatically change the history of mankind. It's all thanks to the easy connection to digital space that came with the founding of Google in 1998 and the release of the iPhone in 2007, giving us access to data and information from all over the world. This is "Web 3.0 x Metaverse."
When humans have will and personality in the digital space and individuals have power on a token basis, now that a place is being created where humans can act without worrying about territory, it may well be time for new legislation to be put in place.
中村 和之（なかむら かずゆき）
2024年にデジタルアーツコンサルティング株式会社（DAC）
※2024/4よりアイディルートコンサルティング株式会社(IDR-C)へ社名変更
ヒューレットパッカード、パロアルトネットワークスを経て、ITインフラ・サイバーセキュリティの分野においてコンサルタントとして活動。最近では、多岐に渡るセキュリティ製品を顧客要件に応じて適切に組み合わせる知験作りにフォーカスした活動に注力しています。
Elizabeth Tinsley エリザベス ティンスリー（英文/スピーキング）
カリフォルニア大学 アーバイン校 仏教文化史 助教授
（University of Cambridgeにて学位取得）
https://elizabethtinsley.com/about/
アカデミックな経歴をベースに、欧州や米国、日本と日本の歴史文学・文化,芸術を新たな視点で紐解き、広める活動を行っています。
