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David Wortley

David Wortley is vice president of the International Society of Digital Medicine. He consults on gamification, writes for Cutter IT journal and has been an extra on TV soap operas.

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tale two metaverses

The Metaverse’s history shows we’re not quite ready for it

  • Future tech
  • min read
    • In October 2021, Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's brand name to Meta to reflect what he sees as the importance of the metaverse to their business strategy. Experienced using a virtual reality (VR) headset, the three-dimensional virtual environment lets characters (called avatars) engage in social and commercial activities much like real life. Many global business giants see the Metaverse as a huge commercial opportunity that will change how we live and work. Should your business get involved? I believe the Metaverse's history shows while it's an environment you should get familiar with, it may not be the time to invest big. Here's why. Origins of the Metaverse The video games industry has long driven demand for engaging immersive experiences and technologies to deliver them. Content expert Amica Graber says the word 'Metaverse' first appears in Neal Stephenson's 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. Snow Crash's imaginary Metaverse is a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) – a game where all players are logged into the same game space, competing or collaborating on missions. MMOGs have been around since the 1990s. Their popularity has risen fast worldwide with improved internet connectivity, computer power and immersive graphics. One such game, space simulator EVE Online, has seen over 60,000 players simultaneously playing. And like in the Metaverse, trading virtual items for real-world money in MMOGs has become big business. What's the Metaverse's attraction? The Metaverse has business potential because of our willingness to invest so much time and money in playing games online. In a 2022 virtual conference on the Metaverse, Datin Lorela Chia, CEO of Haus of Stylo, Malaysia, gave examples of the fashion and games industry collaborating, like creating and selling virtual garments for avatars. But it's not just about buying and selling things – the Metaverse offers a way to meet, discuss or learn that's more immersive than other online communication tools. Bill Gates said in 2021, "Within two to three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids… to the Metaverse – a 3D space with digital avatars." Metaverse follows in Second Life's footsteps In almost every way except the VR headsets, there was a Metaverse from 2003, when Linden Labs launched virtual world Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world that lets users create avatars and settings, and teleport from one place to another in seconds. Second Life has an estimated 800,000 users and many of the characteristics of a real-world civilization – rules, citizen rights, homes, shops, universities and events. It has many business applications like hybrid conferences, virtual project meetings and data visualization for education and collaboration. IBM has used Second Life for internal meetings. BP for graduate recruitment and Imperial College London for virtual hospital tours. But with all its functionality and experience, Second Life hasn't gained mainstream commercial success. So why does Mark Zuckerberg believe his Metaverse has massive disruptive potential? What's enabling today's Metaverse? The answer lies in how the internet evolved since its birth in 1983. The power of 5G and fibre, smartphones and social media have all played a role. Today's advanced internet technologies make the Metaverse possible, but the devices and applications we use daily will determine whether it has significant commercial potential. Second Life runs on a desktop computer and connects to a network of Linden Lab servers. It's a security risk for businesses with network firewalls. Second Life is also 'synchronous:' users only get value from being online at the same time as other users. So there are no users in most Second Life locations most of the time. To use a real-world retail analogy, there's a lack of footfall. This is also true for the Metaverse. Its commercial potential will depend on user numbers and where they spend time. It's critical there's on-demand universal access across computers, laptops and mobile devices. Perhaps 'Web 3.0' will be the technology that delivers on making Metaverse experiences securely accessible to a global marketplace across different devices, but especially mobile devices like smartphones. What is Web 3.0 and why does it matter? IT industry analyst Robin Bloor recently said, "Web 3.0 is the third generation of the internet — a global network that permits intelligent interactions between all its users and devices." Web 3.0 is a theoretical new blockchain-based iteration of the web. It could provide increased data security, scalability and privacy for users. It would let users publish rich media content to a global audience and make a Metaverse more commercially viable than Second Life. By making the web more powerful, intuitive and secure, Web 3.0 could mean the volume of online users accessing and creating content grows faster. One major difference, most relevant to the Metaverse, is better handling of the 3D graphics needed for virtual worlds. Blockchain important to Metaverse commerce Metaverse settings are computer-generated environments or 360-degree photos and videos captured by consumer or professional cameras. These digital images and videos are now traded on the internet. Blockchain can validate ownership of these digital assets, enabling the fashion industry to sell digital garments. In Second Life from 2005, you could create digital assets and trade them for the digital currency Linden dollars. Today, the same thing is happening in the Metaverse using blockchain and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. These latest developments, alongside artificial intelligence that connects buyers with sellers, will add to the growth of the Metaverse. How will the Metaverse affect business? The future shape and commercial potential of the Metaverse go beyond numbers of users. It also depends on how often they visit, for how long, where and why. With pandemics and climate change restricting face-to-face contact and travel, applications that enable remote communication and collaboration have grown fast. Online meeting app Zoom saw daily meeting participants grow from 10 million to 300 million between 2019 and 2020, mostly from small business and personal use. Will the Metaverse become the new virtual meeting space Bill Gates predicted? It seems unlikely for now, with the convenience and ease of use of Zoom and other online meeting platforms. More likely, the commercial potential of the Metaverse will be unlocked by applications that benefit more from immersive experiences. It could also be useful in mental and physical health therapies that use virtual reality and for complex 3D data visualization. Facebook (Meta) has invested hugely in strategy based on VR headsets as the gateway to their Metaverse platform. Unlike the browsers found on every smartphone and laptop, few own or have access to a VR headset. At the moment, Metaverse suffers from the same problem that restricted Second Life – a limited marketplace, until the technology evolves to the point where VR headsets or glasses are affordable and ubiquitous. Unlike recent disruptions like cryptocurrency, the Metaverse relies on mass adoption to be profitable for business. Several factors in the market today make mass Metaverse adoption unlikely, like low VR headset ownership and lack of systems to access the Metaverse with commonly owned devices. While businesses should closely follow the Metaverse's development, it may be premature to invest heavily at this time. In any case, watch this space.
Lifelong wellness technology

How smart employers can use health tech for better business

  • Tech for good
  • min read
    • The pandemic has changed how we live and work. Public health has dominated national news. Organizations have accelerated their use of digital technologies. As successful vaccination worldwide starts to reduce COVID-19's worst impacts, life slowly returns to normal. Melissa Fogarty, Joint Head of Corporate, London at international law firm Clifford Chance said in 2020, "Resourcefulness, dexterity and tenacity are crucial for those who will come out of the crisis in good shape." We know physical isolation and frequent online meetings can strain employees' long-term physical and mental wellbeing. What can businesses do to ensure staff can do their best and reach their potential? Digital transformation in health and wellbeing tech may have the answer. The consumer wellbeing tech and healthcare divide "The world's largest single source of digital health compliance" ORCHA assesses and accredits the growing number of healthcare mobile apps. Recent consumer wearables like Apple Watch collect clinical-grade data useful for diagnosis and preventative healthcare. But at a recent Nordic Healthcare Conference, ORCHA's Chief Operating Officer, Tim Andrews, said, "Whilst there's been huge interest in digital health, this is often not matched with adoption and usage, particularly in areas that impact healthcare systems. The opportunity perhaps missed most often is the ability for digital health to be embedded into healthcare systems." Andrews seems to be suggesting health devices and mobile apps aren't yet a big part of public health services, but should be. I think there are two main reasons for this. First, data privacy and security: If personal health data gets into the wrong hands, it may lead to misselling of health services and insurer or employer discrimination. Second, possible litigation against developers of health and wellbeing devices and apps, around classification as a medical device and eligibility to be prescribed by medical practitioners. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly part of public health triage and medical advice, online or over the phone, but wearable devices and mobile apps rarely give medical advice. Telehealth and privacy COVID-19 has changed our perceptions of healthcare data privacy. Before the pandemic, it was inconceivable for democratic nations to use track and trace technologies to monitor citizens. Although still contentious, it's meant acceptance of telehealth as a way of protecting others. Back in 2014 in the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, Timothy Hale and Joseph Kvedar, said, "Concerns about the privacy and security of telehealth systems may adversely affect people's trust in telehealth and threaten the ability of these systems to improve the accessibility, quality and effectiveness of healthcare… but many people, especially the chronically ill, believe the benefits of telehealth outweigh the risks." They recognized that it's in the interests of all health stakeholders, from patients to employers, insurers to healthcare professionals, to use and encourage use of healthcare technologies. Wellness tech and preventative medicine Employers want healthy, motivated staff. Employee benefits packages often include private health insurance, which may attract employees, but don't usually include preventative healthcare. Staff ill-health, absences and reduced performance are a massive cost burden. The US National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion estimates 90 percent of the nation's associated 3.8 trillion US dollar costs are from mental and chronic health conditions. Also back in 2014, Sir Simon Stevens, former Head of UK's National Health Service (NHS) called obesity a "slow-motion car crash." He suggested we need new interventions to promote healthy eating and lifestyles to avoid serious health and financial problems in future. We're seeing moves in this direction. Singapore's Health Promotion Board launched its National Steps Challenge, giving away free step-tracking watches. Its Ministry of Health Transformation Office started Mindline, an AI-enabled portal offering tailored support with mental wellbeing. Mindline helps users identify and get help for underlying problems like domestic violence and financial strain, and gives healthy living advice alongside options for medical and talk therapies. Another example of a win-win ecosystem using technology and gamification is insurers like Vitality Life offering an Apple Watch to customers with benefits linked to healthy living data. How to use wellness tech in the workplace I see two main ways businesses can use health tech to give employees lifelong benefits and their business immediate results in reduced absenteeism and greater engagement. Telehealth devices and gamification are a win-win Telehealth devices include wearable tech that tracks health patterns, giving early warning of problems and advice. Rather than tracking employee health directly, HR departments can offer telehealth devices and apps with training as part of the benefits package: A win-win digital ecosystem. By working with health insurers and organizations like ORCHA, they can also help shape the lifestyle behaviors behind obesity and other chronic, avoidable conditions. Using gamification (game-orientated) strategies like those used in mobile apps can encourage employees to set health targets and form teams competing for the best improvements. Here are some good examples of the benefits of wellness gamification strategies. Italian games specialists Imaginary pioneered wellness technology within 'serious games.' Their flagship rehabilitation product Rehability helps people who've had strokes and other debilitating conditions recover at home under a clinician's remote supervision. It reduces the costs of care and, through gamification, encourages patients to comply with the clinician's advice, shortening their recovery times. Solutions like Rehability could be part of corporate health packages, helping staff improve physical and mental health at home or supporting recovery from conditions like Long Covid. Immersed in digital therapeutics Digital therapeutics involves using technology to give therapy for physical and mental health. It helps avoid or reduce the need for medication or surgery, and empowers people to manage their own health. There's growing use of virtual reality (VR) for stress management and treating other mental health problems. Organizations are starting to use VR headsets or other immersive technologies like 360-degree projectors to offer employees chill-out space. Spanish company BroomX pioneered affordable 360-degree projectors that have many uses, including digital therapeutics. Although originally designed for cultural and educational sites like schools and museums, research suggests immersive experiences may benefit mental health. At the 2021 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Broom X and hospital partners discussed how they've used immersive mindfulness therapies in hospitals to treat and prevent staff and patients with mental illness. What corporate leaders should do next Organizations wanting to harness the power of health tech for their employees have many ways to add physical and mental wellbeing technologies and apps to their people management strategy. What's right for each business comes down to their circumstances and what their people want. It's a fast-moving, high-growth area. Leaders must choose the right partners when selecting technologies for employee benefits packages. Big technology players like Apple, Google and Samsung are pitching hard with new devices and applications. The many health and wellbeing mobile apps available can feel like a jungle to navigate. It's worth discussing options with organizations like ORCHA that are there to evaluate independently. Organizations with an ethos of preventative healthcare, using technology and gamification to add value to their employee experience may see benefits in competitive advantage alongside healthier, more productive and motivated staff.
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