Information Technologies and Communication Authority President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu spoke at the symposium titled “Metaverse and Religion”. Karagözoğlu discussed the opportunities and threats of the Metaverse.
At the symposium organized by the Faculty of Islamic Sciences of Ankara Social Sciences University, the topic “Metaverse and Religion” was discussed. Speaking about the Metaverse, which has entered our lives as a byproduct of technological developments, Karagözoğlu stated, “The Metaverse is among the topics being discussed not only in its technical and economic dimensions but also in its individual and social dimensions. We are talking about a world consisting of interconnected virtual communities where people can meet, work, visit art galleries, watch and participate in sports competitions using augmented reality glasses, smartphone applications, or other devices with their digital identities.”
Stating that the Metaverse is an imaginary world that people will create according to their own desires, Karagözoğlu said, “While people represent themselves with avatars in the form they imagine, they can shop for their avatars, purchase land, and take trips to any country or place they want. Many companies seeking to turn the opportunities offered by the new virtual world in areas such as technology, education, health, clothing, and many others, along with the demands for them, into investment opportunities are making metaverse investments. Although the envisioned Metaverse still seems like the subject of a science fiction novel, the major transformation in the cyber world with advancing technology is not actually that far away.”
Touching on the fact that this new technology has opportunities as well as potential threats, Karagözoğlu noted, “With the Metaverse, issues such as privacy violations, cyber threats, governance, ethical values, property, negative impacts on social life and health, cyberbullying, and many other concepts are emerging as topics that need to be considered, regulated, and monitored more. According to a research conducted to gather information on society's perception of the Metaverse, 77% of the participants expressed concerns that the metaverse could lead to addiction to the virtual world, privacy and intimacy issues, and mental health disorders.”
Reminding that there are still no universally accepted common protocols, standards, systems, and infrastructure regarding the Metaverse, Karagözoğlu provided information about the work being done in our country in this field, saying, “Istanbul Topkapı University Faculty of Engineering announced that they will establish the Metaverse Application and Research Center, which will be the first in Turkey in this context, while TRT has also pioneered by starting infrastructure studies for broadcasting in the virtual world. Although Metaverse technology is still in its infancy, key sectors likely to benefit from metaverse opportunities in Turkey include e-commerce, education, culture and tourism, gaming, and e-sports. Considering our young population, Turkey represents a very large market for these new areas and has the potential to become a major producer in the sector. This could yield significant results for the Turkish economy.”