The dawn of the metaverse is coming near. Technology giants are increasing their R&D investment in paving the way to the metaverse. Apple prepared to apply Reality trademark for its headsets. Meta expanded its Horizon Worlds to European countries. Global leading companies from telecommunication industries are joining the frontier in improving the infrastructure of the metaverse. In the industry of social networking, pioneers Soul App continues to refine the concept of the metaverse and delivered a brilliant answer. A new age is coming and the public is still bewildered about it. During a talk, Zhang Lu, founder and CEO of Soul App, elucidated her opinion on the metaverse and offered a glimpse into the social metaverse through the lens of Soul App.
The metaverse is a decentralized community
Contrary to what the public may conceive of the metaverse, it is not a unified universe. Instead, this virtual space consists of an infinite number of micro-metaverses, which are similar to planets that constitute the galaxy. It is distinct from previous generations of mobile networks in that it features a decentralized online social networking community where every netizen is assigned the right to voice their opinions and let their voice echo in the metaverse.
Similarly, Soul App is characterized by its unique social mode that values both one-to-one connections and group relations. Zhang Lu believes that this social mode touches this core concept of the metaverse. She managed to balance between private connections and a decentralized community. Users are guaranteed the freedom of starting one-to-one chats with like-minded people. They can join groups or small interest-based circles in discussing the same topic, share their moments in life, and express their thoughts. In the online virtual communities in Soul App, innumerable messages are exchanged every day and countless creative ideas are incubated in the chats.
The metaverse is a virtual society that develops with technology
The metaverse evolves from real human society but it is intrinsically a virtual sphere that is founded on advancements in mobile networks and high technology. In other words, social modes in real life can be transferred to this virtual world while individuals can also experience changes brought by technology.
Soul’s metaverse is the embodiment of both. It originated from Zhang Lu’s observation of the unaddressed social demands of modern people. Back in 2016, she noticed that she couldn’t find a space where she could express her ideas freely without being judged. She was not alone. Millions of young people were troubled by similar worries at that time. Therefore, she decided to develop a social product in recall of these unsatisfied demands.
Inspired by advancements in artificial intelligence, Zhang Lu worked with her team in constructing an AI-based recommendation algorithm and an interest-based profiling technique. The interest-profiling technique is adopted in portraying the personality of an individual. It is based on a quiz that users take before they enter Soul’s metaverse. The AI would analyze user behavior and archive their interest profiles and traces in the Soul’s metaverse so that it can relate to two individuals with similar interests.
In the metaverse, the boundary between virtuality and reality is blurred
The metaverse is a blend of reality and virtuality. People present themselves in virtual society as avatars. They can own virtual estates, buy virtual products and even accumulate virtual assets, which makes it even more difficult to tell the difference between reality and virtuality.
Zhang Lu told that it is hard to draw a clear line between reality and virtuality noticing that the online world is invading everyday life. For example, just several years ago, virtual influencers like Lil Miquela made their debut on social media and they shocked the whole globe. Nowadays, they can hold virtual concerts, join fashion shows or start live streaming and they are no longer news. It is hard to distinguish them from real celebrities.
She thought it was actually impossible and unnecessary to separate real life from virtual activities. Soul’s metaverse is essentially the combination of both virtuality and reality. In Soul’s metaverse, users present themselves in the form of personalized avatars. Soul App provides the basic tools and techniques that make it possible for everyone to design their avatars. They also stay true to their personalities and they are encouraged to express their true selves.
Conclusion
The year that has passed underwent a myriad of torrents as well as changes, especially in the industry of the Internet. It seems that industries across all sectors are full-fledged to welcome the metaverse. Zhang Lu invites us to glimpse into the future of human society through the lens of the Soul metaverse. Now, the metaverse is taking shape. She is confident that the social metaverse brought by Soul App will ultimately realize the full potential of human imagination and enable a cohesive social network that transcends the limit of time, space, and language.
