The market isn’t going to create a public commons for the immersive medium. So who will?
Public media has a history stretching back 100 years – from radio to television and the web. But when social and streaming media emerged, that tradition didn’t follow: the spaces that became established were overwhelmingly commercial. Now, hyperscale AI infrastructure is receiving unprecedented investment – again, largely without the public interest factored in. At the same time, the Metaverse has yet to achieve its commercial promise, in part because it has failed to establish trust.
Ben Erwin, an advocate for Immersive Public Media built on open, interoperable standards, explores why the Metaverse needs a global public commons and how we can create a trusted place where content can be nurtured and delivered in ways that remain accessible to everyone.