The Metaverse +AI Hype Cycle

Last year’s “Metaverse Hype Cycle” graph predicted [correctly] a big downswing in Metaverse hype this year. How did I know that would happen? Cyberspace. Virtual Reality. Information Superhighway.

If something doesn’t stick immediately, the next iteration of the thing likes to find a new name, to indicate newness, or else people say “not this shit again.” And one thing was for sure: we are 5+ years away from a viable “whateverse.” No one has patience for a bunch of incessant hype. If we want it, we want it now.

Did you know we used to throw goats off cliffs to carry away our sins? It’s the origin of the term ‘scapegoating.’ How silly of us to believe we can all be cleansed by throwing anyone or anything ‘off the cliff’ or ‘under the bus.’ And yet it happens constantly. One person goes to jail for an entire industry sector’s largesse (see the 2008 financial meltdown, or current crypto winter). Same with terms, it turns out. They get tainted, but can get a new life later, perhaps counter-culturally, exploiting the negative aspects.

I updated the chart above to better represent the overlapping waves of hype from VR, Metaverse, and AI separately. All dates are approximate and highly debatable. And yes, the “Chick-a-verse” is a joke, indicating the predicted “bottom” for the term “Metaverse.”