Bill Gates on Digitization, the Metaverse and More
Last week, comments from Bill Gates’ end-of-year blog post included:
“Even after this pandemic ends, it’s clear that much of the digitization it brought on is here to stay.
“The pandemic has revolutionized how companies think about productivity and presence in the workplace. The boundaries between once-discrete areas of work—brainstorming, team meetings, casual conversations in the hallway—are collapsing.
“Within the next two or three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids—which I call the Hollywood Squares model, although I know that probably dates me—to the metaverse, a 3D space with digital avatars. Both Facebook and Microsoft recently unveiled their visions for this, which gave most people their first view of what it will look like.
“The second area where we’ll see the lasting effects of digitization is education.
“The pandemic accelerated the development of dynamic curricula, as more teachers had to rely on digital tools ...
These new tools will supplement classroom learning rather than replace it. (If there’s one thing the last two years made clear, it’s that many kids—especially younger ones—don’t do well sitting in front of a screen doing classwork all day.)
“The final area where digitization is here to stay is in health care …
"Over the last two years, we’ve seen more people opting for virtual appointments instead of in-person care. … Virtual appointments have so many upsides that I think the new model is here to stay.
“Beyond the technology and privacy limits, there are also regulatory hurdles we need to figure out before digital health care becomes truly mainstream. Some states still make it hard to see patients virtually in a different state because of how licensing currently works.”
OUR TAKE
As virtual technology use in the workplace increases, the opportunity will attract many players (Facebook/Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Valve, and more).
Regarding digital education: As on-site versus remote learning debates continue, fundamental changes are redefining how schools are structured, the value of curriculums, and much more.
Regarding digital health: As virtual appointments become mainstream, the growth of personalized medicine (more data, sensors, etc.) will broaden health care services and how these services are delivered.