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| Intel talks about the future of computing via Metaverse |
Intel published its first statement on the Metaverse, publicly acknowledging the sometimes-opaque future of computers for the first time and promising to create a permanently connected virtual world coexisting with our physical world.
The chip company is theoretically optimistic about the potential of the Metaverse. But Intel raises a big problem with every Metaverse ambition, which is that there's hardly enough computing power.
"Metaverse may be the next major computing platform after the global network and mobile devices," the company said. But today's IT infrastructure, storage and networking are not enough to make this vision a reality.
The company doesn't even think we're very close to that point. It shows that we need a thousand times more computing power than the collective computing power we have today.
There is more and more hype around the Metaverse and its functionality, be it virtual reality conferencing, digital concerts, blockchain-based integration, or NFT.
But the real foundation of the Metaverse isn't just software and virtual spaces, it's even the headphones and hardware people wear to make that possible. In contrast, Metaverse sees computers and servers as the future of technology.
Hence, Intel said that today's computers are not enough to realize these dreams. The company said that with today's technology, we can't even put two people in a really detailed virtual environment.
Intel: We need to multiply computing power by a thousand
The company stated that placing two people in a fully virtual social environment requires detailed and eye-catching avatars, as well as a real-time display of clothing, hair and skin color based on data from sensors that capture images, sound, etc., thanks to data transmission in a very long range and latency low. Extremely durable and eco-friendly model that can hold real and simulated items.
Intel wants to say we need more computers and better servers. The company makes processors (and soon GPUs) for consumer devices and data centers.
The problem is, even Intel doesn't think that hardware alone can give us 1,000 times the processing power we have today. Instead, you want to bridge the gap through improvements in algorithms and software. Much like neural networks powered by machine learning or computer technology augmented with artificial intelligence, Intel is using this technology for Deep Link, or XeSS, which will come to market with the Arc GPU early next year.
The company stressed the need to improve software and algorithms to bridge the gap within the ambitious deadline. It is also important to reduce the increase in power consumption that may be caused by solving the problem.
The launch of the company shows that there is still a lot of preparatory work to be done over the next few years to clear the hurdles. This is the time when Metaverse technology can realize sci-fi ambitions.