Into the Metaverse (With Lex Fridman and Mark Zuckerberg): Exploring the Ontological Adventures, Potentials, and Risks of a New Dimension of Being

The rise of technologies such as virtual reality and the emergence of various metaverse platforms have raised myriad questions and concerns, from their implications for human relationships to suggestions that these may constitute a radical new dimension of existence. This paper explores these considerations by conducting a qualitative analysis of a unique interview between podcaster Lex Fridman and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, conducted in September 2023, which was not only about the nature and implications of the metaverse but actually took place in Meta’s prototype metaverse, thereby having the revealing property of Fridman actually experiencing it for the first time, offering a first-person phenomenological commentary and reaction. An analysis inspired and informed by grounded theory identified five main themes, namely new: ontological surprises, blended reality, identities, relationships, and ways of living. Together, the results paint a vivid picture of the psychological and societal potentials and pitfalls of this new technology.