We live in an era where search and SNS centered on smartphones are nearing completion, and new business models are needed.
We spoke to Toshihisa Sasaki, who is active as a freelance journalist and has written numerous books such as ``Will Web3 and the Metaverse Free Humans?'' about his thoughts on Web3.0 and his future prospects.
What is the concept of Web3/Web3.0 that Mr. Sasaki thinks about?
Sasaki: As I wrote in ``Will Web3 and the Metaverse Free Humans?'' published late last year, there is a discussion of ``centralization'' and ``decentralization.''
Originally, the Internet started around 1995. Still, nearly 30 years have passed, but there was a major paradigm shift and turning point around 2006 and 2007. Around this time, the term ``Web 2.0'' came out.
So, what was "Web 1.0" up until then? After all, even with the advent of the Internet, this interactivity did not suddenly emerge. In other words, in the old, early days of the Internet, it was not a situation in which any individual could freely post information.
Although it was possible to create a homepage by oneself, it required a certain level of skill, and in this situation, SNS and blogging services appeared, and anyone could now easily and freely publish information. I think the term ``Web 2.0'' was used in that sense.
The era before the Internet was a centralized era in which information was monopolized by television and newspapers, but in the era of Web 2.0, information was available freely and openly. The era of centralization has arrived.
People said at the time that it was a good thing, but I thought that this free, decentralized era would last forever, but it wasn't.
From around the latter half of the 2010s, platforms such as SNS and blogs, so-called ``big tech'' companies such as ``GAFAM'' in Japan, became increasingly powerful, and centralization once again progressed.
Another reason behind this is the spread of AI. AI has evolved at a tremendous pace and has acquired the ability of ``deep learning,'' which has further strengthened the control power of large corporations known as ``optimization.''
Due to excessive centralization, Big Tech is now being criticized for being ``surveillance capitalism''.
In this situation, a technology called ``blockchain'' has just appeared. Blockchain is a system in which no one has a monopoly on information, but information is scattered everywhere and shared by everyone.
The idea that blockchain could be used to break away from the complete domination of Big Tech and create a new decentralized world has been gaining momentum. I think it's "Web3".
I think this is the general understanding, but personally I have doubts as to whether blockchain can create a completely decentralized world.
Even though it's a blockchain, it doesn't mean everyone is equal; for example, even with Bitcoin, a huge company is needed to act as an exchange.
If that happens, there is no doubt that the companies on that exchange will become bigger and bigger, and that company will become the next big tech. My personal belief is that centralization will never disappear after all.
What do you think about “Generative AI”?
Sasaki: Generative AI has been rapidly gaining momentum since around the second half of last year. First, there was image generation AI, and around the beginning of the year, conversational AI, led by ChatGPT, also appeared.
The ability is great, but to get into the problems first, for example, copyright issues have emerged regarding image generation AI. Conversational AI, on the other hand, crawls and collects a large amount of information from the Internet, including fake news, hate, and discriminatory information.
OpenAI, the American NPO that makes ChatGPT, is very careful and excludes such information, but suspicious information still gets mixed in.
Therefore, using it as an encyclopedia is dangerous in many ways, and problems have actually occurred.
So, putting that topic aside for a moment, what kind of ways will it be used in the future? Regarding image generation AI, we don't know what the future holds, but for now, it is possible to use it by entering text to give instructions and drawing pictures. I let them make it.
Give instructions in text, such as ``A painting of Shibuya Station drawn by Van Gogh.''
This type of text input is called a ``prompt'' in English, and the traditional method of creative directors and designers giving instructions to illustrators using rough sketches or storyboards will be replaced with text.
In this case, we need someone who can provide accurate and good sentences, someone who has the ability to be a prompt engineer. This is the same with conversational AI, and the accuracy and breadth of the answer will vary greatly depending on the question format and text.
Regarding ChatGPT, a while ago New York City in the United States banned access to ChatGPT on online terminals and the Internet for school organizations.
ChatGPT is said to be prohibited because it will write homework and essays for you, but this was actually the same thing that was said when search engines came out.
It means that you can find the answer to anything by searching. However, more than 20 years have passed since search engines were introduced, and we now know that this is not a big deal.
This saves me a huge amount of time and allows me to often do my preliminary research on my home computer. By looking up the previous knowledge on a search engine, you can use your free time for deep analysis and consideration, which is very important because it has become easier to climb the ``stairway of knowledge''.
The same can be said for ChatGPT, and using what you hear and answer as material, think about something even more profound. By interacting with AI, you can organize your thoughts, discover perspectives you were unaware of, and improve your thinking and analytical skills.
For those who can use it in this way, I think conversational AI will be an effective tool to advance human knowledge and lead to more human-like jobs that won't be taken over by AI. .
——What do you think about the practical possibilities of “Metaverse”?
Sasaki: Regarding the Metaverse, ``Second Life'' briefly became popular about 10 years ago.
So far, the major evolution since the days of Second Life has been the spread of head-mounted displays, but there hasn't been much discussion about what further possibilities there are.
What is currently popular is ``VR chat,'' in which people wearing avatars talk to each other in the Metaverse, but this is just entertainment after all.
On the other hand, technology is rapidly evolving, and perhaps the biggest turning point is that Apple is said to be releasing glasses for AR (Augmented Reality) instead of VR (Virtual Reality) within this year. .
It is not a so-called head-mounted display, but a transparent type that allows you to see the real scenery on the other side. The reason why we're going in that direction is because we can't live in VR with a head-mounted display.
It goes without saying that if you wear a head-mounted display, it will be difficult to eat and drink, and it will be difficult to participate in everyday life. The reason smartphones have become so popular is because they have become an indispensable part of our lives.
Personally, I don't think the Metaverse will become more popular unless it becomes a necessity in daily life, like viewing maps and sending messages.
If you think about it that way, I think the first step will be for AR glasses to become widespread. It is also said that the next version of the Oculus series produced by Facebook's Meta company will be fully transparent.
In fact, Mark Zuckerberg has also said that ``AR is the key to the Metaverse.''
AR is "Holy Grail". In short, we are saying that success with AR will lead to domination of the metaverse.
So, what can be done at that time? Another direction of technology is that, rather than the current avatar, technology is gradually being developed to project one's own face and body directly into the Metaverse space.
For example, if you take a photo of yourself with your iPhone, a close-to-real image of yourself will appear in the Metaverse. Furthermore, if you can live your life wearing AR glasses, you will be able to have online meetings more realistically, as if you were actually meeting with someone in a conference room or reception room somewhere.
What technologies and fields are you paying attention to in Web3.0?
Sasaki: I'm paying attention to the fact that this technology, or rather, that both autonomous driving and the Metaverse will change the concept of ``distance and movement.''
Meeting people online in the Metaverse will become more realistic, and at the same time, the spread of self-driving cars will make it much easier to travel to meet people in real life.
For example, taxis are currently expensive, but Elon Musk has been saying for some time that if autonomous driving becomes widespread, driverless taxis will become as expensive as buses and trains.
Nowadays, we struggle to move from place to place, but I think there is a huge possibility that changes in technology will democratize movement and make it easier in the future.
If this happens, the concepts of distance and movement will change significantly, and the relationship between ``cities and rural areas'' will inevitably change as well. If we could have realistic meetings and chats in the Metaverse, and if we could go anywhere while sleeping in self-driving cars, I think the disadvantages of living in rural areas would disappear even more.
Is it possible that Japan's first platform will appear and become popular in the Web 3.0 world?
Sasaki: This is the case now, and will continue to be the case in the future when it comes to platform businesses, which are all about AI and data. This is exactly the case with DX, where we are talking about creating business models using AI and data.
However, the current situation is that Japanese companies have not collected data properly and have not faced AI. When it comes to AI, the current state of the art in the world is in the United States with OpenAI and Google, but China is said to be next, and China has by far the largest number of papers related to AI.
In the past few years, the United States has become stricter about privacy due to the Facebook information leak incident. The EU is even stricter, and so is Japan.
It is difficult for AI to evolve in countries where privacy is strict. That's natural. Because I can't get the data. On the other hand, China is a country where the government does not care about privacy, so they can use as much data as they want. If you think about it that way, China has huge potential, and Japan can't do that either, so it might be difficult.
However, when it comes to AI technology, it is said around the world that it is not good for one company to completely monopolize it.
For example, if some giant hedge fund were to start using its own super-skilled AI to conduct investment and financial business, it would become a complete winner.
Therefore, the trend among AI researchers is to make various AI-related technologies public as much as possible. There is also the possibility that Japanese startups and other companies can utilize such technology to create new platform businesses that utilize AI.
In fact, in the field of autonomous driving, Kazunari Yamamoto, who created an AI for shogi, is creating a startup car manufacturer to promote. So the possibility of that happening is not zero.
Especially now, we are in an era of paradigm shift or change. Google search and SNS, which used to be centered around smartphones, are nearing completion, and we are now in an era where new business models need to be created.
Amid various changes, companies that can create new business models will win. It is predicted that such an era will arrive within the next few years, so this is an opportunity.
But that can probably be done by young people's startups. I don't think traditional large Japanese companies will be able to do that now.
This book is full of methods for connecting the ``fragmented knowledge and information'' scattered in today's world, from books to internet news to SNS, to ``genuine thinking ability'' and ``new creative ability.''
A book that will help you acquire the latest skills needed in the ``distracting'' world of the smartphone age, such as ``reading ability,'' ``thinking ability,'' ``writing ability,'' and ``idea technique.''
The 20-page color page at the beginning includes photos of ``2,000 books on the workspace bookshelf'' and ``a complete list of iPhone apps.''
In the era of Web 2.0, the Internet seemed to have undergone a change from "centralization" to "decentralization."
However, with the rise of "Big Tech" and "GAFAM" that subsequently appeared, the era once again moved towards centralization.
Will "Web3" including blockchain be the key to escaping from enslavement to Big Tech?
A must-read for today's world, asking how NFTs, token economies, and the Metaverse will change the times.
◉Toshihisa Sasaki
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1961. Dropped out of Waseda University's Faculty of Political Science and Economics. After working as a Mainichi Shimbun reporter and Monthly ASCII editorial department, he worked as a freelance journalist. ``The Era of Curation'' (Chikuma Shinsho), ``Layered World'' (NHK Publishing Shinsho), ``Homemade food is the best feast. ” (Magazine House), “And life becomes a community. ” (Anonyma Studio) and many other books.
Toshihisa Sasaki's thoughts on "Reasons and background for DX not spreading" Tech and Future Vol.1
Toshihisa Sasaki thinks about the “digital generation gap” Tech and Future Vol.2
Interview Iolite FACE vol.10 David Schwartz, Hirata Roi PHOTO & INTERVIEW "Yukos" Special feature "Trends in the cryptocurrency industry in Japan", "Trump vs. Harris: What will happen to the cryptocurrency industry?", "Was the reputation economy a prophecy?" Interview: Simon Gerovich, Metaplanet Co., Ltd., Kim Dong-Gyu, CALIVERSE Series Tech and Future Sasaki Toshinao...etc.
