Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm Not Really Sure the Average Person Can Tell You What the Metaverse Is'

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been touring Europe this week, sitting down for interviews with various media publications. Augmented reality has been a running theme in Cook's discussions, and it is a topic he brought up again in an interview with Dutch publication Bright, which is part of RTL News.

"I think AR is a profound technology that will affect everything," Cook said, echoing comments from Italy earlier in the week. "Like I said, we are really going to look back and think about how we once lived without AR."

Cook went on to say that it "won't be that long" before we live in a world where we wonder how we did without augmented reality. Cook said that virtual reality also has its uses because of how immersive it is, but it is not a replacement for real life.

"It's something you can really immerse yourself in. And that can be used in a good way. But I don't think you want to live your whole life that way. VR is for set periods, but not a way to communicate well. So I'm not against it, but that's how I look at it."

On Facebook's "metaverse," Cook said that it's important that people have an understanding of a product. "I'm really not sure the average person can tell you what the metaverse is," he added. Metaverse is a word that precedes Facebook, having first been used in the sci-fi novel "Snow Crash," but Facebook has embraced it, going as far as renaming the company "Meta." Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the company is committed to developing a "metaverse," aka a future digital reality.

Apple is hard at work on its own virtual and augmented reality headset that's expected to be released in 2023, followed by AR "Apple Glasses" that could come out in 2024, but Cook has made it clear that Apple does not want to keep people from actual reality.

As he often does, Cook also spoke on the importance of programming as a universal language, and he touched on topics like climate change, recycling, and politics. Cook's full interview can be read over at Bright using Google translate for those who do not speak Dutch.

Cook this week also spent time in London visiting AFC Richmond, home of "Ted Lasso," Italy where he was awarded with an Honorary Degree in Innovation and International Management, and Germany, where he celebrated Oktoberfest and met up with developers.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm Not Really Sure the Average Person Can Tell You What the Metaverse Is'

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Haha, Tim

Zuckerberg says there will be 1 billion people using metaverse in the next 10 years:

Mark Zuckerberg envisions a billion people in the metaverse spending hundreds of dollars each

Zuckerberg is happy with the progress of Meta Platforms' Quest 2 headset. Now he has a big goal for 2030 that involves a user base spending meaningfully.

www.cnbc.com

 

[sw1tcher]

"I think AR is a profound technology that will affect everything," Cook said, echoing comments from Italy earlier in the week. "Like I said, we are really going to look back and think about how we once lived without AR."

... and wish we could go back

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Good god please change that cover image! Get him away! Get him awayyyyyyy!

 

[dgabel]

The TL;DR for the Metaverse: The next logical step on our dystopian timeline…

See Exhibit A…

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

VR is for set periods, but not a way to communicate well.

Bet

 

[JPack]

This is what will benefit Apple greatly as a first mover into this new market. Soon, there will be different metaverses - you can be certain only Apple Reality devices will be able to enter Apple's metaverse.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

Mark looks extremely creepy in the MetaVerse 😱 just in the same way that he spies on all of us.

 

[NT1440]

Haha, Tim

Zuckerberg says there will be 1 billion people using metaverse in the next 10 years:

Mark Zuckerberg envisions a billion people in the metaverse spending hundreds of dollars each

Zuckerberg is happy with the progress of Meta Platforms' Quest 2 headset. Now he has a big goal for 2030 that involves a user base spending meaningfully.

www.cnbc.com

And why would anyone believe Zuck on that?

 

[triptolemus]

Guess I'm old (46). I don't want anything to do with this ar/metaverse nonsense at all. I don't want a headset. I don't want glasses. I don't want implants. And I'm super tired of being presented with for-profit visions of the future.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This whole metaverse Just looks creepy. I’m not a big fan of it at all.

 

[Think|Different]

Even if that wasn't true, that's an amazing calculated statement!

 

[topdrawer]

Haha, Tim

Zuckerberg says there will be 1 billion people using metaverse in the next 10 years:

Mark Zuckerberg envisions a billion people in the metaverse spending hundreds of dollars each

Zuckerberg is happy with the progress of Meta Platforms' Quest 2 headset. Now he has a big goal for 2030 that involves a user base spending meaningfully.

www.cnbc.com

that's a lot of furries.

to be fair tho. ar is in pretty much every car now so a lot of people use it daily. just not on their phones.

 

[RedWeasel]

Mark looks extremely creepy in the MetaVerse 😱 just in the same way that he spies on all of us.

There's no universe or dimension where here he doesn't look creepy.

 

[hondo77]

Tim's not wrong.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Guess I'm old (46). I don't want anything to do with this ar/metaverse nonsense at all. I don't want a headset. I don't want glasses. I don't want implants. And I'm super tired of being presented with for-profit visions of the future.

You just haven't found anything in VR that would click with you yet. You'll find something you'll like. Just ask this guy:

 

[sorgo †]

Somehow metaverse Z-berg is even creepier than the real thing

 

[tgwaste]

Thats easy: Something stupid facebook came up with that no one will ever use.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

Metaverse, a big nope! Apple’s augmented reality? Big YES!

 

[Freida]

Something is definitely coming soon from Apple as in the past Tim would say its an area of interest but that would be about it. Now, he is starting to talk more and more so I guess the marketing mill is starting
Will be interesting what will Apple give us as AR/VR is very young and not as useful as it could be.

 

[nwcs]

Guess I'm old (46). I don't want anything to do with this ar/metaverse nonsense at all. I don't want a headset. I don't want glasses. I don't want implants. And I'm super tired of being presented with for-profit visions of the future.

Eventually I think people will tire of it. It's the same exact stuff as reality but repackaged for resale. Another form of escapism and fantasy until reality intervenes one way or another.

 

[nazaar]

Good god please change that cover image! Get him away! Get him awayyyyyyy!

Exactly my thought.

 

[BobSc]

Haha, Tim

Zuckerberg says there will be 1 billion people using metaverse in the next 10 years:

Haha, Justin. My soothsayer says that within the next 10,000 years, cats will have two tails.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Eventually I think people will tire of it. It's the same exact stuff as reality but repackaged for resale. Another form of escapism and fantasy until reality intervenes one way or another.

This is why I keep saying VR > AR. There's just way more fun stuff in VR. Stuff like fighting through the trenches of WWII committing espionage for the Allies, or face to face with Darth Vader as he assesses whether or not I'm fit to live or not, or being thrusted into a gladiatorial arena fighting others in the pit for fame and glory, playing poker with some strangers around the world in an old wild west saloon or a spy supervillain's volcano lair. Literally anyone can be a thrillseeker and do things they could never do in real life without any danger.

 

[hortod1]

I’m sure metaporn in the metaverse will be the next gazillion dollar industry