The world of virtual reality has taken a big leap forward, as lawmakers in Colombia held a successful court hearing in Meta’s metaverse platform. The two-hour hearing was conducted using Horizon Workrooms, which allows teams to get together in a virtual workspace. The lawyers and complainants participating in the hearing appeared in the meeting as computer-generated avatars.
The use of information technology in the development of judicial proceedings has the essential purpose of facilitating and expediting these processes [of executing justice].
María Victoria Quiñones Triana, magistrate of the Magdalena court.
While the hearing was hailed as a success by those participating, not all viewers on YouTube agreed. Some commented that seeing cartoon-like figures was ridiculous and took away from the seriousness of the case. “If I want to see myself in a dinosaur character, is that also acceptable?” one viewer asked.
Virtual court hearings and meetings in general became the norm in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom was the platform of choice for most professionals, but Meta’s Horizon Workrooms has taken virtual meetings to the next level. This is not the first time a court hearing has been conducted in Meta’s metaverse. Local media reported that a Chinese court held a virtual meeting using the platform last September. A Singaporean minister also suggested that court hearings can be effectively held in the metaverse
While Meta’s virtual reality division is currently losing money, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged more investment into the metaverse space. “The two major technological waves driving our roadmap are AI today, and, over the longer term, the metaverse,” he said last month.
Meta’s Reality Labs lost a whopping $4.28 billion in 2022 Q4. Despite this, Zuckerberg remains bullish on the technology, and believes it has the potential to revolutionize the way people live and work. “We believe that the metaverse will be the next generation of the internet, and that it will help unlock new opportunities for people, businesses, and communities,” he said.
Virtual court hearings are just one example of how the metaverse could be used in the future. It has the potential to revolutionize not just the legal system, but also education, entertainment, and social interactions. In the metaverse, people can be whoever they want to be and do whatever they want, without the limitations of the physical world. However, there are still some concerns about the use of the metaverse in legal proceedings. Some critics argue that it takes away from the seriousness of the case, and that it could be difficult to determine the authenticity of evidence presented in the virtual world.
Despite these concerns, the successful court hearing in Colombia is a promising sign for the future of the metaverse. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see more and more applications of virtual reality in various aspects of our lives.
It remains to be seen whether the metaverse will be the financial success that Zuckerberg hopes it will be, but there is no doubt that it has the potential to change the way we live and work in the future. As more countries and industries explore the possibilities of this new technology, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the years to come.
The use of the metaverse in a court hearing is an exciting development that could have significant implications for the future of the legal system. While there are still some concerns about the use of virtual reality in legal proceedings, the successful hearing in Colombia is a promising sign for the future of the metaverse. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see even more innovative applications of virtual reality in various aspects of our lives.