Tech CEO Calls Zuckerberg's Metaverse an 'Old Idea' that 'Never Worked'
The basic concept of the metaverse isn’t an especially new one, with science-fiction author Neal Stephenson coining the term in 1992 to describe an interconnected virtual reality space. However, only in recent years have major technology firms like Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta begun to take the idea seriously.
Meta and its competitors have made big promises regarding their work with VR technology. However, Meta’s yet to sell everyone on its vision of the future. One of these critics is former Evernote boss and current Mmhmm CEO Phil Libin. He lambasted Meta’s metaverse during a recent Insider interview, calling it “uncreative.”
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Phil Libin runs Mmhmm, a virtual presentation software designed to work with platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Libin and several coworkers recently tried out Meta’s first metaverse product, Horizon Workrooms. Like the rival Microsoft Mesh, Meta’s software is essentially a VR version of Zoom. It lets teams carry out business meetings in a virtual reality conference room.
Libin, who was already skeptical about the product going in, hated the experience, saying, “It was only tolerable for a few minutes.” Libin specifically criticized the inability to interact with real-world objects as a significant disadvantage compared to something like Zoom. For example, simply drinking a cup of coffee becomes a hassle with VR goggles strapped to one’s face.
This isn’t the first time Libin levied criticisms against Meta’s vision of the metaverse, previously saying that the hype reminded him of Soviet propaganda. However, he is also not the only person unimpressed with Meta and the metaverse in general, with John Carmack sharing his concerns back in
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