{"id":1361767,"date":"2022-03-07T08:18:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T13:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1361767"},"modified":"2022-03-07T08:25:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T13:25:38","slug":"is-the-metaverse-a-new-domain-of-warfare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-the-metaverse-a-new-domain-of-warfare\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Metaverse a New Domain of Warfare?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fis-the-metaverse-a-new-domain-of-warfare%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1361767&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"text-align-center\"><span><span><span><span><b><span><span>The Metaverse: A New Domain of Warfare?<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\"><strong><span><span><span><span>By Aaron Bazin<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\"><span><span><span><span><i>\u201cThe metaverse is here, and it\u2019s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it \u2013 from the factory floor to the meeting room.\u201d <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-align-center\"><span><span><span><span><i>~<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supplychaintoday.com\/best-metaverse-quotes\/\"><i>Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span>Today, one can quickly see how the virtual and physical worlds are becoming increasingly interconnected, interdependent, and indistinguishable from one another.\u00a0 The idea of the <i>metaverse<\/i> has emerged to describe this convergence and the concept continues to gain the attention in the public consciousness.\u00a0 In March 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/pr\/metaverse-small-caps-poised-after-goldman-sachs-points-to-8-trillion-upside\">Goldman Sachs<\/a> analysts estimated the growth of the metaverse economy could exceed $8 Trillion in coming years.\u00a0 Much like the airplane gave birth to the air domain, and the Internet resulted in the cyberspace domain, this article explores the idea that the metaverse may result in a new domain of warfare over time.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><b>The Domain of Domains<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span>In 2013, I had the opportunity to lead a team from the U.S., Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.\u00a0 Our task was to look at how each nation viewed the domains of warfare and reconcile any differences.\u00a0 A heated argument erupted after an officer from one country (that shall remain nameless) insisted that if cyberspace was a domain, then so too was the cognitive domain.\u00a0 I looked at Webster\u2019s dictionary definition of \u201cdomain,\u201d which confirmed my suspicions.\u00a0 I remembered the other officer had presented a definition as well, and I went back and looked at his.\u00a0 I realized he pulled it from a different dictionary.\u00a0 By the letter of that definition, his argument was sound.\u00a0 We were both right; we had become two countries separated by a common language!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span>I mention this staff officer war story because, without a doubt, any discussion on the domains of warfare can quickly find itself deep down a lexical rabbit hole.\u00a0 Moreover, any article that seeks to discuss a new domain of warfare will undoubtedly see more than its share of critics.\u00a0 In an attempt to avoid this, I will use the conceptual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com\/us\/definition\/american_english\/domain\">definition of a domain<\/a> for this article as \u201can area of knowledge or activity; especially one that someone is responsible for.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"MsoTableGrid\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Joint Doctrine Recognized Domains <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Other Domain-Like Areas<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Land<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Maritime<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Air<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Space<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Cyberspace<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Cognitive<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Electro-Magnetic Spectrum (EMS)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>High Frequency (HF) <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Human<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Information<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Subsurface<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Subterranean<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span><span><span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Here, I also feel there is the need to differentiate between the \u201crecognized domains\u201d of warfare per U.S. Joint Doctrine and all others whether they are called environments, areas, or any other synonym that is domain-like.\u00a0 As a baseline for this discussion, the chart above depicts the recognized domains of warfare according to current\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jcs.mil\/Doctrine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Joint doctrine<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0and other areas commonly discussed as domain-like.\u00a0 Given our conceptual definition of a domain, a baseline of the current state of play, and clarification as to what is currently a recognized domain, we can begin to unpack if the metaverse could be a new domain. However, first we should explore the metaverse and its emerging characteristics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><strong><span>What is the Metaverse?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>The word metaverse contains\u00a0<\/span><em><span>meta-<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0(meaning beyond) and\u00a0<\/span><em><span>-verse<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0(short for the universe), or a universe beyond the physical. According to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/358497370_Metaverse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>\u00a0Mystakidis<\/span><\/a><span>, the metaverse is \u201cthe post-reality universe, a perpetual and persistent multiuser environment merging physical reality with digital virtuality.\u201d Given this basic conceptual definition, we will investigate briefly how it developed and what technologies are driving its continued advancement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><a href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1145\/2480741.2480751\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>One can find<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0the literary roots of the metaverse in books such as\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Lord of the Rings, True Names, and Neuromancer,\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>with the word metaverse itself emerging in Stevenson\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Snow Crash<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0in 1992. The concept evolved through the 1970s and 1980s with role-playing games, like\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Dungeons and Dragons,\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>and computer games, such as\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Habitat\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>for the Commodore 64. As the Internet became more mainstream in the 1990s, open-ended virtual worlds with user-created content evolved, such as\u00a0<\/span><em><span>WebWorld, Active Worlds, and Online! Traveler.<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0\u00a0In the 2000s, the development of worlds became more user-driven and increasingly monetized through platforms like\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Second Life, Solipisis, and Open\u00a0<\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1145\/2480741.2480751\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><span><span><span>Simulator<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>Popular culture reflected the advancement of metaverse ideas in movies such as\u00a0<\/span><em><span>The Matrix, Her, Inception<\/span><\/em><span>, and\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Ready Player One<\/span><\/em><span>, and television shows such as\u00a0<\/span><em><span>Black Mirror<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><em><span>West World.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>Without question, the idea of a convergence of physical and virtual worlds is in the public consciousness and persists today.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>The metaverse results from the convergence of\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1145\/2480741.2480751\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>numerous technological advances<\/span><\/a><span>. The first worth noting are Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Extended \/ Cross Reality (XR).\u00a0VR is a virtual world that a person in the physical world can enter through various means. AR is an overlay of the virtual on top of the material. MR is the idea that the physical environment interacts with the virtual in real-time. Finally, extended Reality or Cross Reality (XR) is simply an umbrella term for VR, AR, and MR technologies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>The next family of technologies that is critical to understand if one wants to know where the metaverse is going is the Internet of Things. Using a variety of sensors and intelligent devices, the IoT allows the physical and virtual to interact with one another. Here devices can sense aspects of the physical world and communicate to other devices. IoT technology continues to couple with new advanced areas such as Big Data, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence and resulting the compounded growth in capability, complexity, and scope. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>The final group of technologies relates to the blockchain. Blockchain technology can help build virtual trust, decentralize verification of information transactions, and create self-organizing communities through smart contracts (e.g., decentralized autonomous organizations). As Web2, the current centralized Internet, evolves into Web3, blockchain provides the underlying framework for people to organize and even own virtual space. Pseudonymous identities that people create on the blockchain may have an increased impact on the real world, and the communities they make will increasingly affect all aspects of physical life, making the distinction between physical and virtual increasingly difficult over time.\u00a0 That brings us to our final question.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><strong><span>Is the Metaverse a New Domain of Warfare?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0One logical assertion about domains of warfare that one can make is that as humans have made technological developments, they have employed these developments in new ways on the battlefield. Although one cannot go back in time to see how the domains of warfare evolved with their own eyes, it is reasonable to assert that skirmishes and wars first occurred on land until humans possessed the ability to build ships. Next, the air and space domains took shape once humans gained the technology for controlled flight and spaceflight. Of course, then came cyberspace as a domain of warfare to get us to where we are at today.\u00a0Interestingly, the later domains (air, space, and cyberspace) have progressed parallel to (and often following) the commercial sector. Simply put, if technology has driven the evolution of domains, and the metaverse is the next big thing, is a metaverse domain next? If current technology continues to emerge on its current trajectory and people live their lives in the metaverse, arguably, warfare could extend int the metaverse as a new domain.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The current doctrine defining the cyberspace domain is necessary but insufficient to describe the metaverse accurately.\u00a0 The current <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/defenseinnovationmarketplace.dtic.mil\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/12102012_io1.pdf\">JP 3-13 definition<\/a><span> of the cyberspace domain is \u201cwithin the information environment consisting of the interdependent networks of information technology infrastructures and resident data, including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers.\u201d While this definition is adequate to address purely virtual worlds, the question arises as the virtual and physical domains become indistinguishable from one another, is a new domain or definition needed?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Another interesting aspect is that new military concepts, such as\u00a0<\/span><em><span>cross-domain<\/span><\/em><span>,\u00a0<\/span><em><span>multi-domain,<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span><em><span>all-domain<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0operations, seek to capture military advantage by synchronization and integration across domains. So, the idea is that a more significant combined advantage is possible by leveraging all domains with one another.\u00a0This begs the question, how is this different than a meta-domain than what the services already propose? Perhaps, it is not too different at all. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><strong><span>Conclusion<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0This article may have raised more questions than it has offered concrete answers. Today, the best solution to the question is that is the metaverse has the potential to become a new domain of warfare. If the idea of the metaverse continues to mature in society and popular culture, there may be an increasing amount of unique military implications. And, if these military implications run counter to established Joint doctrine and dogmas, it may be wise for the Joint Force to explore the idea of the metaverse as a domain further. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span>It is always tricky to explore the future, but as Michael Howard said, the idea purpose of looking at the future of war is not to get it right, but to avoid getting it terribly wrong. Where the metaverse is going next is anyone\u2019s guess. However, if adversaries can use the metaverse to erode U.S. military advantage, it is reasonable to expect that they will exploit any opportunity to do so.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span><span><span><span>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212; <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span>The author would like to thank Mr. Ken Waller for his ideas that inspired the writing of this article.\u00a0 This article is the author\u2019s own work and does not represent the opinions or positions of the DoD, USSOCOM, or any other entity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Metaverse: A New Domain of Warfare?By Aaron Bazin \u201cThe metaverse is here, and it\u2019s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it \u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1892050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1361767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1361767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1892050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1361767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1361767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1361767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}