ChatGPT, the Metaverse and the Future of Internal Communications

The Metaverse will be the most talked about technology in 2023 yet, for many, it remains obscure.

It is the next generation of the internet that is user-driven and controlled, and combines the physical and digital worlds, bringing new experiences and opportunities.

In business, it will offer a virtual space for people to interact and communicate freely and securely. It can exist either as a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environment.

Internal communicators of the future will need to understand how the Metaverse will change internal communications and how they can harness this technology to deliver higher-impact communication strategies.

Shift from Creation to Management

The most significant change will be in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP), which are quickly taking over content development.

A perfect example is how I used ChatGPT to create most of this article. If you haven’t heard of it, ChatGPT is one of the most advanced AI tools on the market and Microsoft is in talks to buy and integrate it within its Office and Bing products.

These kinds of developments mean that internal communication specialists will shift focus from content creation to content design and management.

Future-focused internal comms practitioners will be masters in defining the prompts needed for AI to produce high-quality content, with minimal editing needed.

This will allow for more content creation and will require better planning and management of content distribution.AI, ML, and NLP technologies also will allow for the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, which will enable internal communication teams to better understand their employees’ needs and preferences.

This will enable them to create more effective internal communication strategies and plans.

(Note that I spent 27 seconds writing the ChatGPT prompt needed to produce this article and approximately 45 minutes editing and enhancing it. When using an AI system to write content, be sure to look up references as sometimes the machine gets it wrong. This is why I included links in the text below to back up examples provided by ChatGPT.)

The Metaverse Office

In the future, internal comms teams will need to interact and communicate with employees in both physical and digital worlds. The use of virtual and augmented reality technology in the Metaverse will force internal communication teams to reach out to employees in new, innovative ways as companies create virtual versions of their offices and host digitally immersive events and conferences.

Therefore, you will need to design multiverse communication strategies: purely physical, physical with Augmented Reality (think of the movie Minority Report), and 100% virtual. For all of these, the experience, employee preferences, and possibilities will be completely different and will require different approaches.

Those who can learn how best to maximize each approach will become true business partners within their organizations. Think about how VR and AR will help in onboarding and training.

For example, Walmart has implemented the use of VR headsets to train their employees. The headsets allow Walmart employees to experience a virtual store environment and learn customer service skills in a realistic, safe, and cost-effective way.

Furthermore, the Metaverse offers new opportunities to communicate with employees in a more interactive and engaging way. By creating digital avatars, employees can benefit from informal conversations and interactions, and get a better understanding of their colleagues through how they choose to express themselves via their avatar design.

Microsoft s upgrading its platforms to deliver new experiences called Mesh, meaning these experiences will become mainstream very quickly.

Finally, the use of virtual and augmented reality technology will revolutionize the way internal communication teams deliver company events, while at the same time saving on costs associated with physical events.

From virtual conferences to virtual town halls, these technologies will allow employees to participate in events without having to travel. Furthermore, you will be able to design unique experiences better tailored to your audience. Deloitte is using this technology to increase engagement with their employees and customers.

Above All Remember This

The Metaverse will be ubiquitous before you know it. The speed in which the technology is advancing is unprecedented. It might appear overwhelming at times but the most important thing to remember are the principles that define the Metaverse: co-creation, community, and decentralization.

If you incorporate these principles into your internal communications strategy, then you will see that the Metaverse is simply a tool, like all technology, to deliver the best for your colleagues. 

*This is the original copy written in seconds by ChatGPT in response to my question, what is the Metaverse, and what it will mean for the future of Internal Communications?

What is the Metaverse? The Metaverse is an immersive, digital world, similar to the real world, but enhanced with capabilities made possible through technology.

It is a collective, shared virtual space where people can interact and collaborate in real time. It can exist either as a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environment.

The Metaverse is a combination of the physical world with the digital world, offering a virtual space for people to interact and communicate freely and securely.

Internal communicators of the future will need to understand how to effectively interact and communicate with employees in both physical and digital offices.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are quickly taking over content development and internal communication specialists will become more of content managers, using these technologies to facilitate communication.

The use of virtual and augmented reality technology in the Metaverse will revolutionize the way in which internal communication teams deliver company events.

From virtual conferences to virtual town halls, these technologies will allow employees to participate in events without having to leave the comfort of their own homes.

Companies are already using this technology to increase engagement with their employees and customers. For example, Walmart has implemented the use of VR headsets to train their employees.

The headsets allow Walmart employees to experience a virtual store environment and learn customer service skills in a realistic, safe, and cost-effective way.

The Metaverse also offers new opportunities for internal communication teams to communicate with their employees in a more interactive and engaging way.

By creating digital avatars, employees can interact in virtual spaces and join virtual meetings. This will allow for more informal conversations and a better understanding of their colleagues’ thoughts and feelings.

Companies such as Google and Microsoft are already using avatars in their communications and have reported improvements in engagement and collaboration.

The use of virtual and augmented reality technology in the Metaverse will also allow internal communication teams to reach out to employees in new, innovative ways.

Companies can create virtual versions of their offices and host virtual events and conferences. By doing so, companies can not only reach more people, but also save on costs associated with physical events such as travel and accommodation.

Companies such as Deloitte are already using this technology to host virtual events and conferences to reach out to their employees. The Metaverse will also have a positive impact on internal communications as it will provide easy access to data and analytics. AI, ML, and NLP technologies will allow for the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, which will enable internal communication teams to better understand their employees’ needs and preferences.

This will allow them to create more effective internal communication strategies and plans. In conclusion, the Metaverse will completely revolutionize the way in which internal communication teams communicate with their employees. AI, ML, and NLP technologies will take over content development and internal communication specialists will become content managers.

The use of virtual and augmented reality technology will completely change how internal communication teams deliver company events. Companies are already using this technology to increase engagement with their employees and customers.

The Metaverse will also provide easy access to data and analytics, which will allow internal communication teams to create more effective strategies and plans.