Overview and Summary: With advancements in spatial internet, and the impending spread of 5G and smart eyewear, the prospect of a metaverse—a persistent, shared, digitally mediated realm that layers into the physical world—is coming into focus.

New Realities: Diminished reality (DR) is the field of augmented reality (AR) that focuses on virtually masking, reducing, or suppressing features of one’s environment.

Scenarios - Near-Future Optimistic Scenario, and Expert Insight: Holographic displays allow content creators to see their digital designs in physical space.

Synthetic Media and Content: Synthetic media consists of algorithmically generated digital content, including audio, video, deepfakes, virtual characters and environments, and more.

News and Information - Expert Insight: Powerful people frequently dismiss justified protest and credible accusations as “cancel culture” to evade consequences for their actions.

Scenarios - Near-future Pessimistic Scenario: Digital frailty is when digital assets are impermanent or easily compromised by technical glitches.

Expert Insight, Journalism-as-a-service, Media Consolidation, and More: On the fringes, news organizations are beginning to provide journalism as a service, rather than as traditional news products.

Scenarios, Applications, and Key Questions: For those working in creative industries, a transformation is underway, which will unlock new business opportunities and shape the future of media and entertainment.

About Authors at the Future Today Institute (FTI)