Facebook announced a plan to create 10,000 new high-skilled jobs within the European Union (EU) over the next five years to build what it calls the metaverse. The company explained that the computing platform will be made up of interconnected virtual experiences using virtual and augmented reality, among other technologies. The idea is to create a universe where interacting online becomes closer to how people interact in person.
No one company will own and operate the metaverse, Facebook added. Like the internet, its key feature will be its openness and interoperability. Facebook noted that bringing this to life will take collaboration and cooperation across companies, developers, creators and policymakers. For Facebook, it will also require continued investment in product and tech talent, as well as growth across the business.
In September, Facebook committed USD 50 million towards building the metaverse. In August, Facebook’s Oculus launched the open beta of its VR-based remote work app Horizon Workrooms, available free on its Oculus Quest 2 in all countries where Quest 2 is supported. The service allows users of the company's Oculus Quest 2 headsets to hold meetings as avatar versions of themselves.
The company said it looks forward to working with governments across the EU to find the “right people and the right markets” to take its metaverse project forward.
