Complex Technologies Converge: Privacy and Cybersecurity Considerations for Artificial Intelligence in The Metaverse

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and at the forefront of this evolution is artificial intelligence (“AI”) and the metaverse. AI systems have access to vast amounts of personal data and the metaverse offers a new platform for social interaction and commerce. As the use of AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous and the metaverse continues to evolve, organizations should contemplate the implications posed by the use of AI in the metaverse, including: 1) data privacy concerns, 2) algorithmic and automated decision-making bias, 3) cybersecurity threats, and 4) regulation. 

By Garylene Javier & Christiana State^[1]

I. OVERVIEW

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and at the forefront of this evolution is artificial intelligence (“AI”) and the metaverse. AI systems have access to vast amounts of personal data and the metaverse offers a new platform for social interaction and commerce. As the use of AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous and the metaverse continues to evolve, organizations should contemplate the implications posed by the use of AI in the metaverse, including: 1) data privacy concerns, 2) algorithmic and automated decision-making bias, 3) cybersecurity threats, and 4) regulation.

II. WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

Artificial intelligence (“AI”), broadly, is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.^[2] AI developers use algorithms and statistical models to “train” the AI sy