The Second Wave of the Metaverse : Has the Metaverse Really Died?

By 2022–2023, “metaverse” seemed like a fading buzzword. VRChat, Roblox, and Meta Horizon persisted, but public attention shifted to AI.

In 2025, a new narrative emerges: Spatial Computing and AI World-Building are reviving the idea of immersive virtual worlds,

but with far more automation and scalability.

What is Spatial Computing?

Spatial Computing goes beyond VR/AR. It integrates real-world space and digital objects for natural interaction:

• Apple Vision Pro: Launch apps in 3D space, manipulate with hands

• Meta Quest 4: Mixed-reality games and collaboration tools

• Samsung XR Headset: MR device integrated with Google ecosystem

The key idea: apps live in your physical space, not just on a screen.

What is AI World-Building?

Traditional metaverse creation required months of modeling and coding. Now, AI can generate worlds instantly:

• Unreal Engine + AI: Prompt-based world generation, automatic NPC creation

• Roblox + AI Assistant: Auto-generation of items and maps

• Unity Muse: Code and art resource generation

AI now designs environments, stories, characters, and interactions, democratizing virtual world creation.

Why This Matters

• - Cost Reduction: Prototyping maps in minutes instead of months

• - Democratized Creation: Anyone can generate worlds via prompts

• - Real-Time Interaction: NPCs powered by GPT-4o-like models for natural conversations

• - Industry Expansion: Beyond gaming—education, architecture, marketing, and collaboration

Examples

• - Meta Horizon Worlds: AI builder boosts user-generated content

• - Roblox AI Code Assist: Kids can create games with simple commands

• - Apple Vision Pro: Designers convert 2D designs (Figma) into 3D apps using AI

• - Architecture & Real Estate: AI simulates buildings and cityscapes before physical construction

Traditional Metaverse vs AI World-Building

Industry Applications

• Education: Students explore AI-generated historical cities

• Marketing: Interactive AI worlds for campaigns

• Real Estate / Architecture: Simulate buildings in VR before construction

• Remote Collaboration: AI virtual offices for meetings

Future Directions

• World Models: OpenAI, DeepMind researching comprehensive world simulation

• Platform Standards: Unreal, Unity, Roblox, Apple competing for AI metaverse dominance

• Economy Integration: AI world-building + NFTs for creator economy

• Hybrid UX: Seamless transition between real and AI-generated spaces

Skills to Study

Quick Roadmap

2. Quick start: Unity + C#

3. High-end graphics: Unreal Engine + C++

4. Apple Vision Pro: Swift + RealityKit

5. Web / Cross-platform XR: WebXR + JS/TS

6. AI + XR Fusion: Python for AI + 3D engine integration