Execs at CES Look Ahead to Metaverse, Web3 in 2023

The newest tech innovations and advancements are often first showcased at the annual CES convention in Las Vegas. It was Variety Intelligence Platform’s first time at CES, so we thought it would be insightful to ask some execs what tech trend they were most excited about this year. 

“I can’t be here at CES in 2023 and not say the metaverse, and it’s both a media and tech trend,” said Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate EVP & Head of Global Products and Experiences, in an interview with VIP+. “I think the most exciting thing about the metaverse and the promise of what it will be and sort of the evolution of Web2 to Web3 is basically it’s going to change the way that we’re engaging with others, the way that we’re conducting business, the way that we’re experiencing entertainment.” 

Anyone who’s been following tech over the past year or two has been seeing the enthusiasm for web3 and metaverse build up rapidly. Judging by the conversations being had at CES 2023, it doesn’t look like that fervor will be dying down anytime soon. 

“I’m excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we’ve seen with digital collectibles and NFTs,” Greg Reed, Universal Pictures’ VP of Technology Partnerships, said in an interview with VIP+. “And actually starting to think about how we can use the technology for good, for improving digital products and services to provide better experiences for our customers.” 

In addition to just the broader excitement around the development of Web3, metaverse and blockchain, having real use cases for that kind of technology is what’s exciting, according to Blockchain Creative Labs Chief Experience Officer John S. Couch.  

Couch said protecting identity using blockchain will be critical as the world continues to see the migration towards a more remote and virtual world, particularly with the emergence of deep fakes and A.I.  

While the past two years have been about learning and understanding, the innovation around metaverse will likely evolve from just experiments to things that become mainstream in 2023, according to Roberto Hernandez, PwC’s Global Metaverse Leader.