Metaverse in spotlight at MWC tech fair even as doubts arise

By KELVIN CHAN
AP Business Writer

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Companies are spotlighting the metaverse at the MWC tech fair even as doubts of its viability have been creeping in following the initial hype. People could fly over futuristic cityscape in South Korea, fight a fire or go inside a human blood vessel in metaverse demonstrations at the world’s biggest telecom industry trade show, also known as Mobile World Congress. As businesses tout their virtual reality experiences for work and play at the expo this week in Barcelona, analysts say there’s skepticism about what role the metaverse will play beyond gaming. The metaverse exploded in popularity after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in late 2021 pronounced it as the next big thing for the internet.