Socialising is taking place increasingly online and forms a fundamental pillar of the metaverse. We expect to see continued developments in this space as individuals seek greater opportunities to connect. Meta Platforms’ (formerly Facebook) chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has made a significant commitment to building the metaverse, and announced capital expenditure of $29bn to $34bn this year – compared to $19bn last year - including investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning.8 Meta has also announced a $50m global research programme working with partner organisations to ensure the metaverse is developed responsibly.9