• Pavel Sidorenko Bautista: Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (Spain).
(Reference Coordinator for Correspondence:): pavel.sidorenkobautista@unir.net
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8094-3089
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=NZkQkeEAAAAJ&hl=es

• Bárbara Castillo Abdul: Universidad de Diseño, Innovación y Tecnología (Spain). barbara.castillo@udit.es
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3711-1519
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?hl=es&user=E74B2F0AAAAJ

• Suzana Oliveira Barbosa: Universidad Federal de Bahia (Brazil).
sobarbosa@ufba.br
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3109-7637
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?hl=es&user=mNiYXHwAAAAJ

 

ABSTRACT
The Metaverse proposes a three-dimensional virtual world where users participate in political, economic, social, and cultural activities (Park & Kim, 2022). However, it could also be defined as a network of interconnected virtual spaces where physical reality and digital virtuality are intertwined (Simon, 2023). In other words, it is an updated version of the Internet or a new development for immersive video games.

It is common to see Generation Alpha (born from 2010 onwards) involved with this type of scenario, socializing and entertaining themselves through Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft, for example. However, players such as Meta, Decentraland, or The Sandbox, aware of this situation, have also tried to open their virtual worlds to other audiences, albeit with less success despite the integration of digital assets and virtual currencies.

This has meant an important paradigm shift that breaks with the precepts, codes, and times of the digital communication platforms of social networks. Different technological actors, especially in video games, are currently working on incorporating well-known non-playable characters (NPCs) into the metaverse. That is, avatars that do not correspond to human users but have the possibility of establishing similar relationships without elements of differentiation, and that thanks to generative artificial intelligence (from now on, AGI) become known as NEO NPC.

This technology leaves evidence advantages and at the same time uncertainties and challenges because the AGI would act by itself while the user connected to the metaverse would have no way to determine whether it is a robot or another person mediated by the virtuality of the case. It is more serious if the experience is immersive.

The AGI can sometimes behave unpredictably, incurring inappropriate ways and even impacting reputational issues since the NEO NPC is the visible virtual face of the actor it responds to. In other words, this poses a challenge of transparency and honesty when implementing strategies and resources of this type, which undoubtedly point to a benefit in the user experience (UX) but can also fuel the problem of misinformation.

Keywords: Metaverse, Immersion, Virtuality, Digital Communication, Artificial Intelligence, Web 3, Gen Alpha.

LINES OF RESEARCH
• The metaverse as a scenario for brand and corporate communication
• Marketing and advertising in the metaverse: evolution of digital narratives?
• Role of prosumers in the metaverse and their interaction with human and non-human avatars (NEO NCP/IAG)
• Culture in the metaverse: discourses, actions, and possibilities with the IAG
• Reflections on the impact of NEO NPCs or IAG in the metaverse in all areas of communication
• Innovative journalism, strategies, and possibilities for fact-checking in the metaverse
• Multi-format user experiences and integration in the metaverse
• Disinformation and journalism in the metaverse: new strategies
• The metaverse as a resource in transmedia strategies
• Impact of the IAG on the phenomenon of disinformation through the metaverse
• Educational and communicative possibilities of the metaverse: virtual interaction, community, and generative artificial intelligence resources
• Dissociations and alternative identities through avatars and IAG action in the metaverse
• Ethical challenges of metaverse

These lines of research represent key areas to better explore and understand the impact and implications of the Metaverse, generative AI, and communication on Gen Alpha and beyond.

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