The Metaverse as a Future Threat Landscape: An Interdisciplinary Perspective.

Area of Science:

• Cybersecurity
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Emerging technologies like the metaverse present dual-use capabilities, offering benefits alongside risks of harm.
• The term 'metaverse' is often ambiguous, necessitating a clear definition and understanding of its characteristics.
• Existing research on violent extremism needs to incorporate the unique aspects of the metaverse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the metaverse and its characteristics as an emerging ecosystem.
• To synthesize metaverse concepts with violent extremist literature to identify potential manifestations of extremist activities.
• To explore psychological mechanisms through which the metaverse could become a future threat landscape.

Main Methods:

• Defining the metaverse and outlining its unique characteristics.
• Synthesizing definitional framing with violent extremist literature.
• Drawing on psychology literature to identify potential threat mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The metaverse can be utilized for terrorist and extremist activities such as recruitment, planning, and financing.
• The metaverse offers novel opportunities for advancing violent missions beyond traditional internet use.
• Potential psychological mechanisms for metaverse-driven extremism have been identified.

Conclusions:

• The metaverse represents a new frontier for violent extremism, requiring dedicated research and counter-strategies.
• Understanding the metaverse's unique ecosystem is crucial for addressing its potential misuse.
• Further research is needed to fully grasp and mitigate the future threat landscape posed by the metaverse.