What Does the Metaverse Really Mean? Insights from Microsoft China’s CTO

The term "Metaverse" has surged worldwide, sparking both hype and skepticism; some equate it with VR, while others see it as a broader vision. Microsoft China CTO Wei Qing shares his perspective on what the Metaverse truly represents.

Originating from the 1990s sci‑fi novel Snow Crash , the Metaverse is viewed as an extension of the real world onto the Internet, attracting tech giants that leverage 5G, AR/VR, wearables, and other frontier technologies to realize this vision.

Visionaries like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg proclaim themselves believers in the Metaverse, calling it the successor to mobile Internet. In China, Tencent has filed nearly a hundred Metaverse‑related trademarks, and ByteDance acquired VR device maker Pico for billions.

However, executives from Apple and Microsoft adopt a cautious stance. Apple CEO Tim Cook distinguishes "augmented reality" from the Metaverse, refusing to misuse buzzwords.

Wei Qing prefers the term "virtual space," a translation from Satya Nadella’s Chinese edition of Refresh , arguing it better captures the original intent of Snow Crash and is easier for the public to understand.

According to Wei, the core challenges are consistent: the relationship between humans and machines and the mission of technology. He stresses that merely owning technology does not guarantee effective application; long‑term learning and experimentation are essential.

Using machine learning as an example, he notes the gap between "having" and "utilizing" technology is a major obstacle for many industries.

He further explains that a pure virtual space is only part of the solution; integrating it with the physical world—through cyber‑physical systems (CPS) or digital twins—provides a more precise expression of technology’s human‑centric purpose.

In this framework, every physical object and its attributes must be digitally modeled, enabling computations in cyberspace that are then mapped back to enhance real‑world capabilities.

Wei emphasizes that all these concepts—Metaverse, virtual space, CPS, digital twins, IoT—share a common root: they aim to solve the age‑old problems of computability and purpose, ultimately addressing the human‑machine relationship and technology’s mission.

He likens the evolution of information technology to the electrification of society, suggesting that cloud computing, big data, and IoT will become public infrastructure akin to electricity, empowering a new era of "information power."

Regarding artificial intelligence, Wei cites Yann LeCun’s contributions and stresses that while AI is hailed as a "crown jewel," its practical breakthroughs require solid engineering, high‑quality data, and sustained effort rather than solely cutting‑edge algorithms.

He notes that 80% of AI project effort goes into data collection and cleaning, with only 20% devoted to algorithmic work, highlighting the importance of reliable, maintainable technologies over the newest research.

Finally, Wei argues that the current stage of AI is limited to pattern recognition and perception, and that focusing on existing machine capabilities—rather than speculative future abilities—allows us to apply technology responsibly and benefit humanity.