The Metaverse must also be educated about inclusion and diversity
The centrality of inclusion and the new generations was the focus of Cristiana Scelza , president of Valore D,'s speech at the "For a good job, you need to participate" conference held during the Rimini Meeting. Along with the president of the business association that promotes gender balance and a culture of inclusion in Italy, the stage was also attended by Claudio Durigon, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies; Member of Parliament Lorenzo Malagola; Massimo Monacelli, General Manager of Generali Italia; and Fabrizio Ruggiero, CEO of Edenred Italia.
The debate was sparked by the recent approval of the law on worker participation in companies.
And it is within the framework of the Rimini Meeting that Valore D has chosen to present D-Verso , the code of conduct for inclusive innovation developed with Accenture and the Polytechnic University of Milan. The paper proposes nine guiding principles to support companies in building an inclusive and responsible Metaverse, based on key values such as inclusion and accessibility, awareness and security, privacy and transparency, equity, social responsibility, and sustainability.
In her speech at the debate, President Cristiana Scelza emphasized that "the most diverse companies are the ones that perform best. McKinsey tells us they are 39% more likely to achieve superior financial performance." Changing the work paradigm are young people who "want to be listened to, valued, and engaged. They are attracted to companies that offer smart working and a healthy work-life balance." Currently, however, only 35% of young people are satisfied, partly because "the world of work is lagging behind," she observed.
The Metaverse is the future, but today we're still lagging behind in the areas of diversity and inclusion. " In Italy, listed companies don't even have 5% female CEOs. It's a huge cultural problem , but—and I always say this—inclusion is an incredibly difficult process. Because when you work in a company and there's constant pressure to deliver, the only thing you want is to have people around you who say exactly what you think, how you think it, and when you think it."
Corporate strategies that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion pay particular attention to young people, but these are the same people who are leaving Italy.
"And they do it for several reasons," Scelza continues. " We need a well-planned repatriation plan that brings back people who have made sacrifices, because leaving home, traveling, leaving is tiring, it's violent, because you're entering a world where people don't speak your language, don't eat what you like," emphasizes the president of Valore D, drawing on her extensive experience abroad.
" During my time abroad, I grew much more than I could have grown staying at home. It's a huge issue, it's cultural, but it's also a long-term strategic issue, both for companies and governments. Forward-thinking companies, like the one I've been with for 28 years, are the ones that take talent, send it around the world, and then bring it back home."
Farsighted, like the CEOs who form boards of under-35s: "And it's wonderful to talk to the CEOs of these companies because they allow themselves the luxury of flying. Young people are now pushing us to work differently."
Launching the D Verso program at the Rimini Meeting, explains the president, stems from the consideration that " here we are talking about the future and the Metaverse is one of the frontiers of the future, so this event is the ideal place to present this project."
For the Metaverse to be a human-scale space for relationships, however, it must be built according to principles such as equal opportunity, accessibility, and social responsibility. And it's important to understand who programs it and how the programmers are educated...
"D Verso will kick off in October 2024 with a working group called by Valore D, in collaboration with Accenture and the Metaverse Marketing Lab at the Polytechnic University of Milan, for precisely this reason: to analyze the risks associated with creating a virtual reality that replicates prejudices and biases that exist in real life . And the fact is that all these immersive realities, with so much economic potential, can very easily become a threat if left unregulated. And that's exactly what this project is doing: providing guiding principles for the education and training of those who program the Metaverse," Scelza explains. He continues: "Simply put, we need to consider the presence of women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) world , because who programs? Programmers. And who are programmers?"
A rhetorical question considering the vast majority of them are male. And that's why we need teams that respect diversity : "It's absolutely essential to ensure the diversity of those working on this and to have team members who are also trained and aware of existing biases."
Training and education are therefore essential for an inclusive and accessible Metaverse. But how can we ensure it's also safe and, above all, prevent the virtual world from falling prey to fake news and misinformation?
For Scelza, " it's only education that saves me , education through constant information and through direct and indirect sources. Every time I read something, I also check other sources to see if it's true or not. Unfortunately, and it's been like this for years, we're bombarded by fake news from all sides," and this applies to both the metaverse and artificial intelligence. So, "education is always fundamental. And I'd add, even though we're all talking about STEM now, I think the humanities will become increasingly important."
Opening image photo by julien Tromeur on Unsplash
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