Navigating the "Magic"

"In the next ten years, I think we're going to see magic," says Metaverse strategist, entrepreneur and community builder Eddie Avil.

"...As a creator, I think (we're) sitting in the most fantastic point in human history."

We're at a crossroads, he goes on to explain, where our choices are crucial.

"I think (we'll have an) exciting world if we do the right things (with AI)," he says.

Eddie has numerous ideas on ways creatives can navigate current developments in XR and AI, towards a more human-centered Metaverse.

And he's no stranger to creating XR magic.

XR and innovation

Eddie is the Founder of XR India Summit, a Metaverse and Web 3.0 gathering. Designed as a movement, rather than simply an event, XR India Summit's mission is to empower the community to create the people-centered next edition of the Internet.

He's also the Founder of XROM, a Mumbai-based AR/VR/MR focused Marketplace/Digital News Magazine. In addition, he is the host of two podcasts, as well as the Metaverse Strategist for leading Indian entertainment conglomerate Shemaroo, which has entertained audiences for more than six decades.

From problem-solving to world-changing

Often, Eddie says, the innovations he creates are in response to a question: "How do we solve this problem?"

In 2019, that question led him to create Immersion, India's first international VR film festival and conference.

Along the way, he and his team circumvented the problem of "no affordable VR cameras available" by constructing their own virtual-reality camera and rig. They would go on to use these new implements to create India's first 3D virtual reality award-winning horror short film, Crackle.



Eddie talked about his creative journey, the challenges he sees today with the proliferation of AI and its future convergence with XR, and his perspective on ways to make the future your own, as a creator.