Technology is evolving every day and there are Caribbean people paying attention and taking advantage of these advancements and reaping the rewards. The question is becoming less of, “Does the Caribbean want to be left behind?” but rather – “Are you willing to be left behind?”
Business Day spoke with digital business strategist and podcast host presenter Keron Rose and co-founder, director of Tech Beach and ChefMade Kyle Maloney, who both believe technology can slow and ultimately bring a halt to the brain drain which has been siphoning the region’s brightest and most talented to the economic north for decades.
Latest technology becoming mainstream
Rose believes TT must catch up with technology advancements to benefit from the rapidly evolving tech landscape. He said Facebook, now Meta, with its intended changes, will be an ideal platform and opportunity for more people to familiarise themselves with the latest facilities available in the tech space.
"It opens up a world of opportunity and now that it is mainstream, people won't have to leave paradise to work remotely, even for companies based abroad, and earn a living. This can be huge for TT and the entire region."
He warned unless creative professionals in TT start understanding and increasing interaction with new ways of monetising their original work, they will be left behind.
[caption id="attachment_923749" align="alignnone" width="683"] Digital strategist and podcast host Keron Rose believes Meta can open up a world of endless possibilities, especially for creative professionals. - Photo courtesy Keron Rose[/caption]
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company's name change to Meta at the Facebook Connect augmented and virtual reality conference on October 28, saying, "We are a company that builds technology to connect. Together, we can finally put people at the centre of our technology...to reflect who we are and what we hope to build."
While the name of the social media app will remain, the company, as Meta, moves toward further redefinition and rebranding.
Zuckerberg said the name Facebook can no longer fully encompass everything the company does now, and hopes over time it will be seen as a "metaverse."
"The metaverse is the next frontier, just like social networking was when we got started," Zuckerberg said.
Metaverse is defined as a digital space that combines elements of virtual reality, augmented reality, social media and the use of digital currency, which allows for a more immersive experience of technology.
Meta's stock went up by more than three per cent on the same day.
Rose said, "The biggest part of what Facebook will now be doing is that they will help in making virtual reality, augmented reality, NFTs and cryptocurrency more mainstream."
Virtual reality (VR) is a digital simulation that creates an experience similar to or different from the real world, such as video games or digital programmes used for medical or military training. Augmented reality (AR), on the other hand, is an enhanced digital simulati
