The Metaverse Wasn't the First: Why Tech's Latest Hype Won't Stick

The article exposes a predictable cycle: tech leaders oversell transformative technologies as inevitable futures while public sentiment screams 'no.' From Zuckerberg's metaverse collapsing despite billions invested, to Palmer Luckey pivoting to military applications, the industry now repeats the pattern with AI—even as consumer trust plummets below every major US politician. The deeper issue: whether societies allow billionaire-backed visions to determine technological futures rather than genuine democratic choice.