We should call it. Time of Death: June 2023. It's a mournful day for the self-proclaimed 'web3' evangelists as their underwhelming and short-lived metaverse breathes its last breath. But fear not, dear readers, for they have a brilliant new plan! They shall now rebrand themselves as the all-knowing 'Cloud AI' experts. How exciting! Because nothing screams cutting-edge like jumping on the bandwagon of another trendy buzzword. Actually, AI and Web3 don’t mix.

Congrats to those Web3 companies who did launch a business, but conversely, oh, how touching it is to witness these visionaries struggle to grasp the differences between Web, Cloud, and the Internet. It's almost endearing, really. They flail about, desperately trying to understand concepts that most of us have long taken for granted. It's like watching a confused toddler attempt quantum physics. Adorable.

And what's the first move in their brilliant rebranding strategy, you ask? Well, brace yourselves, because it's a real shocker: they're all flocking to sign up for Microsoft Azure Open AI accounts. Yes, that's right, Microsoft Azure! Because nothing says cutting-edge like hitching your wagon to a big-tech corporation that is oh-so-relevant to the 'web3' tokens currently plummeting in value.

Why didn’t Apple mention the metaverse or AI in launching their new headset? They are smart enough to create their own trends and hype, but not smart enough to lower their price.

But VR aside, wait, there's more! These self-proclaimed experts now want to worship and track Cloud AI services and processes. Are they taking a step back to web2? Or are they boldly leaping into the future of web4? Who knows? Is AI the new web4? I think it could be and we should hasten the demise of web3, if I did not already call it today.

It must be an arduous task for them to pretend that everything on the Internet is part of the web when, shockingly, it's not. It's almost as if they missed the memo that many services and protocols have always existed on the Internet, and the web was just one piece of the puzzle. But hey, why let pesky facts get in the way of their fervent worship of the web? It's a real sight to behold.

While these web enthusiasts continue to dwell in their antiquated and quaint world, the rest of us are moving on. Year after year, we rely less on the web as our devices, services, subscriptions, and needs find their home in the glorious cloud. The 2D web's relevance diminishes as we embrace the dimensionalized Internet on the Cloud, with the tantalizing possibility of an XR Metaverse in the distant future, far beyond the web's limited grasp.

So, for now, let's all sit back and enjoy a good chuckle at the demise of the 'web3' metaverse. The mainstream press and consumers alike have declared it dead, leaving our beloved web experts scrambling to hop onto the Azure OpenAI Cloud bandwagon. It's a delightful comedy of errors, one that deserves a round of applause for its sheer absurdity.

Oh, web3 enthusiasts, we shall miss your hilarious antics. But fear not, for the Cloud AI experts are here to take your place and lead us into a future beyond the web, beyond the cloud, and beyond the Internet. Let us embrace the possibility of a Metaverse that will never exist on the web, and revel in the irony of it all.

Chin up, dear web3 enthusiasts, the Cloud AI revolution awaits you! I just would not put a 4 after the name of your company quite yet.

About the Author

Having propelled two entertainment marketing agencies to 8 figure growth and worked with over 50 Fortune 500 companies, Curt Doty has a proven track record.

A former NBC Universal creative executive, Curt is an award-winning brander and marketer. As a creative entrepreneur, his sweet spot of innovation has been uniting the worlds of design, content and technology through MediaSlam, which is a podcast and a YouTube channel. His new consultancy is RealmIQ, a new product development practice built of a consortium of Generative AI experts. Working with Microsoft, Toshiba and Apple, Curt created award-winning advanced content experiences for mobile, eBooks and advertising. He has bridged the gap between TV, Film and Technology while working with all the movie studios and dozens of TV networks. Curt’s Fortune 500 work includes content marketing and digital storytelling for brands like GM, US Army, Abbott, Dell, and Viacom.

As the web is evolving, Curt has recently focused on Web3, decentralization, blockchain and the creator economy through his branding, UX design and marketing. He is a sought after public speaker having been featured at Mobile Growth Association, Mobile Congress, App Growth Summit, Promax, CES, CTIA, NAB, NATPE, MMA Global, New Mexico Angels, Santa Fe Business Incubator and EntrepeneursRx.

Based in Santa Fe, he manages both coasts and a whole new clientele and continues to be a thought leader, visionary and outspoken creative on what is happening in Tech. His consultancy CurtDoty.cocontinues to help mid to late stage startups and Fortune 500 companies. www.curtdoty.co