In the UAE, «murder» in virtual reality may become a criminal offense

UAE Minister of Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama has called for criminalizing «serious crimes» in the meta-universe. This was reported by CNBC.

According to him, the realistic nature of any meta-universe will allow «terrorizing» people in ways that were previously impossible.

«If I send you a message on WhatsApp, it may terrorize you, but it’s unlikely to lead to PTSD,» Al-Olama said.

He added that «killing» an avatar in a realistic virtual environment could trigger aggressive retaliation.

Al-Olama called on the International Telecommunication Union to discuss the establishment of international safety standards for the metaverse that people must adhere to regardless of jurisdiction. As an example, he cited existing common standards on the Internet that prevent drug trafficking and child pornography.