Metaverse: a simulacrum platform for digital transformations of the Metaverse E-state Society

Authors

  • Dmytro Zhuravlov Doctor of Law, Professor, Honoured Lawyer of Ukraine, Office of the President of Ukraine Office (Kyiv, Ukraine), Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2205-6828
  • Oleksii Kostenko Ph.D. Law, Senior Researcher, Head of the Scientific Laboratory of immersion technologies and Law of the Scientific Center for Digital Transformation and Law of the State Scientific Institution «Institute of Information, Security and Law of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine» (Kyiv, Ukraine), Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2131-0281
  • Oleksii Dniprov Doctor of Law, Senior Researcher, Rector of the Kyiv National University of Architecture and Construction (Kyiv, Ukraine), Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7157-9748
  • Volodymir Nikitin D. Sc., Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6915-6319

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61345/1339-7915.2025.4.8

Keywords:

Metaverse, IoT, Big Data, AI, LLM, Simulacra

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the role of digital simulacra in the Metaverse space, especially regarding their use in modelling social, economic, and legal scenarios. Key conceptual elements such as avatars, electronic identities, digital humanoids, AI subjects, digital influencers, and artificial moral agents are analysed. Considerable attention is paid to the theoretical substantiation of the phenomenon of simulacra, the definition of their functions and impact on modern society.

The study covers the analysis of promising experimental approaches, in particular the Wuhan and Stanford experiments, which demonstrated high accuracy in simulating individual and collective consciousness using generative AI models. The innovative LLM model “Centaur”, which reproduces complex scenarios of human cognition and behaviour, expanding the boundaries of the application of AI in various fields, is also considered.

Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the possibilities of using the Metaverse as an innovative space for modelling social relations based on the interaction of IoT, Big Data, and AI. A structural model is proposed that demonstrates the multi-level interaction between these technologies, providing accurate predictions of social and political reactions. Notably, the use of such technologies is associated with ethical, social and legal challenges, including issues of privacy, digital control and manipulation of public consciousness.

References

Ulmer, G. (2022). DHQ: Digital Humanities Quarterly: Avatar Emergency.

Spampinato, F. (2016). Body Surrogates: Mannequins, Life-Size Dolls, and Avatars. PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art, 38, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1162/PAJJ_a_00311.

Nowak, K., & Fox, J. (2018). Avatars and computer-mediated communication: a review of the definitions, uses, and effectsof digital representations., 6, 30-53. https://doi.org/10.12840/ISSN.2255-4165.2018.06.01.015.

Choi, H., Lee, C., Chae, J., Lee, S., Kim, H., & Cho, S. (2008). A Study on an Avatar as Means of Identity Expression in Cyber Space, 13-16.

Spampinato, F. (2016). Body Surrogates: Mannequins, Life-Size Dolls, and Avatars. PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art, 38, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1162/PAJJ_a_00311.

Kostenko, O. V. (2022). Elektronna yurysdyktsiia, metavsesvit, shtuchnyi intelekt, tsyfrova osobystistʹ, tsyfrovyi avatar, neironni merezhi: teoriia, praktyka, perpektyvy. Naukov innovatsii ta peredovi tekhnolohii (Series «Derzhavne upravlinnia», Series «Pravo», Series «Ekonomika», Series «Psykholohiia», Series «Pedahohika»). 2(4), 54-78. https://doi.org/10.52058/2786-5274-2022-2(4)-54-78.

Wu, Y., Kosinski, M., & Stillwell, D. (2015). Computer-based personality judgments are more accurate than those made by humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112, 1036-1040. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1418680112.

Hinds, J., & Joinson, A. (2024). Digital data and personality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of human perception and computer prediction. Psychological bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000430.

Lambiotte, R., & Kosinski, M. (2014). Tracking the Digital Footprints of Personality. Proceedings of the IEEE, 102, 1934-1939. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2014.2359054.

Pan, S., Brdiczka, O., Kleinsmith, A., & Song, Y. (2020). Special Issue on Data-Driven Personality Modeling for Intelligent Human-Computer Interaction. ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems (TiiS), 10, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1145/3402522.

Vargas, E., Carrasco-Ribelles, L., Marín-Morales, J., Molina, C., & Raya, M. (2024). Feasibility of virtual reality and machine learning to assess personality traits in an organizational environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1342018.

Ruiu, P., Nitti, M., Pilloni, V., Cadoni, M., Grosso, E., & Fadda, M. (2024). Metaverse & Human Digital Twin: Digital Identity, Biometrics, and Privacy in the Future Virtual Worlds. Multimodal Technol. Interact., 8, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8060048.

Lnenicka, M., Rizun, N., Alexopoulos, C., & Janssen, M. (2024). Government in the metaverse: Requirements and suitability for providing digital public services. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 203, 123346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123346.

Jaleel, S. (2022). The Metaverse – A universe of human digital clones. 2022 IEEE International Conference on Metrology for Extended Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Neural Engineering (MetroXRAINE), 81-86. https://doi.org/10.1109/MetroXRAINE54828.2022.9967489.

Zhu, H., Hieu, N., Hoang, D., Nguyen, D., & Lin, C. (2023). A Human-Centric Metaverse Enabled by Brain-Computer Interface: A Survey. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 26, 2120-2145. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2024.3387124.

Kostenko, O., Dniprov O., Zhuravlov D. (2024). Metaverse: Ensuring Legal Recognition of Avatars and Electronic Personalities Through a Cross-Border Personalized ID-code. IInternational Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science. 2(42). DOI: https://doi.org/10.31435/rsglobal_ijitss/30062024//8141.

Brogi, B., Cortigiani, G., Villani, A., D’Aurizio, N., Prattichizzo, D., & Baldi, T. (2024). The Avatarm: Interacting in the Physical Metaverse via Robotics, Diminished Reality, and Haptics. IEEE Access, 12, 90750-90767. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3420717.

Gross, E. (2024). Virtual Influencers in the Context of Artificial Intelligence: An Overview of the Emerging Literature. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VII: Social Sciences. Law, 17(66). 2, 291-304. https://doi.org/10.31926/but.ssl.2024.17.66.2.10.

Lou, C., Kiew, S., Chen, T., Lee, T., Ong, J., & Phua, Z. (2022). Authentically Fake? How Consumers Respond to the Influence of Virtual Influencers. Journal of Advertising, 52, 540-557. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2022.2149641.

Mrad, M., Ramadan, Z., & Nasr, L. (2022). Computer-generated influencers: the rise of digital personalities. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. https://doi.org/10.1108/mip-12-2021-0423.

Azzahra, J., & Christin, M. (2024). The Hyperreality of Virtual Influencer Lentari Pagi on Instagram. International Journal Software Engineering and Computer Science (IJSECS). https://doi.org/10.35870/ijsecs.v4i1.2304.

Patil, K., & Bharathi, V. (2024). From Pixels to Purchases: The Role of Computer-Generated Imagery and Virtual Influencers in Digital Marketing. 2024 OPJU International Technology Conference (OTCON) on Smart Computing for Innovation and Advancement in Industry 4.0, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/OTCON60325.2024.10687965.

Mabaso, B. (2020). Artificial Moral Agents Within an Ethos of AI4SG. Philosophy & Technology, 34, 7-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-020-00400-z.

Gan, Z. (2021). A normative framework of artificial moral agents. 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1109/istas52410.2021.9629179.

Fossa, F. (2018). Artificial moral agents: moral mentors or sensible tools? Ethics and Information Technology, 20, 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9451-y.

Giubilini, A., & Savulescu, J. (2017). The Artificial Moral Advisor. The “Ideal Observer” Meets Artificial Intelligence. Philosophy & Technology, 31, 169-188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-017-0285-z.

Martinho, A., Poulsen, A., Kroesen, M., & Chorus, C. (2021). Perspectives about artificial moral agents. AI and Ethics, 1, 477-490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-021-00055-2.

Baudrillard, J. (2007). Jean Baudrillard Simulacra and Simulations from Jean Baudrillard, Selected Writings.

Jauhari, M. (2017). Social media: hyperreality and simulacra of the development of today’s society in the thought of Jean Baudrillard, 20(1), 117-135.

Buhalis, D., Leung, D., & Lin, M. (2023). Metaverse as a disruptive technology revolutionising tourism management and marketing. Tourism Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104724.

Rospigliosi, P. (2022). Metaverse or Simulacra? Roblox, Minecraft, Meta and the turn to virtual reality for education, socialisation and work. Interactive Learning Environments, 30, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2022899.

Choi, W., & Shim, Y. (2023). Aspects of metaverse films from the perspective of ‘simulacre’. Taegu Science University Defense Security Institute. https://doi.org/10.37181/jscs.2023.7.2.029.

Kye, B., Han, N., Kim, E., Park, Y., & Jo, S. (2021). Educational applications of metaverse: possibilities and limitations. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2021.18.32.

Rospigliosi, P. (2022). Metaverse or Simulacra? Roblox, Minecraft, Meta and the turn to virtual reality for education, socialisation and work. Interactive Learning Environments, 30, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2022899.

O’Regan, J., & Ferri, G. (2024). Artificial intelligence and depth ontology: implications for intercultural ethics. Applied Linguistics Review. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2024-0189.

Gross, E. (2024). Dissolving Reality: Exploring the Erosion of Photographic Authenticity in the Age of AI. Transilvania. 01 (2024): 36-43. https://doi.org/10.51391/trva.2024.01.05.

Marom, M., & Intan, F. (2025). Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacrum Theory on the “Scarlett World With Twice” Beauty Ad in Mass Media Communication: A Semiotic Analysis of Charles Sanders Pierce. Da’watuna: Journal of Communication and Islamic Broadcasting. 5(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.47467/dawatuna.v5i1.5716.

Onishchenko, N., Kostenko, O., Zhuravlov, D. (2025) AI Technologies to The Question of The “Policy” of Legal Regulation at The Present Stage. Essential and Instrumental Factors. International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science. 1(45). DOI: 10.31435/ijitss.1(45).2025.3200.

Durmus, E., Nguyen, K., Liao, T. I., Schiefer, N., Askell, A., Bakhtin, A., Chen, C., Hatfield-Dodds, Z., Hernandez, D., Joseph, N., Lovitt, L., McCandlish, S., Sikder O., Tamkin, A., Thamkul, J., Kaplan, J., Clark, J., Ganguli, D. (2023). Towards Measuring the Representation of Subjective Global Opinions in Language Models. arXiv:2306.16388. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2306.16388.

Jiang, S., Wie, L., Zhang, C. (2024). Donald Trumps in the Virtual Polls: Simulating and Predicting Public Opinions in Surveys Using Large Language Models. arXiv:2411.01582. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2411.01582.

Park, J. S., Zou, C.Q., Shaw, A., Hill, B.M., Cai, C., Morris, M.R., Willer, R., Liang, P., Bernstein, M.S. (2024). Generative Agent Simulations of 1,000 People. arXiv:2411.10109. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2411.10109.

Binz, M., Akata, E., Bethge, M., Brändle, F., Callaway, F., Coda-Forno, J., Schulz, E. (2024). Centaur: a foundation model of human cognition. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/d6jeb.

Gangwal, A., Gangavalli, H., & Thirupathi, A. (2022). A Survey of Layer-Two Blockchain Protocols. J. Netw. Comput. Appl., 209, 103539. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2204.08032.

Rafaj, T., Mastilak, L., Kost’al, K., & Kotuliak, I. (2023). DeFi Gaming Platform Using the Layer 2 Benefits. 2023 33rd Conference of Open Innovations Association (FRUCT), 236-242. https://doi.org/10.23919/FRUCT58615.2023.10143054.

Lin, Z., Wang, T., Shi, L., Zhang, S., & Cao, B. (2024). Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN): Challenges and Opportunities. arXiv:2406.02239. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.02239.

Von Der Assen, J., Killer, C., De Carli, A., & Stiller, B. (2024). Performance Analysis of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks and Centralized Clouds. 2024 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICBC59979.2024.10634394.

Santana, C., & Albareda, L. (2022). Blockchain and the emergence of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): An integrative model and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121806.

Rikken, O., Janssen, M., & Kwee, Z. (2023). The ins and outs of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) unraveling the definitions, characteristics, and emerging developments of DAOs. Blockchain: Research and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcra.2023.100143.

OECD (2023). Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and democratic values, OECD Business and Finance Policy Papers. https://doi.org/10.1787/f3e70f1f-en.

Sethaput, V., & Innet, S. (2021). Blockchain application for central bank digital currencies (CBDC). Cluster Computing, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10586-022-03962-z.

A single standardisation approach (methodology, process, repository) to be used by all financial standards initiatives ISO 20022. https://www.iso20022.org.

Rompotis, G. (2012). Does the law of one price apply to dually listed ETFs belonging to the same family? Evidence from iShares. Journal of Asset Management, 13, 401-420. https://doi.org/10.1057/JAM.2012.19.

Fichtner, J., Heemskerk, E., & Garcia-Bernardo, J. (2017). Hidden power of the Big Three? Passive index funds, re-concentration of corporate ownership, and new financial risk. Business and Politics, 19, 298-326. https://doi.org/10.1017/bap.2017.6.

Samadhiya, A., Agrawal, R., Kumar, A., & Luthra, S. (2024). Bridging realities into organizations through innovation and productivity: Exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, internet of things, and big data analytics in the metaverse environment using a multi-method approach. Decis. Support Syst., 185, 114290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2024.114290.

Kliestik, T., Král, P., Bugaj, M., & Durana, P. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence of things systems, multisensory immersive extended reality technologies, and algorithmic big data simulation and modelling tools in digital twin industrial metaverse. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.3108.

Lăzăroiu, G., Gedeon, T., Valaskova, K., Vrbka, J., Šuleř, P., Zvaríková, K., Kramarova, K., Rowland, Z., Stehel, V., Gajanova, L., Horák, J., Grupač, M., Caha, Z., Blažek, R., Kovalova, E., & Nagy, M. (2024). Cognitive digital twin-based Internet of Robotic Things, multi-sensory extended reality and simulation modeling technologies, and generative artificial intelligence and cyber–physical manufacturing systems in the immersive industrial metaverse. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.3131.

Bibri, S., & Jagatheesaperumal, S. (2023). Harnessing the Potential of the Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence for the Internet of City Things: Cost-Effective XReality and Synergistic AIoT Technologies. Smart Cities. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6050109.

Downloads

Published

2026-02-06

Issue

No. 4 (2025): Visegrad Journal on Human Rights

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Dmytro Zhuravlov, Oleksii Kostenko, Oleksii Dniprov, Volodymir Nikitin

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.