# Metaverse Meets Smart Cities--Applications, Benefits, and Challenges
## 5 Results
### Challenges of the Smart City Metaverse  
To minimize the impact on people and the environment, key challenges need to be taken into account when setting up and operating the metaverse. Additional challenges for municipal and urban applications arise due to citizens' concerns, sometimes poorly developed infrastructure, and social changes. One interviewed expert particularly pointed out the trust that people have to place in virtual worlds. This usually represents a significant challenge for developing a smart city metaverse. According to the expert, many citizens have concerns about cybersecurity and data protection, as the increasing use of sensors and digital networking increases the risk of cyberattacks and the potential misuse of personal data. For example, citizens must be convinced to provide their personal data for digital identities. Face recognition, biometric IDs, and user-specific analyses are often debated, as critics claim privacy is not guaranteed [22]. One of the experts said that the use of new, modern technologies in society is also often viewed critically. Due to a lack of experience, the reliability of the technologies is questioned, and they are linked to health concerns. For example, the general public views new technologies critically, as there are no long-term studies on their harmlessness to health [17]. One interviewed industry insider drew particular attention to the challenges arising from the potential discrimination of people by artificial intelligence and algorithms, which are familiar from previous developments. Automated decision-making processes can reinforce existing biases and inequalities, as the algorithms are trained on historical data that may already contain biases. This leads to the risk of certain groups being disadvantaged due to gender, ethnicity, or other social characteristics. The challenge is to ensure that the algorithms developed are fair and transparent to prevent discrimination. Developing guidelines and standards for ethical design and the responsible use of AI in the metaverse is crucial to ensure an inclusive and equitable virtual environment for all users [45]. One of the experts also pointed to the spread of fake news as another significant challenge in the metaverse. The dynamic and immersive nature of the metaverse creates a fertile breeding ground for the rapid spread of manipulated or misleading information [46]. Fake news can easily be overlooked and perceived as authentic content in a virtual environment where the boundaries between reality and the digital world are blurred. The potential impact on user behavior and opinions in the metaverse is significant, as misinformation can undermine trust, cause social unrest, and influence political decisions [47]. Therefore, developers in the metaverse must proactively implement mechanisms to verify the authenticity of information and curb the spread of fake news. At the same time, users should be taught to recognize and deal with disinformation to enable informed and critical use of the metaverse [48]. Literature research also revealed that a reliable infrastructure is required to operate the metaverse, which is not available to the same extent in all cities and regions. As a result, the performance of the applications varies depending on the location. In addition, the infrastructure, such as mobile networks, data networks, and energy supply, must be constantly expanded, maintained, and serviced, representing a considerable expense for municipal operations and the financial budget [24]. The enormous energy consumption required to operate the infrastructure and use the interfaces must be provided by the energy suppliers and guaranteed by the networks. This requires the consumption of local resources. Further resources are required to set up applications with hardware components such as digital twins, traffic monitoring systems, and control elements [22]. The social impact will be felt in cities where there are a large number of users.