Before AI became the biggest buzzword in tech, hype surrounded the metaverse. Tech giants raced to roll out virtual environments that allowed people to interact digitally or mix virtual reality and actual reality.

Facebook was so committed to the concept that its parent company rebranded to Meta in 2021.

The metaverse isn't talked about nearly as much now that the global pandemic has ended, many people have returned to offices, and in-person meetings have come back. Tech companies also shifted their focus to AI, which seems to have stuck more than the metaverse ever did.