There is no longer a need to trust institutions; the residents of the world can run consensus algorithms to automatically reach a consensus on the history of the world.
Written by: Lattice
Translated by: MetaCat
We live in many different worlds, each with its unique customs, rules, history, and accepted truths. Some worlds are serious, while others are full of fun. Think of the worlds in your favorite science fiction novels, the worlds of any mainstream religion, or (World of Warcraft). Entering one of these worlds feels incredibly real. Various worlds take on different forms, each with its self-consistent rules and entities.
These worlds are full of vitality. If a world is successful enough, millions will pay attention to it, immerse themselves in it, and integrate it into their daily lives, creating dramatic conflicts and other sparks of life.
These worlds are vividly presented through different media. These media can be movies and science fiction conventions, the (Bible) and places of worship, or even Blizzard's game servers.
These worlds also have their owners. Authorities, authors, institutions, etc., decide the rules of the game. Owners record the history of the world while defining what is possible and what is not within the world. Owners are trusted.
But owners can also undermine trust, arbitrarily changing the rules. Especially in digital worlds, the server owners can rewrite operations, delete achievements, or even alter or erase history.
What if we could create the same 'vitality' in a world that belongs to no one? What kind of emergence and creativity would be stimulated in a world where anyone can freely construct?
Some games and online spaces are self-contained, developing rich backstories, histories, and cultures as if they have always existed. We believe these digital worlds can be as meaningful, impactful, and resonant as the real world. We call these digital spaces 'autonomous worlds.'
Autonomous worlds introduce a reality without owners. They are viable in the digital realm, especially finding their ideal carrier on the blockchain. The blockchain guarantees the long-term existence and autonomy of these worlds while pushing creation beyond the original designers by showcasing and executing their internal logic.
'Autonomy' does not mean the absence of humans or participants, but rather that the existence of this world does not rely on any specific individual or institution. There are no owners, nor institutional constraints, allowing anyone to freely build upon the autonomous world.
Blockchain provides a new trust mechanism for the birth of autonomous worlds: there is no longer a need to trust institutions; the residents of the world (or anyone concerned about this world) can run consensus algorithms to automatically reach a consensus on the history of the world using computers. No owners are needed to decide what is part of the universe and what is not.
The blockchain also has a high degree of composability and modifiability; as long as the rules are followed, anyone can deploy code that interacts with other parts of the world: just like chess pieces have limited ways to move on a chessboard (but a game can have millions of possible situations).
Worlds with owners resemble theme parks, highly controlled and meticulously designed environments. Autonomous worlds, on the other hand, are more like a constantly evolving city where anyone can introduce new customs, cultures, political systems, or economic rules and feel the broad impacts they generate within the world. They may be somewhat chaotic, but they are self-consistent.
Since autonomous worlds are built on blockchain as the underlying infrastructure, their inhabitants can be assured that their actions and modifications will exist forever.
Every autonomous world has a kind of digital physical law: immutable rules that impose constraints. Perhaps counterintuitively, these constraints are precisely what drives the creativity of the world’s inhabitants. Simple and fixed rules provide space for people to build original and creative things upon.
Autonomous worlds, driven by new computing methods, build lasting, multi-author participatory virtual realms that can collaboratively evolve and transcend traditional digital space experiences.
At Lattice, we are interested in the emergence and unpredictable behaviors that may arise in the digital realm. We provide the infrastructure and tools for developers, creators, storytellers, and disruptors to help them realize autonomous worlds.
