The Metawar Thesis

Metawar is the art and science of creating immersive experiences to influence, alter, and define one’s sense of reality. It is the battle for control over one’s belief systems, identity, and sense of reality outside one’s conscious awareness. Reason and emotion are incompatible operating systems. Big Tech is digitally terraforming the planet’s future cognitive infrastructure, Web 3.0, with little concern for the downsides. The metaverse is an evolving, immersive storytelling environment designed to be the most powerful and addictive reality distortion machine ever conceived. It will also predict and anticipate your every desire and every move!

On the global stage, metawar represents the sixth domain of warfare.⁠ They who control the technology control the narrative, and reality is only a keystroke away.We have no choice but to learn how to coexist with the reality-distorting technologies we have created by implementing technical, policy, and cognitive defenses to protect our sense of truth, reality, and self-identity.

Is this the future we want? Where reality becomes so blurred by convincing disinformation creation and dissemination that entire cultures can no longer discern facts or evidence of truth? And who do we trust to build and manage our realities? Humanity must learn to adapt to and coexist with the technologies we have created.Get ready for a ride that questions what it means to be a human and how much agency you really have.We have been given a second chance.

We will not get a third.Last time, we knew, and yet we did nothing.

Speaker One: Winn Schwartau

Winn has lived Cybersecurity since 1983, and now says, “I think, maybe, I’m just starting to understand it.” His predictions about the internet & security have been scarily spot on. He coined “Electronic Pearl Harbor” while testifying before Congress in 1991. His seminal book, “Information Warfare,” showed the world how privacy would die and cyberterrorism would be an integral part of the future (today’s present).

His upcoming book, "The Art & Science of Metawar,” describes how to defend against AI-driven reality distortion, TMI/disinformation, manipulation, and algorithmic addictions by strengthening the mental immune system.

• Fellow, Royal Society of the Arts

• Distinguished Fellow: Ponemon Institute

• International Security Hall of Fame: ISSA

• Lifetime Achievement Award, DefCon XXXI

• Top-20 industry pioneers: SC Magazine.

• Top 25 Most Influential: Security Magazine

• Top 5 Security Thinkers: SC Magazine.

• Power Thinker and one of the 50 most powerful people: Network World.

• 30 Year DefCon Goon (Ret.)

• Top Rated (4.85/5) RSA Speaker

CPEs: There will be 2 CPE credits for the meeting.

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