Live in the future and look back, you will wonder how you lived your life without augmented reality.” Just like today, we wonder: “How did people like me grow up without the Internet?”

Tim Cook is the latest big name in tech to pour some cold water on teasing the tech industry around the concept of metaverses.

“I’ve always thought it’s important for people to understand what it is,” Apple’s chief executive told the Dutch newspaper, Bright, on Friday. And I’m really not sure that the average person can tell you what a metaverse is.”

Unsurprisingly, Apple hasn’t publicly promoted any plans for metaverse, a term typically used to describe virtual reality (VR) platforms where people can interact, work, shop and play using immersive technology like a virtual reality headset. These virtual worlds do exist, in a way, but many of the biggest names in technology are developing the hardware and software needed for people to spend significant time – and money – in metaverses.