The workshop aims for a holistic perspective on the metaverse, understood as meshed extended reality (XR) worlds that interact with traditional information systems. These digital worlds integrate various technologies, such as AR, VR, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and social media. The metaverse enables an immersive and interactive virtual experience for users in a decentralized environment. XR devices, such as headsets, glasses, or gloves, allow users to see, hear, touch, and manipulate virtual objects and environments, as well as communicate and collaborate with other users.
These new immersive and interactive experiences, however, come with not only opportunities but also challenges and risks that we do not find in traditional IT systems. These new challenges ask us to explore avenues for future research. To understand the state of research and to develop a research agenda, we aim for a systematic assessment of the realization of values within the metaverse and value-driven design for the metaverse. Thus, we strive for diverse inputs from the participants regarding, i.e., privacy,
inclusion, bias, and practices or patterns used in the metaverse.
Topics include but are not limited to:
- Privacy and Security: How can we facilitate privacy in the metaverse and prevent cyber threats and data misuse?
- Explainability and Transparency: How can information processing and sharing be made transparent to users? How does meshing up different technologies influence perception, trust, and understanding of the metaverse?
- Inclusion: How can the metaverse be made accessible to a broad audience in a way that supports diversity and equal opportunities? What are the potentials for enriched social interactions for people with disabilities? If and how can the metaverse drive prosperity in
developing countries? - Bias: How can we address bias in the metaverse? How can we ensure diversity while societies in tension strive for stereotypes?
Practices and Patterns: What practices and patterns are used in the development, design, and use of the metaverse? Does value-driven design need to be adapted for the metaverse?
Workshop Organizers:
Martin Semmann, University of Hamburg, House of Computing and Data Science, E-mail: martin.semmann@uni-hamburg.de
Julia Bräker, University of Hamburg, Department of Informatics, E-mail: julia.braeker@uni-hamburg.de
Sofia Schöbel, University of Osnabrück, Information Systems, E-mail: sofia.schoebel@uni-osnabrueck.de
Further information can be found here.