MKAI Inclusive AI Forum: Human Rights in the Metaverse

Panel 1 – With obliviousness, deception and confusion, is it possible for the Metaverse to be a safe place?

Panel 2 – Will the Metaverse reduce or exacerbate our biases and prejudices online? 

Forum Objective:

At May’s MKAI Inclusive Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum, we will explore security and safety in the Metaverse. 

Specifically, we discuss three questions: 

• Is harassment creating a toxic Metaverse for women? 
• Where do accountability, responsibility and liability reside for Metaverse safety? 
• What lessons have we learned from Web 2.0 and Social Media to reduce online harm? 

Our objective is to discover how the Metaverse can become a safe place for everyone to participate, learn, socialise and trade. 

Forum Abstract:

New developments in eXtended Reality (XR) make our virtual worlds feel more immersive. In addition, incredible technologies make Metaverse spaces feel more and more natural. But, unfortunately, it’s not just the surroundings that feel real; it’s the experiences too. Hence, emotional reactions become stronger in XR spaces and can trigger the same internal nervous system and psychological responses as unpleasant interactions in real life. 

Harassment is a common occurrence today on the internet, but being in the Metaverse can exacerbate this. Early indicators from research and reports suggest that there is much work for the technology companies in the space to do if we are going to make the Metaverse a safer place for users than, say, social media. Therefore, this topic requires immediate attention.

Forum Outcomes:

Our intended outcome is to give attendees an understanding of how the Metaverse has the potential to exacerbate toxicity online and what we can do to mitigate this. We also want to highlight the issue of harassment in the Metaverse and the need to build safer designs and tools for the users. Finally, we wish to explore the opportunities for new companies working in this industry to create a safe metaverse and how this could give them an edge in the market. 

Forum Attendance:

MKAI events are inclusive. Our expert speakers are carefully selected for their ability to make the subject approachable and understandable. MKAI aims to help all people improve their AI-fluency and understanding of this domain. This forum is especially relevant for policymakers, Governmental leaders and corporate decision-makers.

Forum Speakers and Contributors:

Alison Alexander, Director of Ethics & Social Policy at Metacampus
Sue Turner, OBE FHCA, Director at AI Governance Limited
Dr Ronke Babajide, Founder at The Queen Beehive
Massimo Buonomo, International AI Expert Board Advisor
Nova Lorraine, Founder at Raine Magazine
Eve Logunova-Parker, Founder and CEO at Evenness
William Richmond-Coggan, Director at Freeths LLP Oxford
Kristina Podnar, Executive Lead at Metaverse Reality Check

Share to your network: