In this second edition of the EMRN Conference “A Metaverse for the Good”, we expect that discussions will focus on technical developments in particular in the intersection between the Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence, applications of AR/VR technologies in specific fields, and their societal, ethical and legal implications, in particular in relation with the protection of digital rights in the new technological environment.
In the two days on the Conference we envisage 6 working sessions including the communications of the papers selected from our call for submissions, and panel discussions. This will be complemented with eight keynote speeches from prominent scholars in the field of Web 4.0 and artificial intelligence. However, the final program will depend on the papers and panels submitted.
The Congress is organized in the framework of the Project on the Implementation of the Charter of Digital Rights financed by the public entity Red.es» and is part of the activities of the European Metaverse Research Network.
11:00 – 11:45
Registration
Registration
11:45 – 12:00
Opening Remarks
Mel Slater, Researcher at Universitat de Barcelona, Coordinator of EMRN.
Aurelio López-Tarruella, Director of the Chair for the Responsible Development of the Metaverse, University of Alicante
Juan Mora, Vice-Principal for Research, University of Alicante.
12:00 – 13:00
Introductory Panel Discussion. “Inappropriate Social Interaction in the Metaverse”
Laurynas Adomaitis (RISE), Beatrice de Gelder (Maastricht University), Mel Stater (UB), Mavi Sanchez Vives (IDIBAPS), Michele Barbier (Inria).
Chair: Michele Barbier
13:00 – 14:15 Lunch Break and Posters
14:15 – 15:00
Keynote Speech
«The Neuroscience of self-consciousness: Basic research, clinical applications, and contemplative practice«, Professor Olaf Blanke, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Chair: Mel Slater
15:00 – 15:45
Session 1: «Virtual humans: Agents, avatars, and AI-driven personalities»
Chair: Xueni Sylvia Pan
15:45 – 16:30 Panel Discussion: “Living Virtual Machines”
Doron Friedman, Beatrice de Gelder, Jonathan Giron.
Chair: Doron Friedman
16:30 – 17:00 Coffee Break and Posters
17:00 – 17:45
Keynote Speech
“Humans and AI in Virtual Worlds”, Professor Doron Friedman, Sammy Ofer School of Communications, Reichman University, Israel.
Chair: Mavi Sanchez-Vives
17:45 – 18:45
Session 2: Ethical AI, Responsible and Legal Metaverse Design
Chair: Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella
18:45 – 19:30
Posters Abstracts (Parallel Sessions)
Room “Rector Ramón Martín Mateo”
Chair: Paweł Śniatała
Room “Vicente Gimeno Sendra”.
Chair: Xueni Sylvia Pan
09:15 – 10:00 Keynote Speech
«The Metaverse and AI», Professor Yvonne Rogers, UCLIC, Computer Science Department, University College London, UK.
Chair: Marco Gillies
10:00 – 11:00
Session 3: «Clinical and well-being applications of the Metaverse»
Chair: Pablo Cesar
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee Break and Posters
11:30 – 12:15
Keynote Speech
“Virtual Humans”, Professor Frank Steinicke, Department of Informatics, Hamburg University, Germany.
Chair: Piotr Skrzypczynski
12:15 – 13:00
Panel Discussion: AI-Enhanced Immersive Environments for Lifelong Education and Career Counselling
Lorena Gonzalez, Katarzyna Koba, Pablo Sanchez Guardiola
Chair: Ekaterina Prasolova‑Førland
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch Break and Posters
14:30 – 15:15
Keynote Speech
“Virtual Worlds and Society: A Science for Policy Perspective”, Miguel Barreda Angeles, Scientific Researcher at Joint Research Center, European Commission.
Chair: Yannick Prié
15:15 – 16:00
Keynote Speech
«Clinical and well-being applications of the Metaverse», Professor Mavi Sánchez-Vives, IDIBAPS (ICREA), Barcelona.
Chair: Xueni Sylvia Pan
16:30 – 17:00
Coffee Break and Posters
16:30 – 17:30
Poster Abstracts (Parallel Sessions)
Room “Rector Ramon Martin Mateo”
Chair: Michele di Dalmazi
Room “Vicente Gimeno Sendra”.
Chair: Raul Ruiz
17:30 – 18:15
Keynote Speech
«Ethical Issues in the Metaverse», Professor Patrick Haggard, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL, UK.
Chair: Mel Slater
18:15 – 18:45
Conclusions – EMRN looking to the future.
18:45
Cocktail Dinner (at the venue).
Registration fee: EUR 40.
Venue: Salón de Actos Ramon Martin Mateo, Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de Alicante.
Pre-registration (without payment) is now open: fill in this form and we will notify you once registration opens
The Call for Submissions is open until Friday 25th April 2025.
Organising Committee
(University of Aicante)