XR4Human: Our Role in Developing European Standards for Ethical XR
eXtended Reality (XR) technologies have evolved quickly within a few years, from laboratory research to commonplace consumer items. They bring many exciting benefits and possibilities — as well as risks which society needs to be aware of and deal with.
At LLInC, we’ve long monitored and advised on the legal and ethical obligations related to implementing XR technology in education (see, for example, the work we’ve been doing with our XR ERA community). Now we’re applying our expertise in the context of the XR4Human Consortium: a €2.5 million 3-year project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe (continuation of Horizon 2020) research and innovation umbrella.
Led by two of our experts — Legal and Technology Counsel Marco Correa Pérez and Project Manager Melissa Amorós Lark — we contribute to developing European standards around ethical and human-centric development of XR hardware and software. Our engagement at XR4Human focuses on the working packages of the project to:
- EXPLORE ethical issues and related regulatory and governance issues around XR applications; and
- GUIDE companies and regulators by co-creating a European Code of Conduct for Equitable, Inclusive, and Human-Centered XR Technologies.
This work on policies and governance for XR will help Europe’s citizens, businesses, and public institutions to make the best possible use of XR technologies. We also hope that, by setting clear guidelines, we will build public trust in XR technologies.
LLInC’s engagement with the XR4HUMAN project aligns with our dedication to advancing people-centred, interdisciplinary, and high-quality learning experiences.
For more information about LLInC’s expertise in this field, please see an overview of our XR work, as well as:
- Our XR ERA community
- Two related projects: VR for critical decision making and VR for Environmental Sciences
- Our Holistic Data Responsibility Framework
For more information about the XR4Human Consortium, please visit the official website. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!