eXtended Reality Ethics, Interoperability and Impact (CSA)

New ethical risks, security and privacy concerns arise as experiences based on eXtended Reality become more realistic and immersive, blurring the line that separates them from the real world.

Although the applications investigated and developed to date aim to provide benefits to individual and society, eXtended Reality technologies may also have harmful physical, emotional and cognitive after-effects.

The potential amount and type of information collected, processed and stored by applications based on eXtended Reality technologies may put individuals at high privacy and security risk.

Interoperability and safety are another major concern for the uptake of eXtended Reality technologies. The lack of widely accepted standards slows down the development process and increases design and testing costs. Several initiatives are trying to devise the industry standards at a global level; however, European players are underrepresented in such initiatives.

The selected proposal will help structuring and supporting the eXtended Reality community in Europe by

• devising responsible practices and guidance helping developers and producers of eXtended Reality experiences and applications to respect ethics and privacy values while ensuring the safety of the users;
• defining an European cross-industry code of conduct for eXtended Reality technologies and solutions while encouraging developers and producers to adhere to it;
• proposing new, or adapting existing, rating systems to support users in choosing the right eXtended Reality experiences and applications;
• gathering relevant evidence to help guarantee the respect of the European legal framework on personal data protection, taking into account the complexity and particularities of eXtended Reality technologies;
• fostering the contribution of European players to the definition of industry standards on eXtended Reality technologies ensuring interoperability and seamless integration with other relevant systems, technologies and data sources;
• helping to forge a competitive and sustainable ecosystem for the European eXtended Reality technologies industry by strengthening the links and promoting collaboration among the constituency, including EU-funded projects.