Dr. Laurie Hughes and Professor Yogesh Dwivedi from the Digital Futures for Sustainable Business & Society Research Group within the School of Management at Swansea University hosted a workshop titled "The Metaverse - A Dark Side Analysis" at the Bay Campus on June 15th.
The workshop was funded by the UKAIS and the School of Management, and we are truly grateful for their support.
Building upon the discussion presented in one of our recent articles, the workshop aimed to develop greater insight and a shared understanding of the negative implications of the metaverse, as well as to explore the interdependencies between underlying factors. The workshop was attended by leading multidisciplinary academics and practitioners from across the UK, including King's College London, University College London, the University of Sheffield, the University of Bristol, Brunel University, Swansea University, and Kabuni – A Safe Metaverse for Kids.
All attendees contributed to the talks and panel discussions, fostering a deeper understanding and shared consensus on the multifaceted negative impacts of the widespread adoption of the metaverse. Of particular note was the criticality of protecting vulnerable users, especially children, and the resulting societal impacts. All agreed that this is an important area of research, and academia has a critical role to play in shedding light on the significant aspects and negative consequences of the metaverse.
We look forward to hosting future events on this and other related topics at Swansea University and wish to extend our thanks to those who attended. We are very grateful for everyone's time and valued contributions.
“I had an incredible time at Swansea University engaging in a thought-provoking discussion about the negative aspects of the metaverse, led by an exceptionally talented and multidisciplinary panel.” Dr David Vidal, UCL Computer Science
“I had the incredible opportunity to participate in this thought-provoking workshop at the School of Management, Swansea University. The panel discussion delved into the fascinating dark side of the metaverse, sparking innovative ideas and setting the stage for promising future research and projects. The engaging presentations on topics such as the illusion of the metaverse, AI-empowered extended realities, and the dark side in retail and consumer applications left me truly inspired. I eagerly look forward to exploring the possibilities of further academic research in this area, which is vital for shaping the future.” Nina Jane Patel, Co-Founder, Kabuni – A Safe Metaverse for Kids