Gül Akcaova, lead futurist at SURF, Netherlands
Alina Kadlubsky, academic staff at Applied University of Mittweida, Germany
Mark Cole, strategic advisor at SURF, Netherlands
As Laura DeNardis (2014) pointed out, we are approaching a new era of computing/web: an
“Internet in Everything”, meaning the transformation of the Internet from ICT to a controlled
network embedded directly into the physical world and connecting operating systems and
devices across industries, a shift considered more powerful than the Industrial Revolution. A key
component of this next phase is the rise of virtual worlds, often described as Web 4.0 by the
European Commission. Enabled by immersive technologies such as virtual, augmented, and
mixed reality (also known as extended reality or XR), these environments allow users to interact,
collaborate, and create in persistent digital spaces that increasingly blur the boundaries
between physical and digital experiences (EC, 2023). As virtual worlds evolve from conceptual
environments into platforms for education, research, culture, and social interaction, they raise
important questions about the broader societal implications of immersive digital environments.
First, the panel will address the current state of virtual worlds, highlighting recent technological
developments and innovative applications in education, collaborative research, and cultural
engagement. This includes examining how dominant technology companies such as Apple,
Meta, Google, Niantic, and Snap have been gradually enclosing virtual spaces through vertical
integration and walled gardens, bringing products and services under centralised control. The
fairness of such arrangements, particularly regarding how data is collected, used, and monetised
without full transparency, raises questions that extend well beyond privacy into broader ethical
territory. Furthermore, we observe the ethical challenges already present in today’s social media
and virtual spaces are likely to be amplified by further technological development, including the
effects of XR content filters on self-perception and perception of others, the spread of
disinformation and misinformation, the dehumanisation of users, and the reinforcement of echo
chambers through the manipulation of user attention.
Second, the panel will reflect on the historical development of virtual worlds, tracing the
evolution of immersive digital environments from early virtual reality experiments and online
communities to today’s increasingly sophisticated and interconnected platforms. Understanding
this trajectory helps contextualise the current role of virtual worlds within digital transformation, and frames the growing ethical dangers posed by the convergence of XR and AI.
Several works acknowledge these compounded risks: Camilleri et al. (2024) warn that
integrating AI into VR will likely augment existing ethical problems; Rosenberg (2026) identifies
context-aware generative influence as a powerful manipulative pathway for shaping consumer
behaviour; and Stacchio et al. (2024) argue that XR and AI should be covered under a united
ethical framework, given that spaces like the Metaverse already deploy both in combination.
These challenges require a transdisciplinary approach that involves industry, government,
academia and education.
In summary, we’d like to provide an industry perspective to the Bled conference that is
addressing co-creating human-centred and responsible digital futures. During this panel,
practices, reflections and thoughts will be shared to identify future directions for research.
References
Camilleri, V. (2024). Perspectives on the ethics of a VR-based empathy experience for
educators. In S. Caballé, J. Casas-Roma & J. Conesa (Eds.), Ethics in online AI-based systems
(pp. 211-228). Elsevier.
DeNardis, L. (2014). The internet in everything: Freedom and security in a world with no off
switch. Yale University Press.
European Commission. (2023). Towards the next technological transition: Commission
presents EU strategy to lead on web 4.0 and virtual worlds.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_3718
Rosenberg, L. (2026). AI-powered augmented reality as a threat vector for human
manipulation. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2601.18802
Stacchio, Lorenzo & Pierdicca, Roberto & Paolanti, Marina & Frontoni, Emanuele & Giovanola,
Benedetta & Tiribelli, Simona. (2024). XRAI-Ethics: Towards a Robust Ethical Analysis
Framework for Extended Artificial Intelligence.