The Metaverse epitomizes the human rights dilemma inherent in many emerging technologies. Technology is morally neutral, so how can we ensure that it is used for good and not evil? This talk will focus on how we can develop the metaverse to empower humanity and enhance our lives while avoiding becoming a digital dystopia that facilitates human rights abuses. It will emphasize the importance of ensuring that human rights are put at the very heart of the metaverse and that we prioritize human rights-centered design and regulation.
Session Video
The Closing Keynote titled "Putting Human Rights at the Heart of the Metaverse" was delivered by Lorraine Finlay, the Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission. The keynote addressed the importance of prioritizing human rights centered design and regulation in the Metaverse.
Lorraine emphasized the need for proactive measures to address the potential human rights abuses that could occur in the Metaverse. She argued that the Metaverse is not just a new platform, but a new world, and that we need to ensure that human rights are respected and upheld in this world.
To achieve this, Lorraine suggested several solutions, including developing and enforcing human rights regulations for the Metaverse, incorporating diverse perspectives in the development of Metaverse platforms, and fostering greater collaboration between governments, industry, and civil society to address human rights challenges in the Metaverse.
The main ideas and insights discussed during the "Closing Keynote" were:
The metaverse is not just a technological innovation but a new realm of human experience with potential implications for human rights, and thus it is important to address the challenges and opportunities it presents from a human rights perspective.
The development of the metaverse requires a human rights-centered approach that prioritizes the rights of users and ensures that they have a say in the development and design of the metaverse.
Immersive technologies in the metaverse have the potential to enhance human rights, such as freedom of expression, education, and cultural participation, but they can also pose risks, such as privacy violations, discrimination, and even physical harm, which need to be addressed.
The development of the metaverse should be guided by a framework of rights that includes not only traditional civil and political rights but also new rights, such as immersive and neuro rights, that are necessary to maintain human agency, autonomy, and free will in the metaverse.
Collaboration between all stakeholders, including governments, regulators, technologists, civil society, and marginalized communities, is crucial to ensure that the metaverse is developed in a way that promotes and protects human rights.
Finally, the keynote speaker emphasized the importance of taking action now to ensure that the metaverse is a force for good and not a new frontier for human rights abuses. This can be achieved through education, awareness-raising, and the development of ethical standards, codes of conduct, and best practices for the development and use of the metaverse.
Overall, the keynote emphasized the importance of prioritizing human rights in the Metaverse and taking proactive measures to ensure that they are respected and upheld.
We are entering a post-reality era with a diminishing sense of safety, privacy, and trust. We need to come together to address these risks proactively and reduce harm to humans and societies. X Reality Safety Intelligence (XRSI) believes that the first step to this is creating awareness and safeguards.
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