- Status: Planned Program
Background
Virtual environments are digital spaces in which users can interact, play and converse with the help of avatars. They are characterized by an immersive 3-dimensional environment and use technologies such as augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR) and virtual reality (VR) to provide a realistic and interactive experience. The term disinformation is primarily used in the context of fake or misleading news, which is mainly spread online in social media and messenger services. Disinformation in virtual environments has not yet been the subject of independent scientific research.
Aim
The research program “Research Platform for the Investigation of Disinformation in Virtual Reality” (FoUnD-VR) aims to create a platform (e.g. XR test environment) for researching disinformation in virtual environments. Virtual environments are understood as new digital spaces that can be accessed via extended reality (VR, AR, XR) (Metaverse, Omniverse, Citiverse), in which individuals interact with other people, organizations or institutions. The audiovisual and haptic interaction possibilities inherent in the technology create unique forms of disinformation that have not yet been researched due to the novelty of these virtual spaces. The virtual laboratory environment is therefore intended to enable research into the dissemination of disinformation in new types of virtual spaces for the first time.
Disruptive Risk Research
The possibilities of manipulation in virtual spaces (VA, AR, XR) go far beyond known methods of conventional forms of disinformation due to the level of interaction and the high degree of immersion: For example, contact with virtual avatars can be misused through deep fakes or changes to virtual spaces can be deliberately falsified in order to manipulate the moods, opinions or attitudes of users. Furthermore, the addition of other sensory modalities (e.g. haptics, smell) opens up additional ways of influencing users and the possibility of making disinformation appear even more realistic.
It is not yet possible to predict which forms of disinformation will be used on future XR platforms. The FoUnD-VR research program aims to close this gap by developing scenarios, methods and measures to protect against disinformation.