GuestXR explores the convergence of neuroscience, AI and XR at the 2nd EMRN conference
The GuestXR project took part in the 2nd EMRN Conference “Exploring the Intersection of AI and the Metaverse”, organised by the European Metaverse Research Network (EMRN) on June 11-13, 2025, at the Faculty of Law of the University of Alicante.
On June 11, the discussion “Living Virtual Machines”, chaired by Doron Friedman (Reichman University) and featuring GuestXR partners Beatrice de Gelder (Maastricht University), Rupert Ortner (g.tec Medical Engineering) and Jonathan Giron (Reichman University) explored how the integration of eXtended Reality (XR), neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing our understanding of perception, cognition and self-representation.
As XR technologies become increasingly advanced, they not only simulate realistic human behaviour, but also challenge the boundaries between the artificial and the biological minds. The panel focused on how these developments, which are being studied in the GuestXR project, affect theories of social cognition, emotional interaction, and the concept of embodiment in virtual environments.
Panellists also explored future directions for this multidisciplinary frontier, discussing key topics like embodied AI in immersive spaces, XR-based brain research, emotional and social responses in virtual environments, and the theoretical implications of “living virtual machines” for understanding both biological and artificial minds.
The 2nd EMRN Conference “A Metaverse for the Good” engaged discussions focusing on technical developments in the intersection between the Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence, applications of AR/VR technologies in specific fields, and their societal, ethical and legal implications, in particular in relation with the protection of digital rights in the new technological environment.
The conference gathered local stakeholders from Spain, as well as experts in VR & XR, AI, and neuroscience from Europe, the United States and other countries.
