Meta requests RFP for AR/VR policy with HKU

Meta has launched a request for proposals (RFP) for AR/VR Policy Research in the Asia Pacific region with the help of Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong (HKU). The partnership aims to work together with the region’s academic community to develop solutions-focused research to support the responsible development of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies. This includes identifying positive approaches to address policy issues and challenges, as well as opportunities in the metaverse and augmented and virtual reality.

The two parties are looking to invite faculties to respond to this call for research proposals pertaining to a series of topics such as economic opportunity, privacy of data, safety and integrity, equity and inclusion of technologies, as well as new use cases of immersive technology. The submission deadline will be on 25 July 2022, and results will be announced in September.

With the metaverse becoming the next chapter of the Internet, Meta’s vision is to have a billion people accessing the metaverse as part of their daily lives within 10 years. That relies on people being in control of their experiences and feeling safe and secure. This RFP reaffirms Meta’s commitment to ensuring the responsible development and use of AR/VR technologies, and building strong collaborations with policymakers, experts and industry partners to bring the metaverse to life.  

Raina Yeung, head of privacy and data policy, engagement, APAC at Meta said: “Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities and grow businesses. As we build shared spaces in the metaverse where people are free to express themselves and connect with others, we want to ensure the technologies that we use are safe and secure,” 

“The metaverse is not a single product one company can build alone, and many of these products will only be fully realised in the next 10-15 years. Hence, to foster further innovation in this area, and to deepen collaboration with academia, we are honoured to partner with the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong, and welcome proposals that will provide insight into how to build these technologies responsibly, ultimately enabling communities to thrive in the metaverse.” Yeung added.

Professor Lam Wai Fung, director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of HKU, said: “Building on the success we have had with Meta on the research initiative on Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2020, we are pleased to work further with other academic communities in APAC to continue the intellectual dialogues concerning the multiple facets of AR and VR.”

“The RFP forms part of the Tech for Good Initiative that aims to bring scholars and practitioners together to catch up with the latest development of technologies and explore how the interplay between emerging technologies and public policy works. The Centre is committed to the attainment of a sustainable society and advanced technologies will help address some of the most critical sustainability challenges we are facing today.” Lam added.

Meanwhile, Meta has also been actively rolling out new metaverse initiatives in Hong Kong, enabling HongKongers to better understand metaverse’s potential across industries. According to a statement, Meta’s metaverse plan for Hong Kong includes virtual reality (VR) experiences and exhibitions at local cafés and public spaces. There will also be a short film showcase and a new recognition initiative to support the convergence of film, visual media and technology. Augmented Reality (AR) training workshops will also be created for educators and secondary school students. Testing of digital collectibles will also begin with Hong Kong creators who will be able to share their own non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Instagram, said the statement from Meta.

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