Shaping Future Human Connection: Social Augmentation through XR Technologies

Human social interactions are undergoing profound transformations, driven by the rapid evolution of communication technologies. In particular, Extended Reality (XR) technologies have reshaped how people connect, collaborate, and communicate across distances. Beyond simply reproducing real-world interactions, XR enriches communication by enabling the exchange of social and emotional cues, clarifying intent, enhancing emotional expression, and supporting collaboration. The recent advancement of artificial intelligence further amplifies this potential by allowing adaptive, context-sensitive augmentation. Research on social augmentation contributes both theoretically, by deepening our understanding of human social and emotional interaction, and practically, by informing the design of XR systems that foster meaningful, inclusive, and ethically grounded interactions. However, research often overlooks long-term engagement, inclusivity, ethics, and the subtle dynamics of social-emotional exchange. This workshop brings together researchers, designers, and practitioners to explore the challenges, opportunities, and methodologies of Social XR, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and laying the foundation for sustainable, inclusive, and ethically responsible research and practice.