Augmented Reality and the Metaverse - Speculating about the Future

Authors

  • Shahper Richter University of Auckland
  • Nastaran Mohammadhossein Victoria University of Wellington
  • Alexander Richter Victoria University of Wellington
  • Matthias Trier Paderborn University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.5429

Keywords:

Metaverse, Future Thinking, Augmented Reality, Sociotechnical Lens

Abstract

Imagine a world where the boundaries between physical and digital realities dissolve, creating immersive experiences that transform how we interact. This potential lies at the heart of the Metaverse, and a confluence of technologies such as AR, VR, AI and blockchain will be the key to unlocking it. We employ a novel combination of horizon scanning and narrative development to explore the transformative role of AR within the Metaverse. This approach reveals potential technology-driven futures, highlighting emerging trends and disruptions not readily apparent through traditional forecasting methods. Our narratives of the future offer surprising glimpses into potential sociotechnical futures, informing a research agenda for both industry and academia.

References

Agriyanto, R. (2024). Al Implication and Data-Driven Decision Making for Organizational. Human Resource Strategies in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, 259.

Ahmad, N., & Junaini, S. (2020). Augmented reality for learning mathematics: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(16), 106-122. doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i16.14961%0d

Ahn, J., Han, S., & Al-Hussein, M. (2019). 2D Drawing Visualization Framework for Applying Projection-Based Augmented Reality in a Panelized Construction Manufacturing Facility: Proof of Concept. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 33, 04019032. doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000843

Akcayir, M., & Akcayir, G. (2017). Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality crossMark for education: A systematic review of the literature. Educational research review, 20, 1-11. doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.002

Al Falahi, A., Alnuaimi, H., Alqaydi, M., Al Shateri, N., Al Ameri, S., Qbea'h, M., & Alrabaee, S. (2024). From Challenges to Future Directions: A Metaverse Analysis. 2024 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Metaverse Technologies & Applications (iMETA),

Al Khaldy, M. A., Ishtaiwi, A., Al-Qerem, A., Aldweesh, A., Almomani, A., & Alkasassbeh, M. (2024). Cryptography in business intelligence and data analytics. In Innovations in Modern Cryptography (pp. 352-375). IGI Global. doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-5330-1.ch015

Aldweesh, A., Alauthman, M., Al Khaldy, M., Ishtaiwi, A., Al-Qerem, A., Almoman, A., & Gupta, B. B. (2023). The meta-fusion: A cloud-integrated study on blockchain technology enabling secure and efficient virtual worlds. International Journal of Cloud Applications and Computing (IJCAC), 13(1), 1-24.

Allam, Z., Sharifi, A., Bibri, S. E., Jones, D. S., & Krogstie, J. (2022). The metaverse as a virtual form of smart cities: Opportunities and challenges for environmental, economic, and social sustainability in urban futures. Smart Cities, 5(3), 771-801.

Amer, M., Daim, T. U., & Jetter, A. (2013). A review of scenario planning. Futures, 46, 23-40.

Anderson, J., & Rainie, L. (2022). The metaverse in 2040. Pew Research Centre, 30, 4.

Bagwe, S., Singh, K., Kashyap, A., Arora, S., & Maini, L. (2021). Evolution of augmented reality applications in Orthopaedics: A systematic review. Journal of arthroscopy and joint surgery, 8(1), 84-90. doi.org/10.1016/j.jajs.2021.02.006

Ball, M. (2022). The metaverse: and how it will revolutionize everything. Liveright Publishing.

Baroroh, D. K., Chu, C.-H., & Wang, L. (2020). Systematic literature review on augmented reality in smart manufacturing: Collaboration between human and computational intelligence. Journal of manufacturing systems. doi.org/10.1016/j.jmsy.2020.10.017

Baxter, G., & Hainey, T. (2024). Using immersive technologies to enhance the student learning experience. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 21(3), 403-425, doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-05-2023-0078.

Billinghurst, M., & Duenser, A. (2012). Augmented Reality in the Classroom. Computer (Long Beach, Calif.), 45(7), 56-63. doi.org/10.1109/MC.2012.111

Billinghurst, M., & Kato, H. (2002). Collaborative augmented reality. Communications of the ACM, 45(7), 64-70.

Blodgett-Ford, S., & Supponen, M. (2018). Data privacy legal issues in virtual and augmented reality advertising. In Research handbook on the law of virtual and augmented reality (pp. 471-512). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Boell, S. K., & Cecez-Kecmanovic, D. (2014). A hermeneutic approach for conducting literature reviews and literature searches. Communications of the Association for information Systems, 34(1), 12. doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.03412

Bonetti, F., Warnaby, G., & Quinn, L. (2018). Augmented reality and virtual reality in physical and online retailing: A review, synthesis and research agenda. Augmented reality and virtual reality, 119-132.

Bottani, E., & Vignali, G. (2019). Augmented reality technology in the manufacturing industry: A review of the last decade. Iise Transactions, 51(3), 284-310. doi.org/10.1080/24725854.2018.1493244

Bower, M., Howe, C., McCredie, N., Robinson, A., & Grover, D. (2014). Augmented Reality in education–cases, places and potentials. Educational Media International, 51(1), 1-15.

Buhalis, D., & Amaranggana, A. (2015). Smart tourism destinations enhancing tourism experience through personalisation of services. In Information and communication technologies in tourism 2015 (pp. 377-389). Springer.

Buhalis, D., Leung, D., & Lin, M. (2023). Metaverse as a disruptive technology revolutionising tourism management and marketing. Tourism Management, 97, 104724.

Buhalis, D., Lin, M. S., & Leung, D. (2022). Metaverse as a driver for customer experience and value co-creation: implications for hospitality and tourism management and marketing. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management(ahead-of-print).

Burnam-Fink, M. (2015). Creating narrative scenarios: Science fiction prototyping at Emerge. Futures, 70, 48-55.

Buruk, O., Dagan, E., Isbister, K., Segura, E. M., & Tanenbaum, T. J. (2024). Playful wearables: understanding the design space of wearables for games and related experiences. MIT Press.

Chang, Y.-Z., & Wu, C.-T. (2024). Application of extended reality in pediatric neurosurgery: A comprehensive review. Biomedical Journal, 100822. doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2024.100822

Chatterjee, S., Sarker, S., Lee, M. J., Xiao, X., & Elbanna, A. (2021). A possible conceptualization of the information systems (IS) artifact: A general systems theory perspective 1. Information Systems Journal, 31(4), 550-578. doi.org/10.1111/isj.12320

Chen, C., Zhang, K. Z., Chu, Z., & Lee, M. (2024). Augmented reality in the metaverse market: the role of multimodal sensory interaction. Internet Research, 34(1), 9-38.

Chenna, S. (2023). Augmented Reality and AI: Enhancing Human-Computer Interaction in the Metaverse. Available at SSRN 4324629.

Chiasson, M. W., & Davidson, E. (2005). Taking industry seriously in information systems research. MIS quarterly, 591-605. doi.org/10.2307/25148701

Chiu, C. L., Ho, H.-C., Yu, T., Liu, Y., & Mo, Y. (2021). Exploring information technology success of Augmented Reality Retail Applications in retail food chain. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61, 102561.

Chowdhury, S., Budhwar, P., Dey, P. K., Joel-Edgar, S., & Abadie, A. (2022). AI-employee collaboration and business performance: Integrating knowledge-based view, socio-technical systems and organisational socialisation framework. Journal of business research, 144, 31-49. doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.069

Conway, M. (2021). The idea of a university: Enabling or constraining possible university futures. Unpublished doctoral thesis]. Swinburne University of Technology.

Cowan, K., Plangger, K., & Javornik, A. (2024). Insights for Advertisers on Immersive Technologies: The Future of Ads Using VR, AR, MR and the Metaverse. Journal of Advertising Research, 64(3), 249-254.

Cranefield, J., Winikoff, M., Chiu, Y.-T., Li, Y., Doyle, C., & Richter, A. (2023). Partnering with AI: The case of digital productivity assistants. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 53(1), 95-118.

Cropley, D. H., Theurer, C., Mathijssen, S., & Marrone, R. L. (2023). Fit-for-Purpose Creativity Assessment: Using machine learning to score a figural creativity test.

Crum, C. R., & Coglianese, C. (2024). Taking Training Seriously: Human Guidance and Management-Based Regulation of Artificial Intelligence. 2024 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN),

Cuhls, K. E. (2020). Horizon Scanning in Foresight–Why Horizon Scanning is only a part of the game. Futures & Foresight Science, 2(1), e23.

Curry, A., & Schultz, W. (2009). Roads less travelled: different methods, different futures. Journal of Futures Studies, 13(4), 35-60.

Damar, M. (2021). Metaverse Shape of Your Life for Future: A bibliometric snapshot. Journal of Metaverse, 1(1), 1-8.

Dargan, S., Bansal, S., Kumar, M., Mittal, A., & Kumar, K. (2023). Augmented reality: A comprehensive review. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 30(2), 1057-1080.

De Leoz, G., & Petter, S. (2018). Considering the social impacts of artefacts in information systems design science research. European Journal of Information Systems, 27(2), 154-170. doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2018.1445462

Devagiri, J. S., Paheding, S., Niyaz, Q., Yang, X., & Smith, S. (2022). Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence in industry: Trends, tools, and future challenges. Expert Systems with Applications, 207, 118002.

Dionisio, J. D. N., III, W. G. B., & Gilbert, R. (2013). 3D virtual worlds and the metaverse: Current status and future possibilities. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 45(3), 1-38. doi.org/10.1145/2480741.2480751

Dolata, M., & Schwabe, G. (2023). What is the Metaverse and who seeks to define it? Mapping the site of social construction. Journal of Information Technology, 38(3), 239-266. doi.org/10.1177/02683962231159927

Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Baabdullah, A. M., Ribeiro-Navarrete, S., Giannakis, M., Al-Debei, M. M., Dennehy, D., Metri, B., Buhalis, D., & Cheung, C. M. (2022). Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 66, 102542. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102542

Ebrahimabad, F. Z., Yazdani, H., Hakim, A., & Asarian, M. (2024). Augmented reality versus web-based shopping: How does AR improve user experience and online purchase intention. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 15, 100152.

El Ghati, O., Alaoui-Fdili, O., Chahbouni, O., Alioua, N., & Bouarifi, W. (2024). Artificial Intelligence-powered Visual Internet of things in Smart cities: a comprehensive review. Sustainable Computing: Informatics and Systems, 101004. doi.org/10.1016/j.suscom.2024.101004

Ergen, F. D. (2021). Artificial Intelligence applications for event management and marketing. In Impact of ICTs on event management and marketing (pp. 199-215). IGI Global. doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4954-4.ch012

Eswaran, M., Gulivindala, A. K., Inkulu, A. K., & Bahubalendruni, M. R. (2023). Augmented reality-based guidance in product assembly and maintenance/repair perspective: A state of the art review on challenges and opportunities. Expert Systems with Applications, 213, 118983. doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.118983

Fadhel, M. A., Duhaim, A. M., Albahri, A., Al-Qaysi, Z., Aktham, M., Chyad, M., Abd-Alaziz, W., Albahri, O., Alamoodi, A., & Alzubaidi, L. (2024). Navigating the metaverse: unraveling the impact of artificial intelligence—a comprehensive review and gap analysis. Artificial Intelligence Review, 57(10), 264. doi.org/10.1007/s10462-024-10881-5

Far, S. B., Rad, A. I., Bamakan, S. M. H., & Asaar, M. R. (2023). Toward Metaverse of everything: Opportunities, challenges, and future directions of the next generation of visual/virtual communications. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 217, 103675. doi.org/10.1016/j.jnca.2023.103675

Flavián, C., Ibáñez-Sánchez, S., & Orús, C. (2019). The impact of virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies on the customer experience. Journal of business research, 100, 547-560.

Flavián, C., Ibáñez-Sánchez, S., Orús, C., & Barta, S. (2024). The dark side of the metaverse: The role of gamification in event virtualization. International Journal of Information Management, 75, 102726.

Flick, C., Zamani, E. D., Stahl, B. C., & Brem, A. (2020). The future of ICT for health and ageing: Unveiling ethical and social issues through horizon scanning foresight. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 155, 119995. doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119995

FlySight. (2024). Advanced Surveillance Technologies to Watch Out for in 2024 https://www.flysight.it/advanced-surveillance-technologies-to-watch-out-for-in-2024/

Følstad, A., & Kvale, K. (2018). Customer journeys: a systematic literature review. Journal of Service Theory and Practice. doi.org/10.1108/jstp-11-2014-0261

Fu, Y., Li, C., Yu, F. R., Luan, T. H., Zhao, P., & Liu, S. (2022). A survey of blockchain and intelligent networking for the metaverse. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 10(4), 3587-3610. doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2022.3222521

Gad, A. G., Mosa, D. T., Abualigah, L., & Abohany, A. A. (2022). Emerging trends in blockchain technology and applications: A review and outlook. Journal of King Saud University-Computer and Information Sciences, 34(9), 6719-6742. doi.org/10.1016/j.jksuci.2022.03.007

Gadamer, H.-G. (2013). Truth and method. A&C Black.

Geroimenko, V. (2024). Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Metaverse. Springer.

Ghaffari, K., Lagzian, M., Kazemi, M., & Malekzadeh, G. (2020). A comprehensive framework for Internet of Things development: A grounded theory study of requirements. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 33(1), 23-50. doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-02-2019-0060

Ghosh, A., Lavanya, Hassija, V., Chamola, V., & El Saddik, A. (2024). A Survey on Decentralized Metaverse Using Blockchain and Web 3.0 Technologies, Applications, and More. IEEE Access, 12, 146915-146948. doi.org/10.1109/access.2024.3469193

Gohd, C. (2017). New anatomy VR app lets you look inside your own body. https://futurism.com/new-anatomy-vr-app-lets-you-look-inside-your-own-body

Goher, G. N. (2024). Navigating the integration of ChatGPT in UAE’s government sector: challenges and opportunities. Digital Transformation and Society. doi.org/10.1108/DTS-03-2024-0024

Hampiholi, N. (2023). Real-World Deployments of AR In Medical Training and Surgery. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 10(10), 8.

Hendricksen, I. T. (2023). Observational, Digital Readout, and Calibration Techniques for Studying the Redshifted 21cm Signal of Hydrogen. McGill University (Canada).

Hennig-Thurau, T., Aliman, D. N., Herting, A. M., Cziehso, G. P., Linder, M., & Kübler, R. V. (2023). Social interactions in the metaverse: Framework, initial evidence, and research roadmap. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(4), 889-913.

Ho, C.-H., Chiu, K.-H., Chen, H., & Papazafeiropoulou, A. (2015). Can internet blogs be used as an effective advertising tool? The role of product blog type and brand awareness. Journal of Enterprise Information Management. doi.org/10.1108/jeim-03-2014-0021

Hollensen, S., Kotler, P., & Opresnik, M. O. (2023). Metaverse - the new marketing universe. Journal of Business Strategy, 44(3), 119-125. doi.org/10.1108/jbs-01-2022-0014

Hovorka, D., & Peter, S. (2021). Research perspectives: From other worlds: Speculative engagement through digital geographies. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(6), 1736-1752.

Hovorka, D. S., & Mueller, B. (2025). Speculative foresight: A foray beyond digital transformation. Information Systems Journal, 35(1), 140-162. doi.org/10.1111/isj.12530

Inayatullah, S. (2008), "Six pillars: futures thinking for transforming", Foresight, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 4-21. doi.org/10.1108/14636680810855991

Jansen, B. J., Jung, S.-G., Nielsen, L., Guan, K. W., & Salminen, J. (2022). How to create personas: three persona creation methodologies with implications for practical employment. Pacific Asia Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 14(3), 1.

Jetha, A., Shamaee, A., Bonaccio, S., Gignac, M. A., Tucker, L. B., Tompa, E., Bültmann, U., Norman, C. D., Banks, C. G., & Smith, P. M. (2021). Fragmentation in the future of work: A horizon scan examining the impact of the changing nature of work on workers experiencing vulnerability. American journal of industrial medicine, 64(8), 649-666.

Jones, M. R., & Karsten, H. (2008). Giddens's structuration theory and information systems research. MIS quarterly, 127-157. doi.org/10.2307/25148831

Joshua, J. (2017). Information Bodies: Computational Anxiety in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. Interdisciplinary Literary Studies, 19(1), 17-47. doi.org/10.5325/intelitestud.19.1.0017

Kallinikos, J., Aaltonen, A., & Marton, A. (2013). The ambivalent ontology of digital artifacts. MIS quarterly, 357-370. doi.org/10.25300/misq/2013/37.2.02

Kaur, S., Rajvanshi, S., & Kaur, G. (2024). Privacy and security concerns with augmented reality/virtual reality: a systematic review. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Special Education, 209-231. doi.org/10.1002/9781394167586.ch10

Kesim, M., & Ozarslan, Y. (2012). Augmented reality in education: current technologies and the potential for education. Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 47, 297-302. doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.654

Kim, D. Y., Lee, H. K., & Chung, K. (2023). Avatar-mediated experience in the metaverse: The impact of avatar realism on user-avatar relationship. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103382.

Kleinings, H. (2023). How to Get the Most out of AI in 2023: 7 Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Business. Levity.

Koo, C., Xiang, Z., Gretzel, U., & Sigala, M. (2021). Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in travel, hospitality and leisure. Electronic Markets, 31, 473-476. doi.org/10.1007/s12525-021-00494-z

Kumar, H., Rauschnabel, P. A., Agarwal, M. N., Singh, R. K., & Srivastava, R. (2022). Towards a theoretical framework for augmented reality marketing: A means-end chain perspective on retailing. Information & Management, 61(2), 103910. doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2023.103910

Kumar, V., Ashraf, A. R., & Nadeem, W. (2024). AI-powered marketing: What, where, and how? International Journal of Information Management, 77, 102783. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102783

Laeeq, K. (2022). Metaverse: why, how and what. How and what.

Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of marketing, 80(6), 69-96. doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0420

Li, Y.-J., Cheung, C. M., Shen, X.-L., & Lee, M. K. (2022). When socialization goes wrong: Understanding the we-intention to participate in collective trolling in virtual communities. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 23(3), 678-706.

Liu, Y., & Siau, K. L. (2023). Human-AI Interaction and AI Avatars. International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction,

Logeswaran, K., Savitha, S., Suresh, P., Prasanna Kumar, K., Gunasekar, M., Rajadevi, R., Dharani, M., & Jayasurya, A. (2024). Unifying Technologies in Industry 4.0: Harnessing the Synergy of Internet of Things, Big Data, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, and Blockchain Technologies. Topics in Artificial Intelligence Applied to Industry 4.0, 127-147.

Lun, L. K., & Iqbal, J. (2024). A smart production line management system using face recognition and augmented reality. Machine Intelligence in Mechanical Engineering, 13-27. doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-18644-8.00010-1

MacCallum, K., & Parsons, D. (2019). Teacher perspectives on mobile augmented reality: The potential of metaverse for learning. World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning,

Magerkurth, C., Cheok, A. D., Mandryk, R. L., & Nilsen, T. (2005). Pervasive games: bringing computer entertainment back to the real world. Computers in Entertainment (CIE), 3(3), 4-4.

Majeed, Z. H., & Ali, H. A. (2020). A review of augmented reality in educational applications. International Journal of Advanced Technology and Engineering Exploration, 7(62), 20-27. doi.org/10.19101/IJATEE.2019.650068

Mikalef, P., Giannakos, M. N., & Pateli, A. G. (2012). Exploring the Business Potential of Social Media: An Utilitarian and Hedonic Motivation Approach. Bled eConference,

Mohamed, G., Zahra, F. F., Najwa, Z., Soumaya, O., Yassine, K., Chakir, A., & Mohamed, A. (2024). Enhancing Immersive Virtual Shopping Experiences in the Retail Metaverse Through Visual Analytics, Cognitive Artificial Intelligence Techniques, Blockchain-Based Digital Assets, and Immersive Simulations: A Systematic Literature Review. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 305-318.

Mohammed, S. Y., Aljanabi, M., & Gadekallu, T. R. (2024). Navigating the nexus: a systematic review of the symbiotic relationship between the metaverse and gaming. International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering.

Morris, M. G., & Venkatesh, V. (2010). Job characteristics and job satisfaction: Understanding the role of enterprise resource planning system implementation. MIS quarterly, 143-161. doi.org/10.2307/20721418

Mourtzis, D. (2024). Challenges and opportunities of the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0. Manufacturing from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, 97-131. doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-13924-6.00004-1.

Nair, A. J., Manohar, S., Mittal, A., & Chaudhry, R. (2024). Unleashing Digital Frontiers: Bridging Realities of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and the Metaverse. In The Metaverse Dilemma: Challenges and Opportunities for Business and Society (pp. 85-112). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Neely, E. L. (2019). Augmented reality, augmented ethics: who has the right to augment a particular physical space? Ethics and Information Technology, 21(1), 11-18. doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9484-2.

Nemorin, S., Vlachidis, A., Ayerakwa, H. M., & Andriotis, P. (2023). AI hyped? A horizon scan of discourse on artificial intelligence in education (AIED) and development. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 38-51.

Neuhofer, B., Magnus, B., & Celuch, K. (2021). The impact of artificial intelligence on event experiences: a scenario technique approach. Electronic Markets, 31(3), 601-617. doi.org/10.1007/s12525-020-00433-4

Ng, Y.-L. (2023). When communicative AIs are cooperative actors: a prisoner’s dilemma experiment on human–communicative artificial intelligence cooperation. Behaviour & Information Technology, 42(13), 2141-2151. doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2022.2111273

Okhifun, G. (2022). How artificial intelligence can tackle workplace stress. Retrieved from Corporate Wellness Magazine: https://www. corporatewellnessmagazine. com/article/howartificial-intelligence-can-fight-against-workplace-stress.

Orlikowski, W. J. (1992). The duality of technology: Rethinking the concept of technology in organizations. Organization science, 3(3), 398-427. doi.org/10.1287/orsc.3.3.398

Orlikowski, W. J. (2007). Sociomaterial practices: Exploring technology at work. Organization studies, 28(9), 1435-1448. doi.org/10.1177/0170840607081138

Pachoulakis, I., & Kapetanakis, K. (2012). Augmented reality platforms for virtual fitting rooms. The International Journal of Multimedia & Its Applications, 4(4), 35.

Palomino, M. A., Bardsley, S., Bown, K., De Lurio, J., Ellwood, P., Holland‐Smith, D., Huggins, B., Vincenti, A., Woodroof, H., & Owen, R. (2012). Web‐based horizon scanning: concepts and practice. Foresight.

Palomino, M. A., Bardsley, S., Bown, K., De Lurio, J., Ellwood, P., Holland‐Smith, D., Huggins, B., Vincenti, A., Woodroof, H., & Owen, R. (2012). Web‐based horizon scanning: concepts and practice. Foresight, 14(5), 355-373. doi.org/10.1108/14636681211269851

Parlar, T. (2023). Data privacy and security in the metaverse. In Metaverse: Technologies, Opportunities and Threats (pp. 123-133). Springer.

Patel, K. (2024). Revolutionizing Customer Experience: Integrating Blockchain with AR and VR in Retail. Augmenting Retail Reality, Part B: Blockchain, AR, VR, and AI, 1-22. doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-708-320241003

Pavlik, J. V., & Bridges, F. (2013). The emergence of augmented reality (AR) as a storytelling medium in journalism. Journalism & communication monographs, 15(1), 4-59. doi.org/10.1177/1522637912470819

Phakamach, P., Senarith, P., & Wachirawongpaisarn, S. (2022). The metaverse in education: the future of immersive teaching & learning. RICE Journal of Creative Entrepreneurship and Management, 3(2), 75-88.

Poole, M. S., & DeSanctis, G. (2004). Structuration theory in information systems research: Methods and controversies. In The handbook of information systems research (pp. 206-249). IGI Global.

Porter, M. E., & Heppelmann, J. E. (2017). Why every organization needs an augmented reality strategy. HBR’S 10 MUST, 85.

Pragha, P., Natarajan, T., & Dhalmahapatra, K. (2025). Adoption of NFT transaction in metaverse platform: a trust transfer approach to leverage trust among users. Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, 27(4), 422-445. doi.org/10.1108/dprg-08-2024-0178

Rabbi, I., & Ullah, S. (2013). A survey on augmented reality challenges and tracking. Acta graphica: znanstveni časopis za tiskarstvo i grafičke komunikacije, 24(1-2), 29-46.

Rafique, W., & Qadir, J. (2024). Internet of everything meets the metaverse: Bridging physical and virtual worlds with blockchain. Computer Science Review, 54, 100678. doi.org/10.1016/j.cosrev.2024.100678

Rainie, L., & Anderson, J. (2024). A New Age of Enlightenment? A New Threat to Humanity? Experts Imagine the Impact of Artificial Intelligence by 2040.

Ramya, R., & Ramamoorthy, S. (2025). AI in Communication Technology and Innovation of AR/VR in Communication. Advances in Linguistics and Communication Studies, 1-28. doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3579-6.ch001

Rawlley, O., Gupta, S., Chandrakar, J., Johnson, M. K., & Kalra, C. (2025). Artificial Intelligence Inspired Task Offloading and Resource Orchestration in Intelligent Transportation Systems. Cognitive Computation, 17(1), 1-30. doi.org/10.1007/s12559-024-10380-3

Rawson, A., Duncan, E., & Jones, C. (2013). The truth about customer experience. Harvard business review, 91(9), 90-98.

Reeder, B., & Turner, A. M. (2011). Scenario-based design: a method for connecting information system design with public health operations and emergency management. Journal of biomedical informatics, 44(6), 978-988.

Rehman, A., Behera, R. K., Islam, M. S., Elahi, Y. A., Abbasi, F. A., & Imtiaz, A. (2024). Drivers of metaverse adoption for enhancing marketing capabilities of retail SMEs. Technology in Society, 79, 102704. doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102704

Ringland, G. (2010). The role of scenarios in strategic foresight. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 77(9), 1493-1498. doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2010.06.010

Richter, S., & Richter, A. (2023). What is novel about the Metaverse? International Journal of Information Management, 73, 102684. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102684

Richter, S., & Richter, A. (2024). Human-AI Collaboration in the Metaverse—How to Research the Future of Work? ECIS 2024 Proceedings. 4.

Romano, B., Sands, S., & Pallant, J. I. (2021). Augmented reality and the customer journey: An exploratory study. Australasian Marketing Journal, 29(4), 354-363. doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.06.010

Rowe, E., Wright, G., & Derbyshire, J. (2017). Enhancing horizon scanning by utilizing pre-developed scenarios: Analysis of current practice and specification of a process improvement to aid the identification of important ‘weak signals’. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 125, 224-235. doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.08.001

Ryskeldiev, B., Ochiai, Y., Cohen, M., & Herder, J. (2018). Distributed metaverse: creating decentralized blockchain-based model for peer-to-peer sharing of virtual spaces for mixed reality applications. Proceedings of the 9th augmented human international conference, doi.org/10.1145/3174910.3174952

Salinas, P., & González-Mendívil, E. (2017). Augmented reality and solids of revolution. International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM), 11(4), 829-837.

Sarker, S., Chatterjee, S., & Xiao, X. (2013). How" Sociotechnical" is our IS Research?: An Assessment and Possible Ways Forward. Proceedings of the 34th International Conference on Information Systems. ICIS 2013,

Sarker, S., Chatterjee, S., Xiao, X., & Elbanna, A. (2019). The sociotechnical axis of cohesion for the IS discipline: Its historical legacy and its continued relevance. MIS quarterly, 43(3), 695-720.

Sarker, S., Xiao, X., & Beaulieu, T. (2013). Guest editorial: Qualitative studies in information systems: A critical review and some guiding principles. MIS quarterly, 37(4), iii-xviii.

Schoemaker, P. J. H., Day, G. S., & Snyder, S. A. (2013). Integrating organizational networks, weak signals, strategic radars and scenario planning. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 80(4), 815-824. doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2012.10.020

Scholz, J., & Smith, A. N. (2016). Augmented reality: Designing immersive experiences that maximize consumer engagement. Business Horizons, 59(2), 149-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2015.10.003

Schwarz, J. O. (2015). The 'Narrative Turn' in developing foresight: Assessing how cultural products can assist organisations in detecting trends. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 90, 510-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2014.02.024

See, Z. S., Billinghurst, M., Rengganaten, V., & Soo, S. (2016). Medical learning murmurs simulation with mobile audible augmented reality. In SIGGRAPH ASIA 2016 mobile graphics and interactive applications (pp. 1-4).

Seidel, S., Berente, N., Nickerson, J., & Yepes, G. (2022). Designing the Metaverse. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2022.811

Sharifmousavi, M., Kayvanfar, V., & Baldacci, R. (2024). Distributed Artificial Intelligence Application in Agri-food Supply Chains 4.0. Procedia Computer Science, 232, 211-220.

Shin, D. (2019). How does immersion work in augmented reality games? A user-centric view of immersion and engagement. Information, Communication & Society, 22(9), 1212-1229. doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2017.1411519

Silva, R. M. L., Principe Cruz, E., Rosner, D. K., Kelly, D., Monroy-Hernández, A., & Liu, F. (2022). Understanding AR Activism: An Interview Study with Creators of Augmented Reality Experiences for Social Change. CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1-15. doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3517605

Singh, P., Prasad, G., Athwal, H. S., & Singh, S. (2025). Patient Guidance and Remote Care With AI and AR.

Singla, B., Shalender, K., & Singh, N. (2024). Creator's Economy in Metaverse Platforms: Empowering Stakeholders Through Omnichannel Approach: Empowering Stakeholders Through Omnichannel Approach. IGI Global.

Schoemaker, P. J. (1995). Scenario planning: a tool for strategic thinking. Long Range Planning, 28(3), 117. doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(95)91604-0

Smith, L. W., Rose, R. L., Zablah, A. R., McCullough, H., & Saljoughian, M. M. (2023). Examining post-purchase consumer responses to product automation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(3), 530-550. doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00900-8

Stocchi, L., Pourazad, N., Michaelidou, N., Tanusondjaja, A., & Harrigan, P. (2022). Marketing research on Mobile apps: past, present and future. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 1-31. 50(2), 195-225. doi.org/10.1007/s11747-021-00815-w

Stock-Homburg, R. (2022). Survey of emotions in human–robot interactions: Perspectives from robotic psychology on 20 years of research. International Journal of Social Robotics, 14(2), 389-411. doi.org/10.1007/s12369-021-00778-6

Strong, D. M., & Volkoff, O. (2010). Understanding Organization—Enterprise system fit: A path to theorizing the information technology artifact. MIS quarterly, 731-756. doi.org/10.2307/25750703

Sumadio, D. D., & Rambli, D. R. A. (2010). Preliminary evaluation on user acceptance of the augmented reality use for education. 2010 second international conference on computer engineering and applications, 461–465. doi.org/10.1109/iccea.2010.239

Sung, E. C., Bae, S., Han, D.-I. D., & Kwon, O. (2021). Consumer engagement via interactive artificial intelligence and mixed reality. International Journal of Information Management, 60, 102382.

Tao, W., Lai, Z.-H., Leu, M. C., Yin, Z., & Qin, R. (2019). A self-aware and active-guiding training & assistant system for worker-centered intelligent manufacturing. Manufacturing letters, 21, 45-49. doi.org/10.1016/j.mfglet.2019.08.003

Tom Dieck, M. C., & Han, D.-i. D. (2022). The role of immersive technology in Customer Experience Management. Journal of marketing theory and practice, 30(1), 108–119.

Uddin, M., Obaidat, M., Manickam, S., Laghari, S. U. A., Dandoush, A., Ullah, H., & Ullah, S. S. (2024). Exploring the convergence of Metaverse, Blockchain, and AI: A comprehensive survey of enabling technologies, applications, challenges, and future directions. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 14(6), e1556. doi.org/10.1002/widm.1556

Valmorisco, S., Raya, L., & Sanchez, A. (2024). Enabling personalized VR experiences: A framework for real-time adaptation and recommendations in VR environments. Virtual Reality, 28(3), 128. doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01020-0

Venkata, M. D., Karneedi, V., sri padmaja Yandamuri, S., & Siddi, N. P. (2024). AI-Enhanced Digital Mirrors: Empowering Women's Safety and Shopping Experiences. In Wearable Devices, Surveillance Systems, and AI for Women's Wellbeing (pp. 26-51). IGI Global.

Verhulst, I., Woods, A., Whittaker, L., Bennett, J., & Dalton, P. (2021). Do VR and AR versions of an immersive cultural experience engender different user experiences? Computers in Human Behavior, 125, 106951. doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106951

Walls, J. G., Widmeyer, G. R., & El Sawy, O. A. (1992). Building an information system design theory for vigilant EIS. Information systems research, 3(1), 36-59. doi.org/10.1287/isre.3.1.36

Wang, Q., & Shukla, P. (2013). Linking sources of consumer confusion to decision satisfaction: The role of choice goals. Psychology & Marketing, 30(4), 295-304. doi.org/10.1002/mar.20606

Washida, Y., & Yahata, A. (2021). Predictive value of horizon scanning for future scenarios. Foresight, 23(1), 17-32. doi.org/10.1108/fs-05-2020-0047

Wei, Q., Wu, H., Shi, F., Wan, Y., & Ning, H. (2023). A tutorial on meta-services and services computing in metaverse. IEEE Internet of Things Journal. doi.org/10.1109/jiot.2023.3346901

Welz, J., Riemer, A., Döbel, I., Dakkak, N., & Von Schwartzenberg, A. S. (2021). Identifying future trends by podcast mining: an explorative approach for Web-based horizon scanning. Foresight, 23(1), 1-16. doi.org/10.1108/fs-07-2020-0069

Wright, M., Ekeus, H., Coyne, R., Stewart, J., Travlou, P., & Williams, R. (2008). Augmented duality: overlapping a metaverse with the real world. Proceedings of the 2008 International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology,

Wu, H.-K., Lee, S. W.-Y., Chang, H.-Y., & Liang, J.-C. (2013). Current status, opportunities and challenges of augmented reality in education. Computers & education, 62, 41-49.

Xi, N., Chen, J., Gama, F., Korkeila, H., & Hamari, J. (2024). Virtual experiences, real memories? A study on information recall and recognition in the metaverse. Information Systems Frontiers, 1-25. doi.org/10.1007/s10796-024-10500-2

Yim, M. Y.-C., Chu, S.-C., & Sauer, P. L. (2017). Is augmented reality technology an effective tool for e-commerce? An interactivity and vividness perspective. Journal of interactive marketing, 39(1), 89-103. doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2017.04.001

Yovcheva, Z., Buhalis, D., Gatzidis, C., & van Elzakker, C. P. (2014). Empirical evaluation of smartphone augmented reality browsers in an urban tourism destination context. International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction (IJMHCI), 6(2), 10-31. doi.org/10.4018/ijmhci.2014040102

Yuen, S. C.-Y., Yaoyuneyong, G., & Johnson, E. (2011). Augmented reality: An overview and five directions for AR in education. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE), 4(1), 11. doi.org/10.18785/jetde.0401.10

Zalan, T., & Barbesino, P. (2023). Making the metaverse real. Digital Business, 3(2), 100059. doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2023.100059

Downloads

Published

2025-07-23

How to Cite

Richter, S., Mohammadhossein, N., Richter, A., & Trier, M. (2025). Augmented Reality and the Metaverse - Speculating about the Future. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 29. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.5429

Issue

Section

Research Articles