Virtual worlds are now a reality. Virtual worlds allow everyone to create a digital character representing themselves and to interact with other computer-generated individuals, landscapes, virtually-run global businesses, and in-world institutions in real-time. Virtual worlds provide a sense of body as well as a flexible sense of identity to participants. Fascinatingly, both endogenously produced economies and social orders are emerging in these virtual worlds. Political candidates are campaigning in virtual worlds, while some sales of virtual assets are producing demand in the real world for equivalent items.

On Feb. 10-11, 2008, Emory hosted the forum "Virtual Worlds and New Realities in Commerce, Politics, and Society," co-sponsored by The Halle Institute, Goizueta Business School, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, that brought together academics, entrepreneurs, social scientists, and experts on synthetic worlds to discuss both research and long-term implications of virtual and real-world interactions.

Four public panels were held during the second day of the conference. To view the morning panels, click here. To view the afternoon panels, click here.

Morning: Virtual Worlds Evolving
Chair/Moderator: Benn Konsynski, Emory University
Panelist 1: Edward Castronova, Indiana University
Panelist 2: John Clippinger, Harvard University
Panelist 3: Dan Miller, Joint Economic Committee - U.S. Congress
Panelist 4: Rhonda Lowry, Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

Morning: Emerging Virtual Institutions in Business and Politics
Chair/Moderator: David Bray, Emory University
Panelist 1: Michael Rowe, IBM Corp.
Panelist 2: William Dutton, University of Oxford
Panelist 3: Rachel Gibson, University of Leicester
Panelist 4: Dave Altig, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Afternoon: Mirrored Influence of Virtual and Real-World Elements
Chair/Moderator: Holli Semetko, Emory University
Panelist 1: Dmitri Williams, University of Southern California
Panelist 2: Bruce Bimber, University of California - Santa Barbara
Panelist 3: Inga Vailionis, Intel Corp.
Panelist 4: Diana Mutz, University of Pennsylvania

Afternoon: Possible Futures of Virtual Worlds and Society
Chair/Moderator: Robert Bloomfield, Cornell University
Panelist 1: Byron Reeves, Stanford University
Panelist 4: Benn Konsynski, Emory University
Panelist 2: Chris Klaus, Kaneva
Panelist 3: John Zdanowski, Linden Lab

As part of Emory University’s strategic plan, “Where Courageous Inquiry Leads,” the conference engaged scholars in a strong and vital community to confront the human condition and experience and explore twenty-first century frontiers in science and technology, specifically involving virtual world phenomena.

Conference Co-Chairs

Benn Konsynski, George S. Craft Professor of Business Administration, Goizueta Business School
Holli Semetko, Vice Provost for International Affairs, Director, Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Learning, and Professor of Political Science
David Bray, PhD Candidate in Information Systems