AVATARS TAKE OVER
FROM STAND-INS TO SUPERPOWERS

AI-generated image

Wed November 12, 2025 11:00 pm CET

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vanessa Borkmann and Christopher Werth explore how avatars are reshaping the way we work, connect, and experiment with identity. 
We all juggle different roles in life – but what happens when our digital selves start doing the heavy lifting? 
From job avatars that attend meetings, to social avatars that network globally, to creative avatars that dare what we never would in real life. 
Where do these digital stand-ins surprise us with real benefits – and where do they inevitably fail? 
Through live audience interaction, we ask: Which tasks would you hand over to your avatar?And when has an avatar created unexpected trouble? 
Together, we map the opportunities and the pitfalls: time savings, courage, global collaboration versus identity conflicts, glitches, and loss of control. 
The dialogue highlights how avatars blur boundaries between empowerment and risk. 
Finally, we reflect: What’s next in our journey with avatars?Where do we want more possibilities – and where should we draw the line? 
An academic yet provocative impulse talk on the future of our digital identities. 

Format

Fireside Chat

App

VRChat

Location

AREA X

Duration

45 min

Access via

Presenter

Vanessa Borkmann
Head of Urban Systems Engineering Research Area and Head of Research Group and Innovation Lab eXtended Environments at Fraunhofer Institute
© Deniz Saylan

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vanessa Borkmann is Research Director at Fraunhofer IAO and heads the Urban Systems Design division, including the “eXtended Environments Lab” with its immersive CAVE system. Her research focuses on innovation and digital transformation in urban ecosystems, hospitality, and culture – developing hybrid and virtual environments for future cities and destinations. She is Scientific Director of the Morgenstadt Initiative and initiator of the FutureHotel and Museum Innovation Networks. 

Christopher Werth
Chief Creative Officer at VOK DAMS worldwide

Christopher Werth is an expert in experiential marketing. He studied theater production and staged at the Schauspielhaus Bochum in Germany. After working as a creative at Jung von Matt and Scholz & Friends, among others, he is now Director Strategy & Concept at the agency for events and live-marketing VOK DAMS worldwide. He writes a gaming column for CulturMag and gives lectures at universities and international conferences.

Consent Management Platform by Real Cookie Banner