The accepted papers are:

Meme, Myself and AR: Exploring Memes Sharing in Face-to-face Conversation using Augmented Reality
Authors: Yanni Mei, Samuel Wendt, Florian Müller, Jan Gugenheimer

In the paper, the researchers describe a study in which they investigated how internet memes can be integrated into face-to-face conversations using augmented reality (AR). They identified three visualization archetypes: “The Meme on Me,” in which meme characters merge with the user’s own body; “Me in the Meme,” in which the user is transported into the meme environment; and “Meme as Visual Reference,” in which the meme serves as a visual reference to complement spoken language. The results indicate that AR memes do not impair conversation quality and are rated as appealing by study participants for future conversations.
With their study, the researchers contribute to the understanding of how digital forms of communication - specifically internet memes - can be translated into physical everyday conversations through AR technology. This touches on fundamental questions of social interaction in a society increasingly permeated by digital media.
The paper was produced as part of the ATHENE project “XRGuard – A Security Mechanism to Detect and Mitigate Perceptual Manipulations in Extended Reality.”
 Read the paper

Anticipation Without Acceleration: Benefits of Shared Gaze in Collocated Augmented Reality Collaboration
Authors: Julian Rasch, Vladislav Dmitrievic Rusakov, Jan Leusmann, Florian Müller, Albrecht Schmidt 

In the paper, the researchers examine whether and in which situations, shared visual information via AR can improve collaboration in physical spaces.
The paper provides important foundational insights into how shared visual information affects shared attention, perceived usefulness, cognitive load, and the limitations of such AR support. The findings are also relevant to ATHENE research, as safe and effective collaboration - whether in the office, online, or in hybrid work environments - requires that all participants perceive the same information, assess the situation in the same way, and coordinate their actions.
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Do It Fast, Forget It Fast: How Timing and Limb Visualizations Affect First-Person Augmented Reality Instructions
Authors: Clara Sayffaerth, Ehbal Ablimit, Annika Köhler, Jonas Wombacher, Albrecht Schmidt, Florian Müller

In the paper, the researchers examine the design of AR instructions for real-world tasks. In particular, they explore the trade-offs between efficiency, memory retention, comfort, and embodiment: If instructions are designed to be quick and convenient, this can result in users retaining less information or feeling less confident in their bodies and surroundings - and vice versa.
The researchers also investigate in which cases it makes sense to complete a task quickly and when speed comes at the expense of the learning effect. Furthermore, they demonstrate how visual cues need to be designed so that digital support does not confuse users but instead guides them reliably and safely through a task.
The findings from the study are relevant to ATHENE research because secure digital systems need to not only function technically correctly but also support people to perform actions in the physical world reliably, understandably, and with a low error rate.
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From TikTok to Telegram: Cross-Platform Efficacy and User Acceptance of Erroneous and Flawless Misinformation Interventions
Authors: Katrin Hartwig, Tom Biselli, Franziska Schneider, Immanuel Lamp, Christian Reuter

In the paper, the researchers describe a study that tested various ways to combat misinformation on social media: In a large-scale online experiment with 1,004 participants, they examined how five common countermeasures against misinformation - fact-checking, community notices, indicators, accuracy prompts, and pre-emptive information (so-called inoculation) - work on three social platforms (TikTok, Telegram, and X) and how users perceive them.
The study suggests that professional fact-checking and indicators significantly reduce the perceived credibility of misinformation, across platforms and regardless of content format. However, as soon as the countermeasures produce erroneous results, for example by flagging correct content as false or leaving misinformation unmarked, the effectiveness and acceptance metrics are no longer evident.
The results of this study will be incorporated into the ATHENE project CYNTRA.
 Read the paper

In addition to presenting their papers, the researchers will showcase an interactive demo developed, in part, as part of the ATHENE project XR Guard. It explores how large language models (LLMs) and so-called shaders (programs that control how colours, light, and surfaces are rendered on the screen) could be used to alter and manipulate users’ visual experiences in augmented reality. Learn more at: https://programs.sigchi.org/chi/2026/program/content/229905

The ACM CHI 2026 is taking place 13. - 17. April in Barcelona.

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