Lessons from AR Memorialization: Artists' and Activists' Approaches to Responsible AR Development

Augmented reality (AR) is a rapidly proliferating technology that offers opportunities to blend digital and physical contexts but also poses significant risks. This work seeks to inform responsible AR development with the insights of AR practitioners who engage with complex socio-cultural tensions. We analyze the implementation of AR involving vulnerable communities in human rights memorialization: preserving and conveying memories of human rights violations and resistance. We interviewed creators of eight AR projects addressing racism, state violence, and gender-based violence. Our findings highlight how creators represented sensitive narratives through non-violent portrayals, community participation, and agency. They used AR spatial interactions to engage audiences emotionally and sought media portrayals that were not tied to a specific technology's lifespan. We discuss how these approaches can inform future AR development through the integration of AR production with other media, prioritizing ownership in personal AR representations, and developing authoring techniques that enable immersive participation.