  Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have permeated through an
array of different immersive environments, including virtual, augmented, and
mixed realities. AI brings a wealth of potential that centers on its ability to
critically analyze environments, identify relevant artifacts to a goal or
action, and then autonomously execute decision-making strategies to optimize
the reward-to-risk ratio. However, the inherent benefits of AI are not without
disadvantages as the autonomy and communication methodology can interfere with
the human's awareness of their environment. More specifically in the case of
autonomy, the relevant human-computer interaction literature cites that high
autonomy results in an "out-of-the-loop" experience for the human such that
they are not aware of critical artifacts or situational changes that require
their attention. At the same time, low autonomy of an AI system can limit the
human's own autonomy with repeated requests to approve its decisions. In these
circumstances, humans enter into supervisor roles, which tend to increase their
workload and, therefore, decrease their awareness in a multitude of ways. In
this position statement, we call for the development of human-centered AI in
immersive environments to sustain and promote awareness. It is our position
then that we believe with the inherent risk presented in both AI and AR/VR
systems, we need to examine the interaction between them when we integrate the
two to create a new system for any unforeseen risks, and that it is crucial to
do so because of its practical application in many high-risk environments.
