  Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized human cognitive abilities and
facilitated the development of new AI entities capable of interacting with
humans in both physical and virtual environments. Despite the existence of
virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality for several years,
integrating these technical fields remains a formidable challenge due to their
disparate application directions. The advent of AI agents, capable of
autonomous perception and action, further compounds this issue by exposing the
limitations of traditional human-centered research approaches. It is imperative
to establish a comprehensive framework that accommodates the dual perceptual
centers of humans and AI agents in both physical and virtual worlds. In this
paper, we introduce the symmetrical reality framework, which offers a unified
representation encompassing various forms of physical-virtual amalgamations.
This framework enables researchers to better comprehend how AI agents can
collaborate with humans and how distinct technical pathways of physical-virtual
integration can be consolidated from a broader perspective. We then delve into
the coexistence of humans and AI, demonstrating a prototype system that
exemplifies the operation of symmetrical reality systems for specific tasks,
such as pouring water. Subsequently, we propose an instance of an AI-driven
active assistance service that illustrates the potential applications of
symmetrical reality. This paper aims to offer beneficial perspectives and
guidance for researchers and practitioners in different fields, thus
contributing to the ongoing research about human-AI coexistence in both
physical and virtual environments.
