The 1st International Workshop on Risks, Opportunities, and Evaluation of Generative Models in Recommendation (ROEGEN)

Yashar Deldjoo, Julian J. McAuley, Scott Sanner, Pablo Castells, Shuai Zhang, Enrico Palumbo

Abstract: We present an overview of a workshop focused on the exploration of generative models within recommender systems (RS). It highlights the dual nature of these technologies: on the one hand, they offer groundbreaking opportunities for enhancing RS through improved personalization, innovative content creation, and interactive user experiences; on the other hand, they introduce a range of challenges, including bias, misinformation, privacy concerns, and environmental impact.The workshop, “ROEGen@RecSys. Risks, Opportunities, and Evaluations of Generative Models in Recommender Systems,” aims to address these issues by bringing together the research community to discuss strategies for understanding, evaluating, and mitigating the potential negative impacts of these technologies.The workshop will cover three main themes: (i) the risks and challenges posed by the deployment of generative models in RS, the (ii) opportunities and applications of these technologies in enhancing RS, and (iii) strategies for the evaluation and mitigation of associated risks. Through this dialogue, the workshop intends to advance the field towards the development of generative models that are ethical, secure, environmentally sustainable, and beneficial for all stakeholders