Author: anacanhoto

Day in the Life of an Academic #13: Graduation

What I did, on Tuesday, 19th July.  07h07m: Alarm goes off but, really, I have been awake for a while because we are in the middle of a heatwave and it’s hard to sleep. Get up, cold shower, coffee, quick breakfast, and head out of the door. Today I am going to Brunel, for one of … Continue reading Day in the Life of an Academic #13: Graduation

The rise of crypto marketing

The high volatility in the global stock markets (due to the war in Ukraine, etc…) has resulted in a reduced appetite for risky assets, which has led to a crash in the cryptocurrencies’ market: the global market for cryptocurrencies has lost more than 2/3 of its value in the last 8 months. Consequently, the market for NFTs … Continue reading The rise of crypto marketing

[New Publication] Approaches to emotion and sentiment analysis

Emotions are central to how we respond to stimuli around us, and consumption is no exception. For instance, the emotions that we are exposed to on Facebook, influence our own emotions and our subsequent posting activity on this social network. With so much of our daily interactions (shopping, leisure, education, conversations, …) taking place online, … Continue reading [New Publication] Approaches to emotion and sentiment analysis

June 2022 round-up

June was good. People and things were dully celebrated, as I had hoped for last month. That included child 1’s 21st birthday and conclusion of her undergraduate studies at Oxford University; Portugal day; and my friend Sarah Quinton’s promotion to Professor and Associate Dean Research & Knowledge Exchange (no photos because we were so engrossed … Continue reading June 2022 round-up

The automation of sexism and racism

Four years ago, while preparing for a presentation, I searched google for a generic image of a “person” to add to my slides. Of the first 25 results, one (4%) had long hair. Three (12%) images were of people with dark skin (1 woman and 2 men; all with short or no hair). And, overall, there … Continue reading The automation of sexism and racism

Chatbots encourage customer misbehaviour

In the paper “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as business tools: factors influencing value creation and value destruction”, Fintan Clear and I argue that the often-repeated claim that AI solutions are “cheaper, faster, and less prone to mistakes than humans” reveals a narrow assessment of the costs associated with deploying an AI solution in an … Continue reading Chatbots encourage customer misbehaviour

Intra-organisational tensions arising from the deployment of AI

The application of AI in marketing has the potential of delivering many benefits for businesses, such as obtaining customer insight, or providing customer support. But it is not without challenges. There are challenges related to the technology itself; challenges relating to customers, and challenges relating to the power dynamics between actors. And, then, there are the organisational challenges. My co-author, Ben Keegan, … Continue reading Intra-organisational tensions arising from the deployment of AI

Artificial Intelligence vs household product safety

Apparently, autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners (i.e., Roombas) and dog poos don’t mix well. I had no idea as I have neither a Roomba nor a dog; but I have, now, learned that this is a common problem faced by pet owners, as reported in this 2016 article in The Guardian. Image source Maybe I should … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence vs household product safety

Measuring the effects of Internet deprivation  

With digital technology and connectivity being so ubiquitous, it is easy to take access to the Internet for granted. It becomes part of the background. But there are many people that do not have regular access to the internet – those that live in areas with poor connectivity; those that can’t afford broadband connection; or those … Continue reading Measuring the effects of Internet deprivation