On how algorithms are consequential – example from a newsroom

The paper “Designing What’s News - An Ethnography of a Personalization Algorithm and the Data-Driven (Re)Assembling of the News” is a great illustration of Kranzberg’s First Law of Technology, which states that “Technology is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral.” In this paper, published in Digital Journalism, Anna Schjøtt Hansen and Jannie Møller Hartley … Continue reading On how algorithms are consequential – example from a newsroom

AI impact on managerial roles

The jobs most impacted by previous waves of automation tended to be those consisting of repetitive, manual tasks. Think washing clothes, weaving and other blue collar jobs. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) automation, we started talking about the impact of this technology on jobs with repetitive tasks of an analytical nature. Say, translation, radiology, or bookkeeping. … Continue reading AI impact on managerial roles

#AcWriMo2022 week 2 round up

Total for week 2: 07h45m Average per day: 1h06m (including one day when I did not write) Day 8 was for getting started on the interviews’ chapter, which I did. Though, I also had to do something I had forgotten on the chapter that I had wrapped on day 7. I ended up doing only 6 … Continue reading #AcWriMo2022 week 2 round up

October 2022 round-up

I am writing this round up post well into November - Halloween is gone, the term is halfway through, and the John Lewis's Christmas advert is already out. This year is well and truly flying by, which makes it the more important to take time to stop and reflect on how the last month went. … Continue reading October 2022 round-up

#AcWriMo 2022 – Week 1 round up

Total for week 1: 12h15m Average per day: 1h45m (skewed by an unusually long session on day 3) I have been doing AcWriMo in one form or another since its inception, 11 years ago. Sometimes I focus on time; other times on specific outputs. This year, I chose to focus on the second edition of … Continue reading #AcWriMo 2022 – Week 1 round up

The problem with charging for Twitter’s blue tick is not the $8 amount, but mental accounting

I found myself in the rather unexpected position of agreeing with Elon Musk and even, possibly, defending one of his initiatives. Namely, I think that one good way of generating revenues for a social media platform could be by charging for value added features that people can sign up to, if they want to, but … Continue reading The problem with charging for Twitter’s blue tick is not the $8 amount, but mental accounting

What’s the most important impact of the ubiquity of smart and connected technology in our lives?

“What has been or will be the most important impacts of increasingly prevalent smart and connected technology in our lives, including in the home, in the workplace and in our towns and cities, and are they necessarily better than current systems?” This is the question that the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee posed … Continue reading What’s the most important impact of the ubiquity of smart and connected technology in our lives?

When it comes to AI adoption, ask “if” and “what”, but also “how”.

Last week, I joined a meeting to discuss a new survey to collect data on AI adoption and use in businesses across various countries, with the aim of informing policymaking. The survey developers are asking some really interesting questions around whether businesses are using AI, what type of AI they were using (e.g., AI for … Continue reading When it comes to AI adoption, ask “if” and “what”, but also “how”.

Recent publications #5

Here is the regular update on my key research outputs from the last 12 months. I continued to write mostly about AI and Big Data as managerial and social phenomena and as mechanisms for studying markets. There is also a paper about food waste recycling behaviours, which is a bit of a departure for me… … Continue reading Recent publications #5

Will USB-C become the new charger standard everywhere, following the new EU law?

The EU parliament passed a new law stating that, from late 2024, small electronics such as smartphones, tablets, handheld consoles and cameras will all need to use the same type of charger (a USB-C charger, specifically). This means that a single charger can be used across different devices, from the same manufacturer as well as across manufacturer. … Continue reading Will USB-C become the new charger standard everywhere, following the new EU law?