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

May 2022 round-up

May was not bad. Not bad at all. It was good, even. There were some logistical challenges, on the home front. And there was marking. But, other than that, it was a great month. I even received a very exciting “invitation”, whose details I will share as soon as I can. This was another month of pushing … Continue reading May 2022 round-up

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

The value of service robots in embarrassing service encounters

While we tend to think of an attentive member of staff as the epitome of customer service, there are circumstances when customers would much rather not have to interact with one. Maybe they are in a hurry. Maybe they want to avoid small talk. Maybe they prefer to socially distance. Or, maybe, they are a … Continue reading The value of service robots in embarrassing service encounters

April 2022 round-up

This month was rich in time with family and friends, as well as some great time on my own to read, be a tourist, go to a concert, do some gardening… I can’t complain. On the work front, I pushed through with various bits and pieces. Though, I didn’t manage to wrap up any major … Continue reading April 2022 round-up

What Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter means for marketers

Elon Musk made a take-over offer to buy Twitter, and is said to want to implement four key changes at the social media company: Reduce content moderationEliminate automated accountsIntroduce new product featuresOpen-up Twitter’s algorithm The significance of Twitter for marketers According to Hootsuite, Twitter is the 15th largest social media platform in the world (slide 99). … Continue reading What Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter means for marketers