Individual biases shape what technology looks like, and how it works. For instance, the algorithm developers’ biases determine which “tune” we get when we ask Google for the “national anthem” (answer: The US one), or the type of conversations that Barbie might have with a child. That is why it is so important that development … Continue reading Friends and cookies – How we let our guard down, when interacting with technology
Category: Marketing in everyday life
Channel 4’s “Deepfake Queen” video – Good idea, bad timing
It is a tradition, in the UK, for the Queen to address the nation on Christmas day, via a message which is broadcast on BBC. Another tradition is for Channel 4 (a commercial TV channel) to broadcast its “alternative Christmas message”, at the same time. The message usually flags a contemporary, social issue – such … Continue reading Channel 4’s “Deepfake Queen” video – Good idea, bad timing
Understanding and solving opacity in algorithms
One of the key challenges presented by algorithms is its opacity – that is, the inability to see how the algorithm produced a specific output. For instance, the ability to see how a search engine algorithm ranks content; how credit rating algorithm ranks the characteristic of potential borrowers; or, how a self-driving algorithm ranks external … Continue reading Understanding and solving opacity in algorithms
Useful typology of the role of technology in service interactions
The paper entitled “Frontline Technology Infusion: Conceptual Archetypes and a Future Research Agenda” offers a useful typology for the role of technology in customer service. The paper was authored by Arne De Keyser, Sarah Köcher, Linda Nasr and Jay Kandampully, and the authors provide various examples of how technology may 1) have no role, 2) … Continue reading Useful typology of the role of technology in service interactions
November 2020 round-up
Blimey, I am tired! November is always a bit tricky for me, because of the lack of bright day light. However, this year I seem to be struggling a little bit more than usual. Though, it's hardly surprising when you are living through a pandemic, and your other half had an emergency eye operation*, right?! … Continue reading November 2020 round-up
Algorithms are not all powerful, autonomous entities
Facebook contractors working on content moderation are, reportedly, being forced back into the office because Facebook’s attempt to use Artificial Intelligence for this difficult task failed. The open letter from those Facebook contractors states that: “Facebook tried using ‘AI’ to moderate content—and failed. At the start of the pandemic, both full-time Facebook staff and content … Continue reading Algorithms are not all powerful, autonomous entities
Holiday season 2020 – Consumers planning to spend less money on gifts and celebration; focusing on healthy, local, durable and quality items
My social media feeds are full of people getting started on their Christmas decorations. For some, it is something to do in the face of additional lockdowns or movement restrictions. For others, it is part of the desire to see the end of 2020, and usher in a new (hopefully, better) year. Earlier in the … Continue reading Holiday season 2020 – Consumers planning to spend less money on gifts and celebration; focusing on healthy, local, durable and quality items
Why customers complain vs praise a brand
Much has been written about the value of customer feedback, and what motivates people to either praise or criticise a brand / product / experience. Though, many of these studies tend to focus on either positive or negative feedback, rather than the whole range of reactions, and the role of different drivers in those reactions. … Continue reading Why customers complain vs praise a brand
Understanding resistance to contact tracing: data being used for purposes other than those for which they were initially collected, and governments’ use of the data
I came across a paper reporting on a series of surveys of attitudes towards contact tracing, for the purpose of containing the spread of Covid-19, and how it related to concerns over privacy. The paper is entitled “COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Privacy: Studying Opinion and Preferences”, and it was co-authored by Lucy Simko, Ryan Calo, Franziska … Continue reading Understanding resistance to contact tracing: data being used for purposes other than those for which they were initially collected, and governments’ use of the data
New paper: Leveraging machine learning in the global fight against money laundering and terrorism financing: An affordances perspective
There is a lot of enthusiasm about the potential of artificial intelligence in general, and machine learning in particular, to solve just about any problem on Earth. Thus, a special issue of the Journal of Business Research is looking at the potential of those technologies to meet the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals; and … Continue reading New paper: Leveraging machine learning in the global fight against money laundering and terrorism financing: An affordances perspective
