[Miscellany] Lack of originality, lack of empathy, and the upside of competition

This is another one of those blog posts where I put together some interesting stories that I have come across, recently. I will go chronologically (i.e., by date in which that blog post was published). Same old, same old  One of the worries about generative AI is that it will result in the end of … Continue reading [Miscellany] Lack of originality, lack of empathy, and the upside of competition

From metaverse games to serious customer insight

Enthusiasm for the metaverse as a business asset seems to have cooled down a bit. OK, a lot. At least, judging by Google searches for the term.  Nonetheless, if there’s one area where the Metaverse is still promising to deliver business value is in terms of generating customer insight. The combination of technologies such as … Continue reading From metaverse games to serious customer insight

My thoughts on the new platform in the social media playground: Threads

There’s a new platform in the social media playground: Threads. It was created by Meta (which also owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among others). Threads' logo Like many, I have been feeling that I really do not need another social media product in my life. There is enough discovery / inspiration / knowledge sharing / … Continue reading My thoughts on the new platform in the social media playground: Threads

June 2023 round-up

And, just like that, half of 2023 is gone. Woosh. Though, to be fair, I am very glad that the GCSEs are done with. Over. Behind us. Check. This month we also celebrated child 1’s birthday, and child 2’s ice-hockey tournament with England’s U16 team. Very sadly, I also learned that someone I had been … Continue reading June 2023 round-up

New research grant: The role of consumers in driving UK manufacturing’s digital transformation

I am delighted to share the news that I am part of group that has just secured funding from ESRC’s InterAct initiative. The project is entitled “The role of consumers in driving UK manufacturing’s digital transformation” and aims to identify the factors that lead consumers to adopt new Everything as a Service (XaaS) models of consumption of … Continue reading New research grant: The role of consumers in driving UK manufacturing’s digital transformation

Rethinking existential risk from AI

In a recent interview on Lex Friedman’s podcast, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was asked whether he worried about the existential threat presented by the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. He replied: “My own view is that, where we really need to be careful is on the development of autonomy, and how you think about that… … Continue reading Rethinking existential risk from AI

Implications of open vs closed metaverses for users and developers

In the June issue of MISQ Executive, Mary Lacity, Jeffrey K. Mullins and Le Kuai reflect on the evolution of Metaverse. The paper, which takes the form of an interview, is entitled “Evolution of the Metaverse”, and can be found here. Me, as ProfAbobora, on Roblox Since last summer, I have been doing some work about … Continue reading Implications of open vs closed metaverses for users and developers

May 2023 round-up

May was busy. There were several big things happening at the same time, and I constantly felt being pulled between different demands on my time and attention. As much as possible, I tried focusing only on the task at hand, rather than let myself feel overwhelmed about everything that had to be done. This is … Continue reading May 2023 round-up

The importance of focusing on a target segment (and how to decide which one)

In episode 11 of season 11 of the Marketing Companion, Mark Schaefer and his guest, Jay Acunzo, discuss “the meaning of brand and personal relevance in a world exploding with new creative output”. Their discussion is focused on content creation, but the points that they cover are relevant well beyond this application. For instance, they … Continue reading The importance of focusing on a target segment (and how to decide which one)

Day in the Life of an Academic #15: The research sandpit

While the previous DITL post focused on something that I do regularly (i.e., teaching), this one looks at something that I had never done before: participate in a research sandpit.  UKRI, the UK’s government main body for funding research and innovation, defines research sandpits as residential, interactive workshops bringing together “a highly multidisciplinary mix of participants (…) … Continue reading Day in the Life of an Academic #15: The research sandpit