The connected home is not smart I only noticed this now; but, it seems that, when Google merged the Home and Nest divisions, it rebranded the connected home from ‘smart’ to ‘helpful’. The announcement said: Today, we’re committing to that goal by bringing the Home products under the Nest brand. Our first step as Google … Continue reading [Miscellany] Not smart; not oil; not AI
Tag: Artificial Intelligence
The suspected use of AI makes people trust others less
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) promising to bring analytical power and cost savings to many customer facing functions, it is pertinent to ask how the deployment of AI impacts on the image of people / brands. For instance, if consumers believe that your online profile was developed by AI, does that impact on how they see … Continue reading The suspected use of AI makes people trust others less
Day in the Life of an Academic #9: All sorts of meetings
It’s time to offer you a peak into yet another facet of an academic’s life, with another “Day in the Life” post. This time, a post looking at Wednesday, October 30th: a day that was full of meetings. I woke up at 5ish, and got ready to go to work: I have a meeting in … Continue reading Day in the Life of an Academic #9: All sorts of meetings
What it feels like when the computer knows more than you
I have been thinking and talking about artificial intelligence a lot, this past week. For instance, on Wednesday, I went to the Parliament with two other colleagues from Brunel, to talk about the impact of AI on workers, work and the workplace; and, on Thursday, with those same colleagues, we hosted a workshop to examine … Continue reading What it feels like when the computer knows more than you
The impact of the type of task on AI acceptance and use
Earlier this week, the FT Advisor reported on a study by Openwork, which showed that “despite a surge in robo-solutions in the market consumers still prefer face-to-face advice when it comes to planning their finances”. According to the study, “71 per cent (of respondents) had concerns robo-advice would not be appropriate for their financial needs … Continue reading The impact of the type of task on AI acceptance and use
The potential of AI for customer facing applications
There is considerable interest regarding the potential of AI for various customer facing tasks, from market prospecting, to sales and after-sales. But there are also considerable technical limitations to keep in mind, when planning the deployment of AI-powered solutions to carry out tasks that have a direct impact on the customer experience. If deployed in … Continue reading The potential of AI for customer facing applications
[Miscellany] AI survey, AI summit and AI Workshop
This week, a collection of miscellaneous notes related to Artificial Intelligence. 1. AI survey The Artificial Intelligence Research Centre, at Brunel Business School, is looking at the impact of AI on the nature of work and the relationship between workers and their employers (my branch of work concerns on the consequences of these changes … Continue reading [Miscellany] AI survey, AI summit and AI Workshop
Self-driving cars may disproportionally harm those in minority and in low income groups
Self-driving cars continue to attract the attention of the media, the imagination of pundits and the money of investors and governments alike. For instance, earlier this year, the UK government announced its plan to test self-driving cars on public roads. Self driving cars present various technical challenges, such as how to ensure passenger safety when … Continue reading Self-driving cars may disproportionally harm those in minority and in low income groups
Monday Miscellany 29 April 19
What AI is not Given my research interests on the use of AI in customer interfaces, I have been reading several definitions of what AI is and what it can do. So, it was somehow refreshing to read this definition of what AI is not and can’t do. It is from the book The Inevitable, … Continue reading Monday Miscellany 29 April 19
Seeing the smart speaker as a servant vs a master vs a partner – Why it matters
I just came across a very interesting study published in the Journal of Marketing Management, which examined how smart speaker users viewed their devices, and how that related to their experiences of using the device. The study was conducted by Fiona Schweitzer, Russell Belk, Werner Jordan and Melanie Ortner, and its title is “Servant, friend or master? … Continue reading Seeing the smart speaker as a servant vs a master vs a partner – Why it matters
Ana Canhoto 