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The University of Southampton
Web Science Institute

Bots, Humans and Business

Published: 6 June 2018
Bots, Humans and Business

Customers are more intelligent and resourceful than ever, and so are machines. Both bring great promise and potential danger to business in a time when government oversight is increasing around the world — and the full implications of our many global challenges are still to play out. This means that it is imperative for business executives and governmental agencies to prepare for this as best they can.

To discuss how these issues will impact businesses and how to best prepare, the Web Science Institute and Southampton Business School co hosted an event for Southampton Business and civic leaders on 15 June at the Southampton Harbour Hotel

Led by Professor Dame Wendy Hall, executive director of the Web Science Institute, and one of the world’s leading authorities on Artificial Intelligence and Doc Searls, FRSA, Author of The Intention Economy: When Customers Take Charge (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012), the event invited participants to explore:

  • What is the future of advertising? Will it go from customers to markets (known as intentcasting)?
  • What will happen when customers have more control over personal data, and is this good for business?
  • How are tech and the economy swinging from centralized to “distributed” and “decentralized” control systems?
  • Why is there a new interest in co-operative, decentralised systems such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies? What does it mean for your business?
  • What is the right approach to Artificial Intelligence so that it can benefit everyone?
  • How do we make algorithms accountable? Does it matter and why?
  • What are the side effects of GDPR and ePrivacy? Who pays? Who benefits?
  • What are “people-first” technologies? How are they different?
  • What is the future of work? What does it mean for your business? For your city?
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