The UK’s Post Office Horizon IT scandal was one of the UK’s greatest miscarriages of justice involving IT and the public in Britain. It resulted in more than 700 sub-postmasters and postmistresses charged or prosecuted for theft – even though financial losses were judged much later to be the consequence of a defective Horizon IT … Continue reading Heroes of the Horizon Post Office Scandal
Socio-technical Systems
Reading and Writing Skills: Flipping the Digital Divide?
by Ruth Shillair and Bill Dutton There has been much discussion of how reliance on digital media might undermine skills in reading and writing, as with pen and paper, and, in American education, with a copy of The Elements of Style by W. Strunk Jr.& E.B. White. But the loss of traditional skills goes far … Continue reading Reading and Writing Skills: Flipping the Digital Divide?
THE SOUL OF THE MACHINE
[This post was written by A. Michael Noll and distributed here with the permission of the author.] It is nothing new. For decades, we have been fascinated with digital computing machines – thinking machines. For decades we have been using human terms to characterize them – intelligent. Artificial intelligence (AI) is over a half-century old. … Continue reading THE SOUL OF THE MACHINE
Meetings!
Bill Dutton with Dr. Ruth Shillair After reading one more litany of complaints about ‘meetings’, I must come to their defense. Harry Wallop’s article ‘Are meetings pointless?’ in The Sunday Times (12 August 2026) stirred me to answer his question. While balanced, his article basically calls into question the value of meetings. So let me … Continue reading Meetings!
Noriko Hara Visits Oxford
Wonderful to have an opportunity to catch up with Professor Noriko Hara, currently a professor in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and the Director of the Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics at Indiana University, Bloomington. I met her when she was a graduate student of Rob Kling’s, a former colleague of mine when I was … Continue reading Noriko Hara Visits Oxford
Do I Worry about AI?
DO I WORRY ABOUT AI? by A. Michael Noll [This blog written by A. Michael Noll is distributed with his permission.] It seems within the past year or so, AI (artificial intelligence) became the “in” development – todays “big thing.” It is the next “innovation” destined to change the world, in a string from the … Continue reading Do I Worry about AI?
The AI Speed-Up: Expectations and Realities
Dr Ruth Shillair[1] and Bill Dutton Discussion about the potential implications of AI has often focused on the loss of jobs. However, a key impact of AI and AI agents is more around the speed of completing tasks. For instance, before AI, a market analysis of a business idea might take days to a week … Continue reading The AI Speed-Up: Expectations and Realities
Pen and Paper: Is AI Driving Us Back to the Future?
One interesting unintended consequence of AI might be it role in reshaping examinations in academia and related activities, such as applying for a job. Multiple surveys indicate that students are rapidly adopting AI in their work. Not surprising. AI tools can be extremely helpful in writing an essay, revising any text, answering questions, drawing, translating, … Continue reading Pen and Paper: Is AI Driving Us Back to the Future?
Green Shoots of Democratic Resilience
Green Shoots of Democratic Resilience Emerging US Cases Donald Trump’s assault on major institutions in the United States has been damaging. The press, universities, Congress, the courts, and established law firms have been seriously compromised, as Trump follows the strategy of other autocrats, such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, by simply cutting funding to his enemies. … Continue reading Green Shoots of Democratic Resilience
Protect Services ⎻ Not Manufacturing
A blog by A. Michael Noll, presented here with the author's permission. It is the provision of services – not manufacturing – that matters in today’s economy. The manufacturing of things is the way of the past. The United States has been primarily a service-based economy for many decades now. The huge Western Electric factory … Continue reading Protect Services ⎻ Not Manufacturing