Cyborgs as Frontline Service Employees: A Research Agenda

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Purpose This paper identifies and explores potential applications of cyborgian technologies within service contexts and how service providers may leverage the integration of cyborgian service actors into their service proposition. In doing so, the paper proposes a new category of ‘melded’ frontline service employees (FLEs), where advanced technologies become embodied within human actors. The paper presents potential opportunities and challenges that may arise through cyborg technological advancements and proposes a future research agenda related to these. Design/methodology This study draws on literature in the fields of services management, Artificial Intelligence [AI], robotics, Intelligence Augmentation [IA] and Human Intelligence [HIs] to conceptualise potential cyborgian applications. Findings The paper examines how cyborg bio- and psychophysical characteristics may significantly differentiate the nature of service interactions from traditional ‘unenhanced’ service interactions. In doing so, we propose ‘melding’ as a conceptual category of technological impact on FLEs. This category reflects the embodiment of emergent technologies not previously captured within existing literature on cyborgs. We examine how traditional roles of FLEs will be potentially impacted by the integration of emergent cyborg technologies, such as neural interfaces and implants, into service contexts before outlining future research directions related to these, specifically highlighting the range of ethical considerations. Originality/Value Service interactions with cyborg FLEs represent a new context for examining the potential impact of cyborgs. This paper explores how technological advancements will alter the individual capacities of humans to enable such employees to intuitively and empathetically create solutions to complex service challenges. In doing so, we augment the extant literature on cyborgs, such as the body hacking movement. The paper also outlines a research agenda to address the potential consequences of cyborgian integration

As implicações antidemocráticas do transumanismo. The anti-democratic implications of transhumanism

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a tese do filósofo e economista nipo-americano Francis Fukuyama, conhecida como “fim da história”, para refletir sobre o argumento central dessa tese de que o transumanismo representa um problema para a democracia. Para tanto, será realizada uma análise conceitual, a partir de trechos selecionados, dos trabalhos de Fukuyama intituladosO fim da história e o último homem, Ourposthuman futuree “Transhumanism”. Segundo Fukuyama, uma vez que os resultados da biotecnologia permitem cada vez mais aos humanos controlar sua própria evolução, também podem permitir que os humanos alterem sua própria natureza. Dessa forma, Fukuyama argumenta que um resultado possível da alteração da natureza humana de alguns indivíduos pode ser a desigualdade radical, o que colocaria em risco a democracia liberal. Com base nesse argumento de Fukuyama busca-se refletir sobre as possíveis implicações negativas do transumanismo para a democracia em geral. The objective of this paper is to present the thesis of the Japanese-American philosopher and economist Francis Fukuyama, known as the “end of history”, to reflect on the central argument of this thesis that transhumanism represents a problem for democracy.Therefore, a conceptual analysis will be carried out, based on selected excerpts, of Fukuyama's works entitledThe end of history and the last man, Our posthuman futureand “Transhumanism”.According to Fukuyama, as the results of biotechnology increasingly allow humans to control their own evolution, they may also allow humans to alter their own nature.Thus, Fukuyama argues that a possible result of altering the human nature of some individuals could be radical inequality, which would put liberal democracy at risk.Based on Fukuyama's argument, we seek to reflect on the possible negative implications of transhumanism for democracy in general