Artificial intelligence's new frontier: artificial companions and the fourth revolution

‘The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com '. Copyright Metaphilosophy LLC and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.In this paper I argue that recent technological transformations in the life-cycle of information have brought about a fourth revolution, in the long process of reassessing humanity’s fundamental nature and role in the universe. We are not immobile, at the centre of the universe (Copernicus); we are not unnaturally distinct and different from the rest of the animal world (Darwin); and we are far from being entirely transparent to ourselves (Freud). We are now slowly accepting the idea that we might be informational organisms among many agents (Turing), inforgs not so dramatically different from clever, engineered artefacts, but sharing with them a global environment that is ultimately made of information, the infosphere. This new conceptual revolution is humbling, but also exciting. For in view of this important evolution in our self-understanding, and given the sort of IT-mediated interactions that humans will increasingly enjoy with their environment and a variety of other agents, whether natural or synthetic, we have the unique opportunity of developing a new ecological approach to the whole of reality.Peer reviewe

Adding Intercultural Communication to an IS Curriculum

Increasingly, today’s information systems (IS) programs are focused on making sure students are graduating with well-developed soft skills. One of these necessary soft skills is intercultural communication, which is the ability to communicate with people from different cultures. This teaching tip presents an assignment designed to increase the intercultural communication competency of IS students in both the U.S. and South Africa. Students from two different countries/cultures worked together one-on-one in order to improve their intercultural communication competency skills using a variety of technologies including email, Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp, SnapChat, Instagram, and FaceTime. The findings from this experience suggest that students are surprised by what they can learn from developing a relationship with a global partner. Lessons related to assignment successes and challenges are shared as well as plans for future assignment adopters

Representing older people: towards meaningful images of the user in design scenarios

Designing for older people requires the consideration of a range of difficult and sometimes highly personal design problems. Issues such as fear, loneliness, dependency, and physical decline may be difficult to observe or discuss in interviews. Pastiche scenarios and pastiche personae are techniques that employ characters to create a space for the discussion of new technological developments and as a means to explore user experience. This paper argues that the use of such characters can help to overcome restrictive notions of older people by disrupting designers' prior assumptions. In this paper, we reflect on our experiences using pastiche techniques in two separate technology design projects that sought to address the needs of older people. In the first case pastiche scenarios were developed by the designers of the system and used as discussion documents with users. In the second case, pastiche personae were used by groups of users themselves to generate scenarios which were scribed for later use by the design team. We explore how the use of fictional characters and settings can generate new ideas and undermine rhetorical devices within scenarios that attempt to fit characters to the technology, rather than vice versa. To assist in future development of pastiche techniques in designing for older people, we provide an array of fictional older characters drawn from literary and popular culture.</p

A Theoretical Model for Developing an IT Service Catalogue

In today’s volatile, ever-changing Information Technology (IT) environment, IT must adapt the way it views relationships with business units and end users. Users in the organisation also need easy to use methods for understanding available services and making corresponding IT requests. A critical step in this transformation is the use of a service catalogue that defines and manages the relationship between IT and the business it services. This paper defines service catalogues and explores the multiple views of a service catalogue. The benefits of a service catalogue are identified. Further, the paper explores how IT organisations are currently creating a service catalogue, focusing on the steps and the key success factors necessary for the development of a service catalogue. Common pitfalls that may be encountered and their solutions are also discussed. The paper concludes with a proposed theoretical model that brings together the ideas and issues identified in the related literature

An Investigation of a Framework for the Implementation of Service Management in the Information and Communication Technology Sector

The true value of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can only be realised when it provides solutions that meet or exceed the client’s expectations. The successful management of services includes maintaining service levels, which involves defining and satisfying customer requirements. Service Management is a misunderstood dynamic process with key elements and associated problems. This paper identifies the requirements for a Service Management framework and proposes a two phase framework for its implementation. These two phases are the preparatory phase and the managed services phase. The preparatory phase is characterised by the absence of a client and the development of a Service Catalogue. The managed services phase pivots around the client and the Service Agreement

ICT Service Agreements: Definitions, Purpose and Development Principles

Service Agreements (SAs) are often inappropriately developed, documented and deployed. For the accurate management of the client’s requirements, SAs play a critical role. Appropriate SAs serve both the service provider and the client. The role, content and structure of an SA need to be understood before an attempt to develop them can be mounted to develop them. There are distinct process elements and key development principles for the development of an SA. This paper describes SAs, explores their purpose, content and structure and concludes by describing the eight SA development principles

N-Cadherin cleavage during activated hepatic stellate cell apoptosis is inhibited by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. [In supplement: 11th International Symposium on the Cells of the Hepatic Sinusoid and their Relation to Other Cells]

Apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) has previously been shown to occur during spontaneous resolution of experimental liver fibrosis. TIMP-1 has also been shown to have a key role because of its ability to inhibit apoptosis of HSC via matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition. This has led to further study of novel substrates for MMPs that might impact on HSC survival. N-Cadherin is known to mediate cell-cell contacts in fibroblasts. In this study we demonstrate that N-Cadherin is expressed by activated rat HSC. Furthermore, during apoptosis of HSC, the N-Cadherin is cleaved into smaller fragments. Apoptosis of HSC may be inhibited by TIMP-1. This is associated with reduced fragmentation of N-Cadherin. N-Cadherin may have an important role in supporting HSC survival while N-Cadherin cleavage may play a part in promoting HSC apoptosis in recovery from liver fibrosis

Knowledge Based Diffusion - A Case Study Experience

This paper builds upon the previous research of Beynon-Davies and Williams (2003) and their knowledge-based model of the diffusion of Information Systems Development Methods (ISDMs). Through the lens of the implementation of a UK government IS development project we consider how a Rapid Application Development approach was unbundled and contextualized and highlight the problems experienced. We further reflect how evidence from this empirical case confirms the efficacy of many of the elements of the diffusion model and suggest a number of directions for extending this framework, enabling better understanding of the practical application of ISDMs within organizations