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  • 25TH ANNIVERSARY VOLUME A FAUSTIAN EXCHANGE: WHAT IS TO BE HUMAN IN THE ERA OF UBIQUITOUS TECHNOLOGY?
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For “A Faustian Exchange: What is it to be human in the era of Ubiquitous Technology?”.

Abstract

It is supposedly easier to connect with other human beings in the era of ubiquitous technology. Connecting requires action and an element of risk taking in a context of dynamic uncertainty and incomplete information. The article explores what is involved in developing sustainable connections. We reflect on the context of “Socially Useful Artificial Intelligence”, the focus of the first article in issue 1.1.1987 of AI & Society, and explore subsequent research in a changing world. The arguments are illustrated through an account of the development of the Penny University, from a London coffee house to a potential international virtual institution.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the comments from colleagues at Kingston Business School (Business Information Technology and Global Information Technology); Agder University, Norway (Innovation and Knowledge Development); Linnaeus University, Sweden (Skill and Technology); and Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania (Social Technologies), and from international partners in exploratory activity for the Penny University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Corporate Responsibility and Working Life, Kingston Business School, Kingston University, Kingston Hill, Kingston, KT2 7LB, UK

    Richard Ennals

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  1. Richard Ennals
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Correspondence to Richard Ennals.

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Ennals, R. Only connect. AI & Soc 28, 219–225 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-012-0424-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-012-0424-0

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