Author: daniil.ivanov

Ontology

At the beginning of my research, I can make a few assumptions at once about the potential attitude of most of intuitive users towards the use of interfaces with AI. Of course, these assumptions are based primarily on my own background, my experience and my own perceptions of AI.

In my opinion, a typical middle-station user is more likely to not trust AI in interfaces. So far, this direction is too new for the majority of users to get used to it.

Epistemology

If we talk about accurate measurements of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with AI user interfaces, here a large number of different UX methods can come to the rescue. However, I am sure that in fact measuring emotional state is far from easy. At this stage it is important to understand exactly what the user is satisfied or dissatisfied with and strictly share his emotions regarding the interface as a whole or specifically AI.

What is this?

• Drinking fountain
• Technological device
• Accessible water for a cat

How did it get here?

• I ordered it online
• It hit the store’s warehouses
• The device was assembled at the factory
• Components were delivered to the factory

Who uses it?

• People who want the cat to drink more water
• Actually, cats

What does it do?

• Provides clean circulating water
• Encourages the cat to drink more as these animals prefer running water
• Make the cat healthier
• Prolongs pet’s life as a result

When is it used?

• Daily

What is it made of?

• Plastic, rubber, technical filling, pump, filter

Who made it?

• Me, when I change the filters and pour new water
• Manufacturers
• People who developed the technology

Why does it exist?

• This makes it easier to care for pets.

Lappeenranta University of Technology
School of Business and Management
Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management
Author: Olli Lehtisalo
Supervisors: Jukka Hallikas, Mika Immonen
2018

Level of Design

Since this thesis was done by a non-designer, I did not initially expect a high emphasis on design and the overall appearance of the work, in fact, that’s how it turned out. The work is skimpy on illustrations and graphics, which I consider a disadvantage, as this is a great way to visualize, regardless of the topic and direction of study.

Degree of Innovation

The paper looks at innovative best practices in the industry, their application, importance and potential development, so I could say that the whole thesis as a entire work is about innovativeness.

Independence

I can define the research process as completely independent because different methods were applied, which is what makes the work objective and independent.

Outline and structure

The thesis is well structured, and consists of the following chapters: “Introduction”, “Digitalization in supply channels”, “Digital technologies”, “The use of digital technologies in different industries”, “Discussion”, “Conclusion”.

Degree of communication

In general, the language of the work is very specific, and it is not always clear to the average person who is not familiar with marketing and supply chains what they are talking about. However, since this paper is intended for specialists, this is probably not a big problem.

Scope of the work

I believe the scope of work is sufficient to cover the topic comprehensively and fully. In 100 pages of the thesis, I did not notice anything superfluous, as well as did not see any lack of information.

Orthography and accuracy

I did not notice any spelling problems in the paper, no typos were identified either.

Literature

The list of references is quite impressive (98 titles) and is competently compiled.

As a practical part of my research work, I decided to create a prototype application for fast and convenient communication with government services. I myself often need to contact the state here in Austria, and I can’t say that it’s very easy and user friendly. Plus, it would be interesting for me to check next semester, when I will finalize the concept, how people around me will evaluate it, whether they will find this application a good example of meaningful application of high technology or not.

There are quite a few examples of this kind of applications in the world, e-government is gradually becoming a trend. Austria also has such an app, but I was not able to try it out because it requires a fingerprint scan or Face ID, which actually surprised me, because in German-speaking countries personal data protection is a very big topic, and here a government app is asking me for my biometrics so directly.

Anyway, as a reference, I took a few apps I found on the internet as a reference, and also turned to my own experience of “What would I want to change? What service would I want to make easier? What is better organized in my country? What is better organized in Austria?”

Bringing together my personal wishes and experiences and already available examples, I started to develop a rough prototype. First of all, I wrote out for myself what services I would like to see in the app. Then various features that would help in better navigating all the features of the app. And of course UX UI, so that the user would not be confused.

At this stage, the app certainly looks raw in terms of design, but I hope to improve it in the next semester.

In this article I would like to examine the worldwide trend toward the digitalization of governments. According to a 2022 United Nations study, there is a positive trend in e-government development at the global level. Many countries have shown progress, moving from low levels of e-government development to higher levels. This demonstrates the growing adoption of modern technologies and improved accessibility of public services to the population.

EGDI (Global E-Government Development Index) – a composite index that characterizes the level
of e-government development in the countries of the world. It includes averages of three components: Online Services Index (OSI), Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII) and Human Capital Index (HCI).

The 2022 study reflects improving global trends in e-Government development and the transition of many countries to higher EGDI scores. Thus, in 2022, 60 countries have very high EGDI values; in 2020, 57 countries have an increase of 5.3%. A total of 73 countries have high EGDI values (between 0.50 to 0.75), and 53 countries are in the group with medium EGDI values (with values between 0.25 and 0.50). Seven countries (one less than in 2020) have EGDI values between 0.00 and 0.25.

Upper middle-income countries have high OSI, TII and HCI and are likely to make rapid progress in e-government development in the coming years, while a decline in OSI or HCI values for low-income and lower-middle-income countries may mean a deepening digital divide.

Of the 99 UN Member States with above-average EGDI values, almost 90% are in the high-income or upper-middle-income group, but the remaining 10% are lower-middle-income countries (Plurinational State of Bolivia, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam); 10 of these countries (all except the Plurinational State of Bolivia) also have OSI values above average. Five other countries in the low-income group have EGDI values below average, but their average OSI values are higher: Bangladesh (0.6521), Egypt (0.5730), India (0.7934), Kenya (0.6821), and Pakistan (0.5658). These examples show that while income level in a country matters, it is not the only factor that determines EGDI or OSI values.

EGDI values tend to be higher for higher-income countries than for lower-income countries. Nevertheless, many countries have achieved high and very high levels within e-government development largely by improving the delivery of their online services (expressed in OSI terms) despite limited resources.

We live in a time when technology is rapidly developing, changing one another, new professions appear, and old ones disappear… We look to the future with hope and apprehension, it seems that humanity has never experienced anything like this before. But is it really so?

It is interesting to compare the ideas about the future of people who lived more than a hundred years ago with our present. Old postcards help us to do this. They show how people of the 19th century imagined life in the 21st century.

In the nineteenth century, science and technology developed very rapidly. People learned about electricity, automobiles, cameras, telephones, and began using radio waves. This inspired them to create new technologies. Steam engines and futuristic carriages appeared on the streets. Some scientists even talked about the possibility of creating a “perpetual motion” engine. Advances in technology stimulated the imagination of engineers, scientists, artists, and other creative people of the time.

In 1900 Hildebrands published a series of postcards in which illustrators presented their vision of life in the year 2000. They envisioned that technological advances would bring new conveniences, especially in transportation. One of the illustrations depicted an exquisite airplane, while another showed a mechanism that moved sidewalks effortlessly for pedestrians.

In 1910, Jean-Marc Côté and his team of illustrators produced a set of drawings called “En L’An 2000” (“In the Year 2000” in French). Their postcards also offered interesting insights into the future.

I would like to select some of them and consider the most interesting specimens.

Artificial wings

Flying is one of the greatest human desires. The turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was a time of intense search for ways to take to the air with the help of devices different from the then known balloon. Recall that the Wright brothers did not make their first flight until 1903.

What about today? Airplanes are our everyday life, but they are more like “flying buses” than personal wings. Here rather hang gliders are closer to what people imagined in the old days, but they also don’t give you as much freedom as shown in the picture above. The closest thing to such a concept is… a jetpack! This device has already been extensively tested and presented at various events around the world. Will any of us ever use it? I’d love to see!

Motor house

Can’t sit still? Do you need constant change? That’s what people who lived over 100 years ago thought, and they designed motorhomes especially for you. Now you can wake up every day with a completely different view outside your window.

The idea has already been realized in the form of houses on wheels – apartment cars, in which you can live quite normally, if you regularly replenish water supplies and dispose of waste. The idea of an entire building on wheels is somewhat problematic, however, because we wouldn’t be able to get anywhere on modern roads with such a wide vehicle.

Moving sidewalk

A hundred years ago, in the big cities of Europe and the United States, the nobility was very fond of just walking around the city, socializing and exchanging information. A kind of Facebook in our time.

But they thought that it was necessary to improve this process, to invent some means of transportation that would facilitate such movement around the city. So, one of the ideas for transportation solutions were sidewalk-platforms that would cross cities, making it easier for people to communicate. That might make sense, but the version with benches and a roof over them looks even better, only then it would appear that we just invented… the tram.

However, movable sidewalks have still found reasonable uses, such as in subways, airports and shopping malls, where they have the appearance of escalator belts on which we can move between floors with heavy luggage.

Looking at these pictures, you can’t help but think how far people are sometimes in their ideas about the future from the real development of technology and society. It is enough to look at what people are wearing in these pictures.

I don’t think our thinking has fundamentally changed since those times. Remember at least the Terminator, which predicted a kind of the end of the world in 1997, or the movie Back to the Future 2 with flying cars by 2015. Something to think about…

In this article, I would like to briefly explain the differences between the approach to AI development in the US, China and Europe, as it is interesting to see how these global players differ from and influence each other in this field. It could show attitude to new technologies in those countries in generall.

USA: The approach of AI regulations in the USA is largely influenced by the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative (NAII) in 2021. The main goals of these regulations are centered around development, education, and building trust in AI systems. One important aspect is the right of explanation, which ensures transparency in AI decision-making processes.

Risk management is another key aspect of the regulations, which is based on three criteria: assessment, independence, and review. This means that AI systems need to undergo thorough evaluations to identify and mitigate potential risks. Additionally, there is a focus on ensuring independence in the evaluation process and establishing mechanisms for regular reviews.

In terms of development, the regulations prioritize granting full autonomy to AI players. This suggests that there is an emphasis on promoting innovation and allowing AI developers to have the freedom to explore and create within the established regulatory framework.

China: The approach of AI regulations in China is driven by the goal of becoming a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. The government supports a collaborative approach, encouraging the participation of “AI National Champions” in advancing AI technology. The regulations primarily focus on three main goals or topics: development, national security, and gaining an international advantage.

In terms of development, there are relatively few restrictions imposed on AI developers, allowing them a considerable amount of freedom to innovate and create. The emphasis is on fostering a supportive environment for AI research and development, enabling rapid technological advancements.

National security is also a key concern, with regulations aiming to ensure that AI technologies do not pose risks or threats to the country’s security. 

Lastly, gaining an international advantage is a priority, suggesting a focus on fostering competitiveness in the global AI market. The regulations likely aim to promote the growth of Chinese AI companies and encourage their expansion and influence beyond national borders.

Europe: The approach of AI regulations in Europe is strongly influenced by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which plays a significant role in establishing rules. A risk-based approach is followed, categorizing regulations into four levels based on the potential risks associated with AI applications. The priority is to ensure user safety, and AI systems are not allowed to make significant decisions autonomously. The right of explanation is considered highly important, emphasizing the need for transparency in AI decision-making processes.

Regulations address the issue of deepfakes and similar techniques by requiring a disclosure comment to be attached to such content. Social scoring using AI is prohibited, aiming to prevent discriminatory or unfair practices. Certain areas are subject to a ban on AI applications, likely for reasons of ethical concerns or potential risks.

However, this approach has faced criticism for being perceived as “not flexible.” This criticism likely suggests that the regulations may be considered rigid or lacking adaptability to address emerging challenges or technological advancements in the AI field.

These diverse approaches are not isolated but mutually influence each other. The competitive nature of the global AI market and the desire to lead in technological advancements create a dynamic where regions learn from one another’s experiences and adapt their regulations accordingly. Cultural, political, and economic factors play a significant role in shaping these approaches, reflecting the unique values and priorities of each region.

Experts advise that Europe should adopt a more flexible approach to AI regulations while the USA should enhance privacy protections by adopting stricter measures. In order to achieve these goals, several recommendations have been put forth:

These include encouraging the sharing of documentation to enhance transparency, promoting collaborative research efforts, establishing standards for AI development, creating AI sandboxes for safe experimentation, supporting large-scale public AI research projects and open-source tools, facilitating regulator-to-regulator exchanges, and developing an AI assurance ecosystem for accountability and trust. By implementing these recommendations, both regions can foster innovation, ensure responsible AI development, and promote international cooperation and harmonization in AI regulations.

As you can see, there is still a long way to go before the global players arrive at a universal approach, but the first steps have already been taken.

References:

The EU and U.S. diverge on AI regulation: A transatlantic comparison and steps to alignment | Brookings. (2023, 24. Juni). Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-eu-and-us-diverge-on-ai-regulation-a-transatlantic-comparison-and-steps-to-alignment/

Grunitz, M. (2021, 17. Dezember). AI regulation: EU, USA & China – WeAreBrain Blog. WeAreBrain Blog. https://wearebrain.com/blog/ai-data-science/ai-regulation-eu-usa-china/

AI Regulation News | European Union | USA | China. (o. D.). https://www.airegulation.news/

Welcome back to my research blog!

Last semester I studied high technology, attitudes toward it, and good and bad examples of its use.

In the second semester, I would like to take a closer look at the causes and consequences of innovations, both successful and failed. I would also be interested in taking different states around the world and comparing social attitudes, as well as government regulation of innovation and high technology.

Technology has always accompanied human civilization, as well as aspirations for the future. Has the idea of what will happen to humanity in 100 years changed over the generations? I would like to examine this question and compare expectations of the future in 1900 and today.

And at the very end, I would like to suggest an application that I think can serve as a good example for the meaningful use of high technology. However, there are two sides to any coin.