In the world where algorithms make shopping decisions on our behalf, all bets are off. — On 18th April 2011, a book about the biology of a fly was offered for sale on Amazon for $23,698,655.93 (plus $3.99 shipping). This was not just a glitch — the price of the book was steadily going up in the days before. And then, the next day, the price…

March 27th, 2020 Here’s what’s happened in the world of algorithms this week. In 255 words. Top news A doctor on your finger? Medical workers at two San Francisco hospitals are now trialling the use of smart rings to detect COVID-19 symptoms (hoping they read about rings and hand hygiene). Wondering what…

How the public sector can help Australia thrive in the digital economy — It is an often-repeated mantra: the digital economy is dramatically changing the way we live, work, and think. The recent lockdowns of entire countries, the need for physical isolation caused by the pandemic of 2020, are — paradoxically — giving us even more reasons to direct our attention to the…

In 2017, Mastercard, in partnership with The Fletcher School at Tufts University, released the most recent edition of the Digital Evolution Index. Australia was listed among “slow-moving countries”, overtaken by countries such as Chile, the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand. Even though it was not a dramatic change from the…

I was deeply saddened to learn about Clay Christensen’s death last week. I heard about it on my way back from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where, just a few years ago, Clayton would share his wisdom with the attendees. Clayton Christensen’s ideas have greatly influenced the World Economic…

Until recently, algorithms were a domain of computer scientists. But now, they have entered our lives and are becoming pervasive. Algorithm is not a foreign word anymore. Algorithmic trading, algorithmic bias, the Facebook algorithm, even algorithmic warfare — all these terms have become part of our vocabulary in recent years…

Will generative design transform the job of a designer (and what it means to be a designer)? — I do not consider myself a designer, at least not in the traditional sense. But I do believe that design, perhaps supported by expert designers, is everyone’s job — inspired by the words IBM’s GM of Design, Phil Gilbert. So many of us are, in one way or another, preparing…

I was excited to join the Davos activity this year. To me, visiting the World Economic Forum is an opportunity to network, learn, and take a fresh perspective on the world. I had the privilege to represent QUT Business School and its Chair in Digital Economy. Two months later I…

I had the most terrible morning today: I ran out of coffee. And I had no idea it was going to happen. I have an expensive coffee machine (my wife reminds me about it every day), with plenty of sensors, displays, and buttons. But — as smart as it is…