FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 5 Foreword Subscribe online at lancaster.ac.uk/fiftyfour SUBSCRIBE W hile I have declined the use of Generative AI to draft this introduction, it is hard to escape the increasing presence of Artificial Intelligence and other technologies in our everyday lives. We are not yet (and hopefully will never be) at the stage where the machines have taken over and we are at best redundant from our roles in society, and at (apocalyptical) worst under their control and command. We are, though, using technologies in ever-evolving ways. Across Lancaster University Management School, many of our researchers conduct work with technology at its heart, and this edition is built around a selection of those projects and expertise. João Baptista is looking at how AI is already affecting leadership and management within organisations. It is fascinating to see how his work shows the evolution beyond the straightforward – keeping notes from a meeting, summarising a report – to more complex, creative and strategic applications. João’s work suggests the need to clearly shape how we use AI from the start, and that is something that can be seen in the work being carried out by Martin Spring and James Faulconbridge on the Technology in Professional Services (TiPS) project. James and Martin are part of a team working with law and accountancy firms on how they adopt technology into their businesses. This goes beyond just AI – though that is inevitably becoming more common – and examines the processes that are needed for adoption to be successful. On a similar note, David Knights and his colleague Guy Huber from Oxford Brookes University, have explored how AI may be affecting our emotions and behaviours. The prospects of machines and technology having emotions themselves is a long way from fruition, yet their research shows that AI is already changing how we think and act – something that has deep repercussions as it becomes more ingrained in our lives. Natural disasters are a part of life in countries such as Indonesia, so the efforts of Konstantinos Zografos and his colleagues on the RESPOND-OR project using programmes and algorithms to develop more effective response operations has the potential for great impact. While most of us use technology every day, how many of us will be exploring The Backrooms? Sophie James and James Cronin’s work takes us into a realm where tourism is exploring strange new worlds online. I have no real desire to go to these places myself – and am not quite sure what to make of the creepypasta phenomenon – but they exist, and a growing number of us enjoy, if that is the right word, these imagined worlds. It was not so long ago that hybrid working was an imagined world – now it is common in many countries and professions. Niki Panteli and her colleagues from Canberra look at how technologies can be used to help remote and hybrid employees stay engaged with the companies they work for. It is something business and management schools like ours need to consider, as well as many other companies. The same may not be true right now for asteroid mining, but Craig Jones takes us on a journey into space with this fascinating topic. You may think it sounds like science fiction – but as we have seen with AI, the future is always closer than you think. Welcome to another packed and informative edition of Fifty Four Degrees. Professor Claire Leitch Executive Dean Lancaster University Management School
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