Over the past decades, information technology has driven societal development and economic growth. The continuing advance of digitalization has enabled individuals and organizations to leverage more and more intelligent tools, leading to disruptive transformations in markets, business models, jobs, and social conventions from time to time. Overall, the field of information and communication technology is one generally characterized by rapid development.
The general focus of the ICT industry and the societal spotlight for the latest expected disruption can quickly move from one technology phenomenon to another. For example, artificial intelligence—while undeniably a hot topic in today’s discussion—was hardly heralded as the all-pervasive catalyst for digital transformation three years ago. Similarly, it is likely that during the next three years, new paradigm shifts will occur in the perceived landscape of disruptive technology development.
According to research, the era of machine learning, deep learning and foundation models in the disruption from artificial intelligence is coming to an end. Researchers have not been able to form a consensus on what kinds of transformative developments might be expected to take the spotlight in the post-AI era. Moreover, the pivotal platforms, business models, or intelligent tools essential to those developments have not yet been identified.
The bulk of current societal analysis uses a narrow rear-view perspective by analyzing historic micro- or macroeconomic data. In the case of emerging technologies, however, multi-dimensional interdisciplinary research is required to understand the complex socio-economic mechanisms underlying technology disruptions and how to best navigate businesses and countries in periods of extreme technology-induced turbulence.
Introduction to collection of articles
Beyond AI, Blockchain Systems, and Digital Platforms: Digitalization Unlocks Mass Hyper-Personalization and Mass Servitization
Article 1
Estimating Firm Digitalization: A Method for Disaggregating Sector-level Digital Intensity to Firm-level
Article 2
AI Diffusion Monitoring among S&P500 Companies: Empirical Results and Methodological Advancements
Article 3
What Have We Learned About Machine Learning? A Meta Analysis
Article 4
Blockchain-Based Deployment of Product-Centric Information Systems
Article 5
Digital Protocols as Accounting and Incentivization Mechanisms in Anti-Rival Systems: Developing a Shareable Non-Fungible Token (sNFT)
Article 6
The Little Engines That Could: Game Industry Platforms and the New Drivers of Digitalization
Article 7
Platform-Dependent Entrepreneurs: Power Asymmetries, Risks, and Strategies in the Platform Economy
Article 8
Supranationalism, Sino-American Technology Separation, and Semiconductors: First Observations
See also Etla Working Paper nro 106 Beyond AI, Blockchain Systems, and Digital Platforms: Digitalization Unlocks Mass Hyper-Personalization and Mass Servitization.
