I am pleased to present the 25(1)st Journal of IT Case and Application Research (JITCAR) issue. This issue comprises editorials, research case studies, interviews, and reviews on various topics ranging from ChatGPT, Adoption of AI Ethical Frameworks, Beneficial AI, Metaverse, and psychosocial (social media discontinuance) and physical well-being. This issue includes an editorial preface article by David Gefen and Orakwue (Bay) Arinze; and an editorial opinion article by Gaurav Bansal and Don Heath. Two research case articles – one by Ziyue Huang, Prashant Palvia and Nikhil Mehta, and another by Clara Choi-ki Wong, Ron Chi-wai Kwok, and Shanshan Zhang. A CIO interview by Vic Matta and a book review article by Don Heath. The summary information on these articles is as follows.
Gefen and Arinze’s editorial titled “ChatGPT And Usurping Academic Authority” raise a key point about the risks associated with ChatGPT and the potential of it getting misused as it cannot distinguish between false propaganda and real scientific data published on the Internet. Gefen and Arinze argue that this contrasted the past when encyclopedia editors went out of their way to have experts write the encyclopedia chapters and have other experts verify the content. The editorial raises several issues, including how ChatGPT, by mining the works of others – copyrighted or not, without the authors’ permission and without providing references and a bibliography for its reasoning, usurps academic authority.
In the editorial opinion article “Ten Propositions on Codepdence of AI and AI Ethical Framework Adoption: View from Industry and Academia,” Bansal and Heath summarize the findings from a CIO-academia panel which centered around the following two questions: (1) what institutional pressures influence the adoption of AI, and (2) how do the ensuing ethical concerns encourage the development of self-regulatory mechanisms? The editorial provides ten propositions converged around the following idea – as the adoption of boundary-spanning AI technology matures, a heightened need exists, and pressure increases to adopt an AI ethical framework to address the concerns of multiple stakeholders. As AI use increases, the depth and breadth of its apprehensions and anxiety – due to the multiplicity of the stakeholders involved, will force companies or governments to act to safeguard the stakeholders – eventually leading to adopting self-regulatory AI ethical frameworks by the companies. The development and adoption of an AI ethical framework may create pragmatic legitimacy surrounding the use of AI, enhance its acceptability and usage, maximize economic profitability and protect the interests of their stakeholders and society at large
In the case study titled “Social Media Discontinuance: The Salient Roles of Dark Side and Regret,” authors Ziyue Huang, Prashant Palvia and Nikhil Mehta present an interpretive study conducted using a case study method. The study proposes a new theoretical model of social media discontinuance intention built upon regret and privacy control. They show that regret is influenced by social media’s dark side, including cyberbullying, misinformation, information overload, misuse, and online social stress.
The case study titled “mHealth Application as Physical Activity Intervention: A Case Study on Physical Activity, Emotional Exhaustion, and Work Performance,” coauthored by Clara Choi-ki Wong, Ron Chi-wai Kwok, and Shanshan Zhang investigates the moderating effect of the threshold point of physical activity on the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work performance. The study relies on the conservation of resources theory. The study was conducted at an Asian University. The study substantiates the literature on technology-enabled solutions for improving work performance by engaging users to do sufficient physical activity regularly.
The industry report titled “Envision, Transform and Sustain – A Mantra for IT Success” by Vic Matta presents an interview with Matt Wienke, President of Infoverity. The highlight of the interview is the acknowledgment by Matt Wienke about two patterns – one is a shift from kind of the Wild West of data privacy to government regulation. According to Matt – the government has decided they are the best vehicle to establish ground rules for data privacy and the right to be forgotten. Another is beneficial AI. Matt suggests that as opposed to the AI that will become sentient and kill us all, so popularized in sci-fi pop culture, beneficial AI improves our customer experience with the companies we choose to do business with.
Don Heath writes the book review for – Metaverse and How It Will Revolutionize Everything, authored By Mathew Ball and Published in 2022 by Liveright Publishing. Don, in his review, explains the three sections of the book which relate to the historical narrative regarding the conceptual origins of the Metaverse, the details and bottlenecks along with technical issues and breakthroughs necessary to realize the Metaverse fully, and also the potential use cases and the governance challenges that might emerge with widespread adoption.
I hope you will enjoy reading all the items in this issue and find them relevant and useful in your classes, research, and workplace.
With best regards,
Sincerely