The future of techno-disruption in gig economy workforces: challenging the dialogue with fictional abstracts

Oliver Bates (Lancaster University, UK)
Callum Nash (Northumbria University, UK)
Christian Remy (Aarhus University, Denmark)
Ben Kirman (University of York, UK)

In this article we explore near-future of the pervasive computing, AI, and HCI in the context of the disruptive potential of technologies on workers in the on-demand gig economy. Using fictional abstracts, the authors muse on dystopian case studies of: independent contractors, last-mile couriers, teachers, and creative professionals. This article serves as base for critical reflections on: 1) the need for multidisciplinary approaches when tackling broader and far-reaching societal implications of digital technology in the gig economy, and 2) the potential role of fictional abstracts in the design process of future digital technologies.

Citation

Oliver Bates, Christian Remy, Callum Nash, and Ben Kirman. 2019. The future of techno-disruption in gig economy workforces: challenging the dialogue with fictional abstracts. In Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium 2019 (HTTF 2019), November 19–20, 2019, Nottingham, United Kingdom. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 4 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3363384.3363476

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With thanks to our sponsors:

University of Nottingham logo

SIGCHI logo

Microsoft logo