Are AI’s benefits being shared equitably in society? HEC Paris academic Peter Mathias Fischer fears not, and his research explores why critical thinking - not coding - will define who benefits from AI.
As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, society grapples with its profound impact on creativity, governance, healthcare, misinformation, and the future of work. From the geopolitical race for digital sovereignty to creative industries' struggle with generative AI, these perspectives provide a nuanced understanding of how AI is both an opportunity and a challenge, requiring careful regulation, ethical considerations, and strategic adaptation across sectors. Part of the academic work featured in this dossier is funded by the Hi! PARIS Center, which is co-founded by HEC Paris and IP Paris, and supported by the French government as one of the nine projects chosen for the "Clusters IA".
HEC research professor Craig Anderson has been exploring the impact of “awe” on well-being for over a decade. The specialist in affective science recently published a paper on culture and awe, comparing the emotional approach of Americans and Chinese to this phenomenon. Anderson’s research was at the heart of a 2023 National Geographic documentary “Operation Arctic Cure” which traces the use of awe to alleviate PTSD in veteran soldiers. The American academic shares his insights into a new science reshaping policies in sustainability, marketing and health.
Shocking images get our attention, but the effects might be more nuanced than marketers realise, say Professors L.J. Shrum of HEC Paris and Elena Fumagalli of INCAE Business School, Costa Rica. Their recent paper on ‘shockvertising’ explores the subtle ways in which powerful negative images influence consumers.
By L. J. Shrum
This summer’s eruption of violence in the UK has renewed searching questions on the role social media plays in our society. It has also accelerated calls for new or revamped regulation of the country’s social media platforms, encapsuled in the UK’s Online Safety Act. But online violence and brutalization do not confine themselves to politicized and stigmatized communities. HEC Professor Kristine de Valck has explored, with fellow academics Olivier Sibai (University of Bath) and Marius K. Lüdicke (WU Vienna), the presence of direct, cultural, and structural violence in an online community that few researchers would imagine: the British electronic dance music community. Kristine shares her decade-long research on one such leisure-oriented community, on a phenomenon also observed on Reddit, Twitch and Discord platforms. She suggests ways to mitigate such online brutalization of consumers.
By Kristine De Valck
For luxury retail brands, selling their goods in other businesses’ stores may be an effective way of reaching more customers. But the employees at these stores might play a bigger role in the success of these distribution partnerships than expected, write Dominique Rouziès of HEC Paris and her co-authors Moumita Das Gyomlai of Ohio University, Michael Ahearne of the University of Houston, and Jean-Noël Kapferer of INSEEC U in their recent paper.Key findings:Salespeople in non-owned stores are important for selling luxury brands.Luxury can thrive in non-luxury environments if the store employees are engaged and perceive a strong fit between the store's brand and the luxury brand.To enhance this brand fit and improve sales performance in non-owned stores, luxury brands should invest in brand-specific training and communicate a clear rationale for the partnership.
By Dominique Rouziès
There’s a debate amongst online retailers over trade-offs between the value of tracking cookies and their impact on customer privacy. However, little is known about the effects of limiting cookie duration. Klaus Miller, Assistant Professor of Quantitative Marketing at HEC Paris, and Bernd Skiera, Professor of Electronic Commerce at Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, examine the value of cookies over time and what it means for advertisers and regulators.
By Klaus Miller
2024 marks 20 years since the birth of social media. Since then, it has become a major communication force in the lives of teenagers - a 2024 Pew survey claims that 93% of American youth use it, for example. Unsurprisingly, research on its impact has followed suit. But just how reliable are the conclusions in this new field of studies? In April 2024, HEC Professors Tina Lowrey and L.J. Shrum co-authored a research paper with their former doctoral student Elena Fumagalli (H18), showing conflicting findings on the negative and positive effects of social media on youth. They warn against major policies and lawsuits founded on inconclusive studies and contradictory scientific research. Professors Lowrey and Shrum share with Breakthroughs their study to try to make sense of a subject matter inflaming public debate. Extracts.
By Tina M. Lowrey , L. J. Shrum
“Gravity-defying fashion” business case has been published recently on The Case Centre. Luxury expert, professor of Marketing Anne Michaut, investigated books, articles, and online databases on the fascinating yet still unknown topic of digital fashion, and from this study, shared insights through a fictitious business case.
This special edition of the Knowledge@HEC review focuses on the Earth’s planetary boundaries. The issue highlights HEC Paris' approach toward organizational, environmental, and societal challenges linked to the nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can develop for generations to come. The review showcases research and initiatives aimed at informing and empowering businesses, policymakers, and future leaders. We highlight the multidisciplinary approaches in the school's research, teaching, and action, inviting HEC Paris students, graduates, professors, entrepreneurs, and donors to share their visions of a more sustainable future. "Aligning Business with Planetary Boundaries" will be officially launched at the HEC Climate Day on May 22. Meanwhile, you can find the pdf here.
