Biography
Dr Kate Letheren is a researcher in the QUT Business School and a member of the Conference Committee for the IREE Conference 2019. She is an active researcher in the areas of consumer psychology and communications, with a specific focus consumer responses to emerging technologies such as AI, robotics, and the smart home. Her work has been published in journals such as the European Journal of Marketing and Tourism Management. Dr Letheren also holds a research interest in marketing education, and sits on the editorial board for the Journal for the Advancement of Marketing Education and the Marketing Education Review. In 2015, Dr Letheren was awarded a Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy in recognition of her approach to teaching and learning.
INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE: Emerging technologies and energy futures: Power to the consumer?
We are living in a time of accelerating technological change, with technology affecting the consumer household just as much – or even more so – than it is the ‘factory floor’ of large organisations. In the energy field, this provides a chance to either support or hamper consumer wellbeing. For instance, renewable technologies and battery storage provide a chance to save on electricity bills, but may be creating a greater divide between the rich and the poor. Meanwhile, new innovations like smart home technology and artificial intelligence provide new, effortless ways to manage electricity usage and wellbeing, but consumer trust levels may not allow them to take advantage of the benefits. This roundtable will discuss how emerging technologies are changing energy futures (for better or worse), and consider the complexities that must be overcome to ensure beneficial outcomes for us all.