|
on Information and Communication Technologies |
| By: | Mahirah Mahusin (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)); Hilmy Priliadi (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)); Samsu Sempena |
| Abstract: | Cryptography is embedded in a wide range of internationally traded information and communication technology (ICT) products, including smartphones, laptops, and software applications, even when encryption is not their primary function. As a result, national cryptography laws and controls may increasingly affect a broad range of commercial ICT products. This policy brief examines the intersection of cryptography-related regulations in ASEAN and provisions in free trade agreements (FTAs) and digital economy agreements (DEAs). It shows that licensing requirements, import and export controls, and conformity assessment procedures, when applied too broadly to ICT products that use cryptography, can raise compliance costs and unintentionally restrict trade. The brief reviews how recent FTAs and DEAs address ICT products that use cryptography, highlighting common prohibitions on mandatory disclosure of encryption information, forced localisation, and prescribed algorithms, alongside clear carve-outs for regulatory and judicial access. Based on these developments, the brief offers policy considerations for ASEAN Member States (AMS) in assessing whether and how to include provisions on ICT products that use cryptography in the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework. Latest Articles |
| Date: | 2026–07–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:era:wpaper:pb-2026-04 |
| By: | Bertrand Achou; Mehdi Ammi; Minchung Hsu; Minjoon Lee; Tomoe Naito; Keisuke Otsu |
| Abstract: | Population aging and shortages of long-term care workers have increased interest in caregiving robots and information and communication technology (ICT). This paper provides novel large-scale evidence on older individuals’ perceptions of such technologies, drawing on a custom-designed internet survey of 4, 314 Japanese individuals aged 55 to 75. Respondents choose between two otherwise identical nursing homes: one in which all care is provided by human caregivers, and one in which robots and ICT are used to provide a substantial share of care in one randomly assigned domain (communication, monitoring, or mobility assistance), while other care remains human-provided. A majority of respondents (65 percent) prefer nursing homes where robots and ICT are used. Acceptance differs substantially across care domains: It is highest for mobility assistance, intermediate for monitoring, and lowest for communication. The average willingness to pay (WTP) for a nursing home where robots and ICT provide a substantial share of care is sizable, at 8 percent above the typical nursing home fee. Prior awareness of caregiving robots is positively associated with both acceptance and WTP, pointing to the potential role of information in shaping older individuals’ preferences. Acceptance and WTP are also strongly associated with sentiments toward robots and ICT expressed in attitude questions, providing support for the internal consistency of survey responses. A back-of-the-envelope calculation offers suggestive evidence that the benefits of introducing robots and ICT can be much larger than the costs, in particular for mobility-aid robots. |
| Keywords: | Long-term care, caregiving robots and ICT, nursing homes, survey. |
| JEL: | I10 J14 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rsi:irersi:27 |
| By: | Coyle, Diane; Nguyen, Nghi; Poquiz, John Lourenze; Riley, Rebecca |
| Abstract: | This paper provides early evidence that AI adoption by firms is linked to management practices in unique ways. Using panel data from the UK Management and Expectations Survey (MES), we find that firms with higher baseline management scores are significantly more likely to adopt AI. This relationship is specific to AI: the same management practices show no relationship with the adoption of other technologies such as robotics, specialized equipment, or specialized software. We also find that management capabilities related to performance measurement appear strongly related to AI adoption. These results suggest that organisational complementarities are specific to different technologies, with implications for policies to encourage AI adoption by firms. |
| Keywords: | AI; technology adoption; management practices; technology diffusion; organisational capital; decentralisation; ICT |
| JEL: | D24 L23 O31 O33 |
| Date: | 2026–09–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eoe:escoed:escoe-dp-2026-13 |
| By: | Evangelos Dioikitopoulos; Rigissa Megalokonomou; Tommaso Sartori; Yves Zenou |
| Abstract: | Public information campaigns often rely on credible expert messengers to influence people's beliefs. We study how messenger identity and communication technology shape persuasion in a large-scale randomized experiment on vaccination attitudes among young adults in Greece. Participants receive an identical public-health message that varies only in who delivers it-a medical scientist or a social media influencer-and in how it is delivered-through immersive virtual reality or conventional video. Exposure raises trust in vaccines and trust in the healthcare system. Scientists are rated substantially more credible than influencers yet are no more persuasive on average; the two groups' effectiveness rests on different characteristics-the scientists' on perceived reliability and knowledgeability, the influencers' on personal appeal, prior familiarity, and reputation. We find that persuasion is greater under virtual reality, consistent with stronger engagement. Changes in beliefs persist for at least six months, and initially hesitant participants report greater willingness to vaccinate. A model in which engagement, prior uncertainty, and effective credibility enter persuasion multiplicatively rationalizes these patterns. |
| Keywords: | randomized experiment, persuasion, belief formation, source credibility, messenger familiarity, social media influencers, virtual reality, engagement, health communication, vaccination |
| JEL: | C93 D83 I12 D91 |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crm:wpaper:26236 |