Sam talks to Ben Cowan, Research Fellow in the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham. Ben’s research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) looks at our evolving relationship with computers. Ben explains ‘If we as humans don’t perceive machines as natural, we won’t behave naturally towards them’. Will the 2012 ‘Government Digital Strategy’, moving government services into the digital sphere, give us a more convenient experience when it comes to paying our council tax or buying our parking permit? Or will it leave us all nostalgic for the days of listening to muzak while waiting on hold to at least eventually speak on the phone to a real person?

Download a transcript of this podcast here: http://bit.ly/1fg8Q15