We take great pleasure in presenting the proceedings of the fifth edition of the International Conference on Applied Economics and Social Science (ICAESS), 2023, held on the 7th of November 2023 in Batam. The conference envisions a future where economic prosperity and environmental well-being are harmonized. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, it aims to unite environmental experts, technologists, and policymakers in crafting holistic solutions. The theme of ICAESS 2023 was “Harmonizing Green Economy, Sustainable Development, and Digitalization for a Thriving Future”. The technical program for ICAESS 2023 comprised 37 full papers, boasting an acceptance rate of 45%. The conference tracks included: Track 1-Economics; Track 2-Accounting; Track 3- Managements; and Track 4-Social Sciences. In conjunction with the outstanding technical paper presentations, the technical program featured two keynote speeches, one direct invited talk, and one online invited talk presentation. The distinguished speakers for the keynote speeches were TS Dr. Nurulizwa Binti Abdul Rashid from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Malaysia, and Dr. Mehran Nejati from Edith Cowan University, Australia Effective coordination with the steering committee played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the conference. We express our sincere appreciation for their unwavering support and guidance throughout the entire process. Special acknowledgment goes to the ICAESS Chair Committee for their diligent efforts in completing the peer-review process of technical papers, resulting in the development of a high-quality technical program. Additionally, our gratitude extends to the Conference Managers for their invaluable support and to all the authors who submitted their papers to the ICAESS 2023 conference. We also want to thank the staff of EAI for their help in making this publication possible.

This volume contains a collection of papers presented at The 4th International Conference on Applied Economics and Social Science (ICAESS) 2022, which was held on 5th October 2022, In Batam, Indonesia online. Batam is the city of Politeknik Negeri Batam, which organized ICAESS. This conference’s aim is to showcase research applications conducted by researchers. The research gap between academics and industries had become a significant challenge which is expected to be addressed during the conference. Our theme is "Responding the Era of Metaverse for Future Applied Technology". We have keynote speakers that delivering talks for the digital marketplace: Dr Hj Mohammad Nabil Almunawar, metaverse for education: Prof. Yusep Rosmanyah, S.T., M.Sc, PhD, and industry 4.0: Ashwani Singh, PhD. We are indebted to them, we hope their research continues successfully. ICAESS has 4 tracks including Economics Track, Accountings Track, Managements Track, and Social Sciences Track. We received 112 papers addressing topics in line from the tracks, including Economic Development, Accounting Theory, Business Administration, Development Studies and other related fields. We accepted 50 articles, with an acceptance rate of 45%. Special thanks to the Organizing Committee members along with the numerous reviewers for their assistance with the reviews of the submitted manuscripts. Finally, we sincerely express gratitude to all the participants, and the authors for all their work, thus making this conference a success. We also want to thank the staff of EAI for their help in making this publication possible.

The idea for this book hit me when I was walking out of the office on one of the Sundays two years ago. Well, it was not the idea that hit me up. Actually, I was hungry. Not that I did not have something to eat. It was a busy day and we had to work hard to accomplish the task ahead of us though it was an off-working day. The incident got me to start writing this book. This scenario reminded me of other circumstances that occurred in the past. There are different perceptions and the way we look up things but least everyone needs to be treated fairly according to the labour laws and regulations.

This is proceeding for the 5th International Conference on Applied Engineering (ICAE 2022), held online in Batam, Indonesia on 5 October 2022. ICAE is an annual conference organized by Politeknik Negeri Batam. This year, ICAE was structured in 3 tracks namely Electronics, Informatics and Mechanicals. ICAE received 64 papers in various topics including Control Systems and Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mechanics and Control Systems, Computational Mechanics and Microelectronic Circuits and Systems, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System, RFID and Electronics Design, Electronics materials, Sensor Networks, Fuzzy Systems, AI and Expert Systems, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Architecture and Topology, Geo-Information, GIS and Remote Sensing, Multimedia Content, IoT, Semiconductor technology, IoT Devices and other related fields. All submission were peer-reviewed with at least 3 reviewers provided for each paper. A total of 37 selected, which is around 58% acceptance rate. We express gratitude to all who contributed to the success of ICAE 2022. We acknowledge the invaluable assistance of the track chairs and the track program committee members. It required the significant efforts of many people to make this virtual conference possible, especially in this time of COVID-19 pandemic. We thank the Organizing Committee members along with the numerous reviewers for their assistance with the reviews of the submitted manuscripts. These reviewers serve to bring a broad set of perspectives to the research arena. We especially thank the authors who have provided the submitted manuscripts. The quality of these papers is a tribute to the authors and also to the reviewers who have guided any necessary improvement. Last but not least, we are greatly indebted to the three keynote speakers: Prof. Yusep Rosmansyah, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D from Information Technology Research Division (KKTI), School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia; Dr Hj Mohammad Nabil Almunawar Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam; Ashwani Singh, PhD, Global R&D Director Telemecanique Sensors, France; for delivering the keynote speeches in this conference. We hope this ICAE proceeding will have impact to the research community in the longer term.

In an age where Artificial Intelligence (AI) evolves at a breakneck pace, the boundaries of machine capabilities are constantly being redefined. Propelled by advancements in deep learning and related technologies, AI is inching ever closer to mimicking human intellect. But can it achieve consciousness? And if so, at what cost to humanity? This book delves deep into the multi-faceted debate surrounding artificially conscious AI. It untangles ethical quandaries, philosophical dilemmas, technological challenges, political considerations, and the regulatory landscape. By drawing connections between AI research, neuroscience, and cognitive science, the narrative provides a comprehensive understanding of what consciousness might mean in the context of AI. As over a thousand AI luminaries globally sound the alarm, urging a pause on certain AI developments, the book underscores the urgency of its message. Recent incidents have spotlighted AI systems with capabilities so advanced that even their creators grapple to fully grasp or control them. It’s imperative, now more than ever, to critically assess the implications of AI consciousness, weighing its potential risks against its benefits. This book offers both a timely warning and a call to informed action.