Meta surges on bold AI spend – but tariff risks loom May 1, 2025 Meta platforms delivered strong first quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday, with revenue and profit surpassing Wall Street expectations thanks to continued growth in advertising and an aggressive push into AI. But the firm’s exposure to global trade tensions and regulatory headwinds in its European market present a complicated picture for investors evaluating the [...]
Can AI replace the boardroom? April 30, 2025 AI is quietly taking over strategic decisions and that’s a mistake. If strategy is going to stay human, then it has to stay messy, says Paul Armstrong Automation used to mean invoices, scheduling and sorting PDFs. Now it means suggesting layoffs, flagging underperforming units, reshaping go-to-market strategy, and proposing M&A targets. AI isn’t just in [...]
The UK’s cyber blindspot lies with its SMBs April 16, 2025 Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in the UK are facing an escalating cyber security crisis, experts have warned. According to Hugues Foulon, chief executive of Orange Cyberdefense, cyber attacks on SMBs have surged by 53 per cent, yet only 21 per cent of SMB chief executives are aware of their cyber risks. This alarming [...]
ASML and Nvidia tumble amid US trade tensions April 16, 2025 ASML and Nvidia both took a hit in the markets, falling sharply due to rising concerns about US-China trade tensions and their potential impact on the semiconductor industry. ASML, a critical player in chip manufacturing equipment, dropped 6.5 per cent, while Nvidia saw a 6.3 per cent after hours on Tuesday. The Dutch chip equipment [...]
Can AI do it better? Why Starmer is right to reimagine the civil service April 11, 2025 What proportion of the civil service's workload could AI handle today? Starmer could revolutionise Whitehall if he's brave enough.
Google presses ahead with AI spend as Trump calls for – yet charges – more April 10, 2025 Donald Trump is urging American firms to ramp up their technology spending, particularly on AI, despite his latest wave of tariffs injecting new uncertainty into global supply chains. Google owner Alphabet is answering that call, reaffirming plans to spend $75bn this year on AI, brushing aside investor concerns and trade headwinds. The move, announced at [...]
Can AI and gamification fix disengagement in the ‘bored room’? April 1, 2025 Corporate training has long suffered from a fatal flaw: disengagement. The rigidity of traditional, monotone presentations, and the passive nature of slide-heavy training sessions, have turned workplace education into a mundane obligation, rather than an opportunity for professional growth. And in today’s hybrid work landscape, where distractions are just a browser tab away, the traditional [...]
Labour’s attempt to use AI to power budget cuts is damaging. Here’s why March 26, 2025 The UK government is beginning to introduce AI tools for deep research, framing the technology as a tool to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey announced on Tuesday that Rachel Reeves needs AI to ‘move the needle’ on economic growth. Yet, tying AI to Reeves’ budget cuts risks discouraging its [...]
Spring Statement won’t ‘alter basics’, Starmer insists, amid tax cuts reports March 24, 2025 The Spring Statement this week will not “alter the basics” of public spending plans, Sir Keir Starmer has insisted.
Top City analyst cloned in AI deepfake scam March 21, 2025 Michael Hewson – one of the City’s most respected market analysts – was cloned as part of an AI-powered social media scam. A fake video using AI to pose as the host of the Good Money Guide Podcast circulated on Facebook and Instagram this week, attempting to lure users into joining a Whatsapp group. The [...]