KPMG: Generative AI could spur £31bn increase in UK productivity June 27, 2023 The UK’s battered economy could get a much-needed £31bn boost from the widespread adoption of generative AI, a new KPMG report has found. According to the ‘Big Four’ firm, generative AI has the potential to increase UK productivity by 1.2 per cent, the equivalent of an extra output of £31bn a year in the UK [...]
AI can be ‘force for good’ but needs regulation, says Keir Starmer June 26, 2023 Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a “force for good”, Sir Keir Starmer has told a UK-India summit in Westminster. The Labour leader said the invention was an “incredible form of technology” being developed “at pace” – but that the UK needed to develop regulations to monitor its application. Speaking at the UK India week 2023 [...]
UK banks leading European counterparts in tech readiness, new research reveals June 21, 2023 UK banks are leading against European rivals in their preparation for new technologies but still have much further to go to secure global leadership, new research shows. A new study from IT and consultancy firm Accenture – shared exclusively with City A.M. – shows that around a third of UK bank board members have technology [...]
Andreessen Horowitz leads $19m injection into London ‘voice AI’ firm June 20, 2023 Heavyweight Silicon Valley investor Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has led a $19m funding injection into London-based AI firm ElevenLabs to help accelerate a new wave of “voice AI research”, the firm announced today.
UK must balance innovation with safety to help firms adopt AI, tech bosses say June 19, 2023 The UK must not let safety concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) fall by the wayside as it pushes for a pro-innovation model for regulating the technology, tech bosses have warned. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has reportedly told ministers to speed up the adoption of AI across the private and public sector, including the [...]
Digital stores predicted to appear on the high street as automation threatens retail jobs June 19, 2023 Large e-commerce stores are likely to crop up as physical stores across the UK high street in the next five to ten years, according to predictions aided by AI. Money saving website Savoo used AI to visualise the future of the British high street and it suggested more than 11,000 chain stores would disappear by [...]
UK businesses face regulatory minefield as EU votes in new Artificial Intelligence Act June 18, 2023 UK businesses must brace themselves to adhere to new EU artificial intelligence (AI) standards if they plan to trade in the bloc, lawyers and industry experts have said. It comes as members of the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly last week to adopt the Artificial Intelligence Act, which aims to encourage “human-centric and trustworthy” AI. Tamara [...]
Tech experts support UN calls for global AI watchdog June 13, 2023 Tech experts have voiced their share in concerns over the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) this week, following world leaders’ calls for a global regulator. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), declared on Monday that he “would be favourable to the idea that we could have an artificial intelligence agency”, suggesting it could [...]
What we learned from Keir Starmer on AI, Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon June 13, 2023 Keir Starmer hit the stage at London Tech Week this morning to mount Labour’s charm offensive on the great and good of London tech. Starmer’s address to the conference followed a major presence from top Tory figures yesterday, with talks from both Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt. Speaking on the main stage in Westminster, the [...]
The Notebook: Ian Whittaker is sceptical about AI – plus his take on the Telegraph takeover June 13, 2023 The Notebook is a column where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s Ian Whittaker, media analyst and founder of Liberty Sky Advisors Is AI’s biggest benefit its use as a buzzword? BT announced last month it is cutting up to 55,000 jobs as it restructures and stream lines its business. What particularly caught the [...]