Facial recognition trial at London Bridge sparks backlash from campaigners February 19, 2026 The British Transport Police’s new live facial recognition trial has barely begun at London Bridge, but activists are already expressing concerns over AI monitoring systems. Cameras went live at the station on 11 February as part of a six-month pilot set to identify people wanted for serious offences as they pass through major stations. The [...]
Is AI really to blame for Britain’s rising unemployment? February 17, 2026 Unemployment has risen to 5.2 per cent, the highest level since 2021, as the UK’s labour market continues to cool. But how much of that stagnation can reasonably be attributed to AI? The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the jobless rate climbed in the three months to December, while the number of [...]
Starmer closes chatbot loophole in Online Safety Act February 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer is set to target AI chatbots with the UK’s Online Safety Act, warning tech titans that “no platform gets a free pass” following a deepfake scandal involving Elon Musk’s Grok. In a speech on Monday, the Prime Minister is expected to confirm plans to amend the Crime and Policing Bill, so that [...]
Why the UK is losing the AI skills race February 16, 2026 What's the use in being the third largest AI market in the world if our workforce doesn't know how to use it, asks IBM's Leon Butler.
The first tech wobble of 2026 revives AI bubble fears February 13, 2026 Following a swell of AI bubble scepticism at the back end of 2025, this year’s first market wobble has arrived early, landing squarely on global tech stocks. When Anthropic released a new AI tool designed to help in-house legal teams triage agreements and draft routine responses, the reaction trickled down through law firms straight into [...]
Nscale bags $1.4bn loan as AI infrastructure shifts to private credit February 13, 2026 London-based AI cloud provider Nscale has secured a $1.4bn (£1.03bn) delayed draw term loan backed by GPUs, in one of the largest private credit deals yet tied directly to AI hardware deployments in Europe. The facility was led by funds managed by Pimco, Blue Owl and LuminArx Capital Management, with support from additional asset managers [...]
The markets are getting it wrong on AI risk February 13, 2026 Concerns that AI will make entire sectors obsolete are overblown. These are not companies encountering AI for the first time, yet markets appear to be pricing them as if adaptation is impossible, says Michael Clark The repeated sell-offs triggered by new AI product launches suggest markets are struggling to distinguish between headlines and reality. Each [...]
Fashion bosses back AI as their staff fear for their jobs February 12, 2026 Scroll through LinkedIn and you will see fashion bosses talking up AI as the next industry growth lever. But turn to their teams, and the picture becomes less rosy. A Vogue Business survey of over 300 fashion professionals found 43 per cent feel ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ about AI’s future impact on their careers. Thirty [...]
Warnings on AI from the Industrial Revolution February 11, 2026 The mechanisation of weaving in the 19th century didn’t just affect jobs, it led to years of political unrest culminating in the Peterloo Massacre. Leaders had better be ready for what’s coming with AI, says Paul Ormerod Last week the US AI company Anthropic released a tool which it says can automate legal work such [...]
Anthropic’s new AI legal tool wipes billions off European data stocks February 3, 2026 Shares in Europe’s biggest data, publishing and legal software groups slumped after AI giant Anthropic unveiled a new tool aimed directly at in-house lawyers. The move rattled investors who had long viewed the sector as an AI winner. In London, Relx fell close to 11 per cent, while Pearson dropped around four per cent. London [...]