BHP: Mining giant which quit FTSE appoints former RBS chief as chair February 12, 2025 Mining group BHP has announced the appointment of former RBS chief Ross McEwan as chair, following the retirement of incumbent Ken Mackenzie at the end of March. Stepping into this role, McEwan will oversee the selection of the mining giant’s next chief executive, as reported by Reuters. He will also consider renewing the firm’s plans [...]
France races ahead of UK in AI push February 10, 2025 French President Emmanuel Macron announced a €109bn (£90bn) investment in artificial intelligence (AI) on Monday, dwarfing the UK’s commitment to leading the global tech race. The funding, which was announced at the Paris AI summit, will come from both public and private sources, as Macron aims to position France as a major AI hub. The [...]
UK skills gap threatens to stall Starmer’s AI plans as firms looks abroad February 10, 2025 A severe shortage of the nation’s tech skills may stifle the government’s push to turbocharge artificial intelligence (AI) in the UK, a survey has warned. Keir Starmer announced the government’s AI opportunities action plan in January, in which he pledged to create over 13,000 jobs in the tech sector. But it may struggle to get [...]
Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta: Is big tech overspending on AI? February 7, 2025 Tech titans have projected pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence (AI) in 2025, yet Wall Street impatiently awaits returns on their investments. Amazon is leading the charge, having recently committed over $100bn to AI infrastructure this year, surpassing Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta. The four tech behemoths reported a combined $246bn investment in AI in [...]
Amazon shares plunge after tech giant misses earnings February 7, 2025 Amazon missed expectations for its cloud computing arm, raising concerns about the tech leader’s investment in artificial intelligence (AI). On Thursday, the tech behemoth told the market that its cloud division, Amazon Web Services, reported a fourth-quarter revenue of $28.7bn (£23.1bn), slightly below Wall Street forecasts of $28.84bn. The miss disappointed investors, who were already [...]
UK’s data centre ambitions threatened by grid red tape February 6, 2025 Delays connecting to the electricity grid may risk the UK’s position in the global AI race, as proposals for new data centres are pushed down the track, experts have warned. The National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is grappling with a major backlog, and it is understood that any proposed big infrastructure project looking to hook [...]
Public sector pay gap threatens UK cyber resilience February 6, 2025 The UK’s national security is at risk due to a growing pay gap between public and private sector cyber roles, making it harder for the government to attract and retain top talent. A recent study by Naoris Protocol found that salaries for key cyber security positions in the private sector can be nearly double those [...]
Google parent firm Alphabet drops pledge on using AI tech for weapons and surveillance February 5, 2025 Google’s parent company Alphabet has removed its commitment to avoiding artificial intelligence (AI) applications for weapons and surveillance from its ethical guidelines. The tech behemoth stressed the importance of collaboration between businesses and democratic governments to develop AI that “protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.” The revised guidelines were announced in a [...]
Kay Burley: Broadcaster quits Sky News after almost four decades February 5, 2025 Broadcast titan Kay Burley has announced her retirement from Sky News after 36 years at the outlet. The legendary news presenter was part of the original news team which launched in 1989, meaning her career at the broadcaster spanned five decades. Closing her final Sky News breakfast show today, she said : “From a standing [...]
Future: Marie Claire owner hits expectations despite ad struggles February 5, 2025 Publisher Future plc reported it is trading in line with market expectations for the first four months of its financial year, despite ongoing challenges in the UK advertising market. The media group, which owns specialist titles across tech, gaming and lifestyle, told markets this morning that its consumer business continued positive momentum from 2024, with [...]
