Rachel Reeves calls for action to break down gender barriers to boost growth March 6, 2025 Ahead of International Women’s Day, chancellor Rachel Reeves has called for urgent action to dismantle barriers preventing women from reaching leadership positions. Her comments follow the release of new research from Vodafone, which found that over a third of women still see gender as a barrier to career progression. “The UK is leading the charge [...]
CMA clears probe into Microsoft’s OpenAI investment March 5, 2025 After months of scrutiny, Microsoft’s $13bn (£11bn) partnership with OpenAI has been cleared by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The antitrust watchdog ruled that Microsoft‘s investment did not meet the threshold for a full-scale merger investigation, despite concerns over the tech giant’s influence on the AI startup. The CMA acknowledged that Microsoft gained [...]
Judge rejects Elon Musk’s bid to block OpenAI’s for-profit shift March 5, 2025 A US court has denied Elon Musk’s request to stop OpenAI from transitioning into a for-profit firm, a significant setback for the billionaire behind X. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled on Tuesday that Musk had not met the necessary criteria for a preliminary injunction. She cited “the public interest at stake and potential for [...]
Cracks appear in the AI boom as market reassesses growth prospects March 5, 2025 The optimism surrounding AI is facing scrutiny as investors and industry leaders reassess the long term profitability of AI-related infrastructure. Recent stock market trends suggest a shift away from the AI sector, with semiconductor and cloud computing stocks among the worst performers in 2025 so far, according to AJ Bell. AI hype faces a reality [...]
Flutter Entertainment posts strong growth despite challenging sports results March 5, 2025 Flutter Entertainment, the world’s largest online sports betting and gaming operator, has reported an uptick in revenue and earnings despite setbacks from unfavourable sports outcomes. The company’s revenue jumped 14 per cent in the fourth quarter, driven by strength in its UK and Ireland markets and the US. Flutter posted revenue growth of 20 per [...]
AI and hybrid patterns set to determine the future of work March 5, 2025 Rising employment costs have driven many UK businesses towards investing in AI instead of hiring new employees, while workers are resisting efforts to increase office mandates in favour of working from home (WFH). New research from Linkedin and Pleo has revealed the tension between using AI as a cost-saving tactic, and the need for meaningful [...]
UK’s ‘AI divide’ puts economic growth at risk, warns Microsoft March 5, 2025 A growing divide between UK leaders who do and don’t leverage AI could threaten the country’s economic potential, and the efficiency of its public services. According to a report from Microsoft, businesses and public sector organisations with clear AI strategies are significantly outperforming those without, highlighting an urgent need for broader adoption of AI driven [...]
Quantexa: London-based AI startup’s valuation hits £2bn March 5, 2025 London-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Quantexa‘s valuation has jumped to more than £2bn following a new round of funding. The firm, which uses AI to interpret data sets and help financial firms manage risk, secured a $175m (£137.66m) investment in a funding round led by the Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), which will bring the firm’s [...]
CISOs losing ground to AI threats, Darktrace warns March 4, 2025 The threat of AI-driven cyber attacks is escalating, with 78 per cent of chief information security officers (CISOs) reporting a significant impact on their organisations. According to Darktrace’s newly released cyber security report, this represents a five per cent increase from last year. The findings, based on a survey of over 1,500 cyber security professionals, [...]
Verizon and Accenture partner to help businesses tackle cyber threats March 4, 2025 Verizon business has announced a strategic partnership with global professional services firm Accenture to address escalating cyber security risks. Together, they aim to strengthen cyber resilience across industries, with a particular focus on mid market and large businesses across the UK. As cyber attacks become more sophisticated and frequent, the collaboration will launch cyber risk [...]
