The ethical executive is coming to a boardroom near you February 3, 2020 We are undergoing a paradigm shift in our political, economic, and commercial worlds — and it’s truly stranger than fiction. Donald Trump, Brexit, Cambridge Analytica, the weaponisation of data, deep fakes, and artificial intelligence (AI) — phenomena that would have seemed inconceivable a decade ago are now our day-to-day reality. While some businesses are ahead of [...]
Audit resignations jump as sector faces regulatory pressure February 3, 2020 The number of audit firms to resign from jobs jumped last year as the sector comes under increasing regulatory pressure. Resignations have risen 21 per cent to 229 in 2018/19, up from 190 the previous year, according to the latest research by Thomson Reuters. The spike in resignations comes as audit companies are increasingly in [...]
This marks the start of a brave new post-Brexit future January 30, 2020 Tonight at 11 o’clock, as the Brexit countdown clock ticks to zero, I will be toasting the moment with a bottle of Brexit Beer, produced by my friend and fellow Leave campaigner Jon Moynihan. My toast won’t be to winning the Referendum or Getting Brexit Done. Rather, it will be a toast to the future, [...]
Huawei gets government’s go ahead for limited involvement in UK 5G January 28, 2020 Chinese tech firm Huawei has been given the go-ahead for limited involvement in the UK’s 5G infrastructure, the government has confirmed. The full details of the decision, which was agreed at a meeting of the National Security Council this morning, are expected to be laid out by culture secretary Baroness Nicky Morgan in the House [...]
Big tech’s calls for more regulation offers them a chance to increase their power January 28, 2020 At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, “tech for good” was one of the key themes on the agenda. The big tech companies like Microsoft and Google used their airtime to call for more regulation, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). It’s a broad term that applies to a set of [...]
BT executive appointed by government to scrutinise tech regulation January 26, 2020 A senior BT executive will run a new body that looks at regulation in technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Cathryn Ross, the group’s director of regulatory affairs, will chair the government’s new Regulatory Horizons Council, first reported by Sky News. The body, which is still being set up, will scrutinise whether tech regulation is keeping [...]
Shares in AI specialist Blue Prism surge after revenue jumps January 23, 2020 Shares in Blue Prism, a London-based robotic automation specialist, jumped over 20 per cent today after the company reported an 83 per cent increase in revenue. Blue Prism’s revenue for the 12 months ending 31 October rose to £101m, up from £55.2m in 2019, with monthly recurring revenue (MRR) coming in ahead of expectations. The [...]
Microsoft chief executive calls for ‘data dignity’ at Davos January 23, 2020 The chief executive of Microsoft has called for “data dignity” and that data and privacy be thought of as a human right. Speaking at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Satya Nadella said: “Data dignity goes further than privacy. People’s data has a value.” It came as part of a discussion on technology and globalisation [...]
Privacy ‘cannot be a luxury good’, says Google boss Sundar Pichai January 22, 2020 Privacy “cannot be a luxury good”, Google’s chief executive said today, while vowing his company would protect its users’ information. Sundar Pichai, who also leads parent company Alphabet, said privacy was “at the heart of what we do”. “Users come to Google at very important moments, ask us questions, we deal with people’s sensitive information [...]
Davos 2020 live: Carrie Lam ‘disappointed’ by rating downgrade January 21, 2020 Please manually refresh this page for our latest Davos 2020 updates. The World Economic Forum at Davos is focusing on sustainability this year. US President Donald Trump is set to make a special address, despite his impeachment beginning in the Senate. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg hosts a panel session. Read more: What is Davos 2020? [...]