The robots are coming – and they’re (potentially) after your job May 22, 2019 By Ian Hall (City AM, for the CFA Institute) ‘You want your robot to be smarter than the other team’s robot’: advice that sounds like it belongs to a participant in combat competition TV show Robot Wars. But, actually, it’s the increasingly competitive and technology-affected situation that many investment professionals will face in the workplace [...]
Don’t let trust become the next plaything of the cyber criminals May 21, 2019 The last 200 years have been a whirlwind of technological invention. Aeroplanes have allowed us to transcend borders, MRI scanners have enabled us to explore the innermost workings of our brains, and the internet has put the world at our fingertips. Our dependency on connected services is more extreme than ever, but between the Cambridge Analytica [...]
Mobility software firm raises $4.6m from Amadeus and Global Brain May 21, 2019 Artificial intelligence mobility startup Immense Simulations has closed its series A funding round at $4.6m (£3.6m), after spinning out from the government’s Catapult tech programme in 2016. The round was co-led by Amadeus Capital Partners, previously named one of Europe’s most active AI investors, and Japanese venture capital giant Global Brain. Additional investment was provided [...]
Tencent backs top AI startup in $24m injection May 20, 2019 A host of major businesses and venture capital firms have joined in a $24m (£18.9m) funding round for a Prowler.io, valuing the Cambridge artificial intelligence (AI) startup at $100m. Chinese media giant Tencent led the round, with publishing house Pearson and Monzo-backer Passion Capital also joining. Other investors included Amadeus Capital Partners, Atlantic Bridge, Cambridge [...]
HPE buys supercomputer firm Cray for $1.3bn May 17, 2019 Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has acquired US supercomputer manufacturer Cray in a huge takeover deal worth roughly $1.3bn (£1bn). HPE said it has signed a deal to buy the Seattle-based firm for $35 per share in cash, a premium on its closing price yesterday of $29.81. Read more: Ex-HP boss 'did not read all Autonomy [...]
Huawei snaps up top Sky News journalist as senior spin doctor May 15, 2019 Embattled Chinese tech firm Huawei has hired a veteran Sky News journalist as its new senior spin doctor as it ramps up efforts to quash accusations of spying. Senior Sky News editor Paul Harrison, who previously served as the network’s royal and business correspondent, has said he will join Huawei in a senior communications role [...]
Cybersecurity: why you’re right to be cautious May 13, 2019 By Ian Hall (City AM, for the CFA Institute) The threat of cybersecurity and data-privacy attacks is under-estimated and growing, and organisations and individuals should proceed with extreme care in respect of digital information security, according to a Switzerland-based expert. David Basin, Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, used a seminar at the 72nd [...]
Outernet teams up with Technicolor to create new London media landmark May 13, 2019 Entertainment venue firm Outernet Global has teamed up with French giant Technicolor to create a new immersive advertising and live entertainment space in London. The firms have agreed a partnership as part of a multi-billion-pound project to create a new media hub offering a unique broadcasting environment in the West End. Read more: UK digital advertising [...]
DEBATE: Is the term ‘fintech’ becoming redundant? May 13, 2019 Is the term ‘fintech’ becoming redundant? Rhys Powell, UK managing director at EBO.ai, says YES. It’s true that the fintech revolution has brought about positive business change, but to stay relevant in today’s modern business world, all financial organisations have had to harness the power of technology. As such, it’s now almost impossible to define where general [...]
It’s not cutting-edge AI we should feel anxious about, but mediocre automation May 8, 2019 If there were a betting market in future winners of the Nobel prize in economics, MIT’s Daniel Acemoglu would be at pretty short odds. His highly innovative work has already won him a string of prizes. So his research is always worth following – especially when he challenges the conventional wisdom, as in his paper [...]