Back to the future: UK scientists complete testing of AI-powered autonomous Mars robot January 2, 2019 To boldly go where no other robot has gone before, the UK Space Agency have finished testing a Mars rover that will be able to make its own decisions on where to explore, enabling it to travel much further than existing robots. The Martian robot will use artificial intelligence (AI) software, developed by researchers at King's College London [...]
UK chipmaker Graphcore gains unicorn status with $200m funding from BMW and Microsoft December 18, 2018 UK artificial intelligence chipmaker Graphcore has raised a $200m (£158.1m) series D funding round from BMW and Microsoft, valuing the firm at $1.7bn. The round brings Graphcore's total amount raised to date to over $300m, with its new investors joining existing backers such as electronics founder Robert Bosch, Dell and Samsung Electronics. The round was led by London venture [...]
Confronting the Robots December 13, 2018 Professor Peter Fleming, formerly of Cass Business School, wrote an article for Demos Quarterly which argued that the age of automation is unlikely to lead to a utopian world of play, but doesn't necessarily mean a proliferation of rubbish jobs. You can read the article in full here. Dr Simone Stumpf, Senior Lecturer in the Department of [...]
‘Non-sexy’ is the new cool: UK fintech predictions for 2019 December 13, 2018 Despite the continued uncertainties of Brexit, 2018 was another year for the UK’s fintech sector. Record levels of investment poured into the community, with $16bn secured in the first six months of 2018, exceeding the value of investment in US fintech by almost $2bn. In addition, progressive regulation and a thriving financial services sector attracted [...]
Why today’s workers hold the key to tomorrow’s digital economy December 11, 2018 In the current news climate, you’d be forgiven for believing the world has never experienced a technological revolution before. According to reports, disruptive technologies such as the AI, IoT and Blockchain are set to have a more fundamental impact on the future of work – in the form of the 'intelligent' fourth industrial revolution – [...]
Technology holds the key to workplace wellness and productivity December 7, 2018 Global organisations are investing billions into corporate wellness programmes each year – a trend that isn't going to stop soon. A survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans found that over half of businesses offering this type of initiative experienced less absenteeism and 66 per cent reported productivity gains. However, success is not guaranteed. [...]
AI could be the answer to the four-day week December 4, 2018 Britons are under more pressure at work now than at any other time in the past 25 years. Leaders from the TUC to the shadow chancellor are calling on a four-day working week as the answer. While some businesses have welcomed the idea with open arms, many are still fearful of the impact of reduced [...]
AI means more jobs, not less November 30, 2018 The future of work is at the heart of every major socio-economic-political debate. In fact, reports from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) suggest that robots are set to replace 66m jobs in the coming years. All these discussions are rooted in the topic of the nature and distribution of work. Many are excited and [...]
Qualcomm unveils $100m AI startup fund as tech companies race to invest in sector November 29, 2018 US telecoms firm Qualcomm has launched a $100m (£78.3m) fund to invest in AI startups in a bid to promote new technology for self-driving cars and robots. The Qualcomm Ventures AI Fund will focus on firms that are developing “on-device AI”, as the telecoms company looks to spread the use of the new technology on [...]
Wake up to AI Cyber Defence November 29, 2018 From self-adjusting thermostats and email spam filters, to Netflix’s recommendation algorithms and Alexa virtual assistants, AI (artificial intelligence) is fast emerging out of its infancy, and the only way is up. Due to a recent wave of tech innovations, our day-to-day lives are now looking to be enhanced even further by AI. A typical automated [...]