11 tech startups to watch according to top insurers in Startupbootcamp’s insurtech accelerator December 11, 2017 Nearly a dozen startups looking to disrupt the insurance industry with technology such as artificial intelligence have been chosen for the latest cohort of a London programme, backed by Lloyds Banking Group, Allianz, Scottish Widows and Confused.com among several high-profile financial firms. The 11 early stage startups from nine countries around the world will join [...]
Google DeepMind’s “superhuman” artificial intelligence won top-level chess within four hours of learning game December 7, 2017 DeepMind’s artificial intelligence programme has beaten a top-level chess computer programme after learning the game in just four hours without human help. The Google owned tech company’s machine learning algorithm, which last year won a landmark game of Go against a human player in what has been described as a “superhuman performance”, was applied to [...]
Data is the fuel for AI, so let’s ensure we get the ethics right December 4, 2017 Data is the propulsive energy behind the fourth industrial revolution – playing the same role as coal, oil and electricity did in the previous revolutions. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new engine, just as the railways connected north and south, roads and cars connected our cities, and electrification lit up our homes and allowed domestic [...]
Mind the skills gap: A plan to future-proof the UK workforce November 30, 2017 How do we close the skills gap in this country? At the recent World Skills competition and conference in Abu Dhabi, I learnt that this is not just a UK problem, but also one faced by countries across the world. Addressing this imbalance sits front and centre of everything this government is trying to achieve [...]
Facebook’s now using artificial intelligence to remove terror content November 29, 2017 Facebook has revealed more about how it is now using artificial intelligence to remove terror related content that appears on its platforms. The tech giant has come under pressure from the UK government on the matter, with Prime Minister Theresa May going as far as accusing Facebook and others of providing a “safe space” for [...]
Questioning AI ethics doesn’t make you a gloomy Luddite November 29, 2017 Last month, Google-owned DeepMind introduced AlphaGo Zero, the latest evolution of AlphaGo, the first computer programme to defeat a world champion at the ancient Chinese game of Go. Speaking at Web Summit earlier this month, Kevin Bandy, chief digital officer at Cisco, told the audience that “there are more moves in this one game than [...]
JP Morgan, Bank of America and BBVA most prepared banks for artificial intelligence, according to UBS November 28, 2017 US banks are the most prepared to handle the potential disruption of artificial intelligence to their business, new research reveals. The US ranked highest out of nine countries in established markets, followed by Singapore and then Spain. And when it comes to specific institutions, JP Morgan, Bank of America and BBVA were found to be [...]
Balderton Capital closes sixth fund at $375m to back more European tech startups November 27, 2017 One of Europe’s biggest backers of tech startups across Europe, including digital challenger bank Revolut and mapping app Citymapper in the UK, has raised a huge new fund to invest in early stage companies. Balderton Capital has raised $375m for its sixth fund which has gained more interest from US investors who are seeing Europe [...]
What will innovation look like in 2018? Bird & Bird’s Digital Innovators tell us all about the year ahead November 24, 2017 In a year when quantum computing made major leaps forward and using your face as a password became a reality, you’d be forgiven for being hard pushed to imagine just how much further technology can take us. But 2018 will certainly be a year for driving even more innovation for the 50 up-and-coming companies chosen [...]
Budget 2017 UK: Philip Hammond gives more cash for electric cars, AI, 5G and tech innovation and plans driverless car rules November 22, 2017 Fresh cash has been promised to boost the uptake of electric cars on Britain’s roads and to develop new regulation for driverless cars. There will be £400m for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and another £140m for other projects related to them, chancellor Philip Hammond has said in his Autumn Budget. Read more: Hammond targets [...]