Up to 30pc of jobs are at risk of being replaced by automation by 2030 – but it’s not all bad March 24, 2017 As many as a third of all jobs in the UK are at risk of being lost to machines within the next 15 years, fresh research reveals. However, it’s likely that technologies related to artificial intelligence will create new jobs, according to the research from PwC, and automation will boost productivity and wealth overall, offsetting [...]
Why banks should say thanks to fintech startups March 22, 2017 A perfect storm of financial crisis and technological advances paved the way for a flurry of fintech activity. The sector has seen growing investment and is maturing as traditional finance houses wake up to the challenge of digital rivals. Anna Scally, partner and head of KPMG’s fintech practice in Dublin, offers several explanations why the [...]
It looks like DeepMind’s founders Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman are paying it forward in European tech March 19, 2017 The founders of DeepMind appear to be paying it forward after finding huge success with their own startup which sold to Google for £400m. Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman are reportedly forming a network of "super angel" investors across Europe to invest in other startups at the early stage. Read more: Google's DeepMind talks with National Grid to [...]
The trends the world’s top firms are cheering March 15, 2017 Corporate fundamentals are now seen to be improving – in all regions and sectors. After three years of deteriorating sentiment, our annual Analyst Survey, encompassing the views of 146 equity and fixed-income analysts, has found there’s much more confidence among the world’s largest companies. Demand growth is back, and we find signs of reflation, rather [...]
The augmented workforce isn’t coming – it’s already here: Are you ready? March 15, 2017 Digital technology is moving at an unprecedented speed, raising some of the most difficult social, political and ethical questions of our time. Along with disrupting the way we live our lives, it’s fundamentally rewriting the rules of work. Deloitte’s human capital trends survey reveals that despite being the top priority for nine in 10 UK [...]
Innovation never stops: What’s next for the tech startups in Bird & Bird’s Digital Innovators showcase pushing boundaries? March 14, 2017 When Bird & Bird and City A.M. sought to unearth, and then celebrate, the most innovative digital companies shaking up the worlds of finance, health, education, media and security, we knew the collective 20 companies we found were an outstanding demonstration of the UK’s leadership in cutting edge technology. Now, just four months on, the visionary founders [...]
Google’s DeepMind is in talks with National Grid to apply artificial intelligence to energy use March 12, 2017 The Google-owned star British artificial intelligence company DeepMind is in talks with the National Grid about a potential partnership, with the possibility of using the technology to make the supply of energy across the UK more efficient. “There's huge potential for predictive machine learning technology to help energy systems reduce their environmental impact," said a spokesperson for the [...]
Cyber Security in a Transport Revolution March 9, 2017 The transport industry is undergoing a technological revolution driven by connectivity, Big Data, autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Driverless cars are on the horizon and the Internet of Things is being developed throughout our current transport infrastructure. However, these technologies pose some significant issues, particularly in the area of cyber security. To address some of [...]
How Google’s DeepMind is using blockchain-like technology to make patient health data transparent and secure March 9, 2017 Google's DeepMind has lifted the lid on its development of "blockchain related" technology that it's planning to use to make patient health data both more transparent and secure. The British artificial intelligence company which is working on trial projects with the NHS in London, is seeking to allay fears over access to patient's personal health data, and [...]
IBM is commercialising quantum computing to solve mind-boggling problems March 6, 2017 IBM has revealed its ambitions to bring the power of quantum computing to the business world. The tech firm is making available its IBM Q quantum systems to firms wanting to analyse and explore data that's too complicated for standard computing. Read more: The organisations of tomorrow – and the technologies already building them “Classical computers [...]