British chipmaker Graphcore raises $222m as AI rivalry heats up December 29, 2020 UK chipmaker Graphcore has raised $222m (£164m) in fresh funding as it gears up for growing demand for its technology. The series E funding round takes the Bristol-based firm’s valuation to $2.8bn, making it one of the country’s most valuable unicorns. Graphcore specialises in so-called intelligence processing units (IPU) — a form of chip designed [...]
Why women’s sport will hit £1bn and the tech tools trusted by pros will go overground in 2021 December 28, 2020 Paul Lee, global head of technology, media and telecommunications research at Deloitte, forecasts two major growth areas for sport in 2021. Women’s sports Deloitte predicts that revenue from women’s elite sports will be almost £1bn in 2021. The start of the 2021-22 season will kick off a record period for women’s sport attendance, TV audiences [...]
Google AI unit reports huge losses December 17, 2020 DeepMind, Google's artificial intelligence unit, reported pre-tax losses of £460.9m in 2019.
What the tech happened to sport in 2020? December 16, 2020 Comparing the lack of sport with the other crises witnessed this year would be disingenuous. Still, an awful lot of people had large holes in their lives when live sport went off air in 2020. Some entities filled the gap fast, most notably motorsport, in no small part thanks to its embracing of esports. For [...]
Les Roches Marbella: training the future leaders of Luxury Hospitality and Tourism December 15, 2020 As a resort city, Marbella is itself a live, real-world hotel and tourism management classroom. This unique characteristic offers the perfect context for Les Roches to develop its high-tech learning environment. Situated on a campus that hosts students of more than 90 nationalities, they all share a common goal: to be future leaders in the [...]
Chemring boss: Pandemic has highlighted ‘risk’ of biological security threats December 15, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has educated the world about the potential threat that biological warfare could pose in the future, Chemring’s chief executive said this morning. Speaking to City A.M., Michael Ord said that biological security was set to become far more important as a result of this year’s unparalleled upheavals. “The whole area of biosecurity [...]
Artificial intelligence: people – not robots – are in the driving seat December 15, 2020 Like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) is already part of our daily lives. From smartphones to Alexa virtual assistants, AI and its applications are accepted norms today.While we appreciate that AI can automate repetitive workplace tasks or even drive a car, its implications are much further reaching. Luminaries including Elon Musk and Bill Gates [...]
How Covid-19 turned out to be Open Banking’s moment to shine December 10, 2020 If you were to ask a UK business in the past few months whether they use Open Banking, they might look confused. But if you asked them whether they’ve been using digital tools to help them forecast their cashflow, see their accounts in real time, issue paperless invoices to clients or apply for a government [...]
Stricter regulation is actually a blessing December 8, 2020 ‘Stay safe’ has become more than just a mantra these past six months. Governments have used the phrase to explain why restrictions to everyday life are needed. We read it on posters in the street and on shop doors. We even sign off our emails to friends and colleagues with it. Yet there is more [...]
Screenshot: Can social media win the anti-vax war? December 4, 2020 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week **Media Moment of the Week: A very British scandal **Social media gears up for the vaccine information war **How data dominates financial markets Media Moment of the Week It was quite possibly the most [...]