Google boss calls for temporary ban on facial recognition technology January 20, 2020 Google chief executive Sundar Pichai has lent his support to a proposed temporary EU ban on facial recognition technology, over concerns it could be misused. “I think it is important that governments and regulations tackle it sooner rather than later and gives a framework for it,” said Pichai at a conference in Brussels today. The [...]
Our fusty education system must embrace entrepreneurialism January 20, 2020 As we embark upon a decade of major change, with a new government racing towards Brexit, we must take a moment to consider how we are helping our next generation triumph in spite of all this upheaval. Our education sector has been stagnant for some time now and has failed to catch up with the [...]
A tip for Dominic Cummings: Don’t hire anyone who fails to grasp the power of incentives January 15, 2020 The job advert issued by Dominic Cummings for people to work in government has attracted a wide range of comments. One particular focus has been on the sorts of skills he is looking for. Computer science, forecasting, artificial intelligence, causality theory — all these topics excite his interest. Cummings advocates a small selection of scientific [...]
British tech startups beat £10bn funding to top global growth January 15, 2020 Investment into the UK’s burgeoning scene of tech startups grew more than anywhere else in the world last year, leaving previous records in the dust as investors sought private markets. Venture capital funding for UK tech firms reached £10.1bn in 2019, rising 44 per cent year on year and breaking the all-time high set two [...]
George Monbiot is wrong, farming isn’t outdated — it’s sowing the seeds of our future January 14, 2020 In his Channel 4 documentary last week “Apocalypse Cow” and the accompanying op-ed, the journalist George Monbiot both predicted and celebrated the end of farming. “After 12,000 years of feeding humankind,” he wrote, “all farming except fruit and veg production is likely to be replaced by ferming: brewing microbes through precision fermentation.” He went on [...]
Three ways the Prime Minister can unleash the digital economy January 14, 2020 So far, the new government has yet to unveil its detailed plan for building a stronger, more prosperous, rebalanced Britain that we heard about so much during the election campaign last year. The first post-Brexit Budget in March will be an opportunity for Downing Street to show its commitment to this cause — and pledges [...]
Relx buys ID Analytics for $375m January 13, 2020 Relx today said it had agreed to buy ID Analytics from Norton Life Lock (NLL) for $375m (£288m). ID Analytics will become part of Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions, part of Relx’s risk and business analytics arm and its fastest-growing division. Founded in 2002, San-Diego based ID Analytics provides credit and fraud risk solutions for enterprises [...]
Alphabet nears $1 trillion valuation on ad growth optimism January 13, 2020 The valuation of Google parent company Alphabet is on the verge of hitting the prestigious $1 trillion (£770bn) mark after a string of positive analyst coverage pushed up its share price. Shares in Alphabet edged to within one per cent of the $1 trillion market capitalisation on Friday as the tech firm continues a bullish [...]
With its foray into facial recognition, Uber is normalising mass surveillance January 13, 2020 The news late last year that Uber plans to introduce facial recognition technology seems to have mostly escaped the notice of the public, buried as the story was beneath five or six paragraphs in most of the reports on the loss of the firm’s London licence. Or perhaps, as one depressing Wall Street Journal headline [...]
Crypto AM Awards 2020 January 10, 2020 Crypto AM Awards 2020 The inaugural Crypto AM Awards celebrated innovation and excellence, by awarding those recipients working within AI, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, Digital Assets and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Impressions from the day Winners of the Crypto A.M. 2020 Awards Community Enhancement Award – CryptoCompare Service Provider Award – CMS Law Enterprise Blockchain Award – [...]