The CBI aims to drive UK manufacturing to fresh highs as it sets up new council with Ineos director Tom Crotty at the helm August 14, 2017 The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is setting up a manufacturing council in an effort to support the industry. The chief executive-level council will bring together dozens of the UK’s top manufacturers, and will be headed by chemical giant Ineos’ group director Tom Crotty. Crotty said: “A vibrant manufacturing sector is essential to the growth [...]
The gender retirement gap: Why women are more likely to fall into poverty in retirement August 14, 2017 “The retirement issue is the single largest issue we will be facing in the 21st century.” Diane Garnick told participants at the 2017 CFA Institute Wealth Management Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, USA that “when people do not save for retirement, they are in big trouble.” Advisers must be ready to address these concerns. “The big [...]
How to get ahead in fintech: Four courses for studying banking disruption August 13, 2017 There’s one word on everyone’s lips in the Square Mile and beyond these days… fintech. For the uninitiated, the portmanteau of financial technology threatens to bring the disruptive innovation felt already in industries such as retail by the likes of Amazon to the traditional world of banking. And for those looking to stay ahead of [...]
Behind the hype: Machine learning in investment management August 11, 2017 In a recent article, I discussed some of the significant progress being made in machine learning–enabled artificial intelligence and some of its potential drawbacks as well as the challenges it poses for regulators. Now, I want to bring your attention to a very interesting Barclays report that looks at the deployment of quantitative fund strategies, [...]
UK startup BenevolentAI is embarking on major expansion in the US, opening a New York office August 9, 2017 One of the UK’s most promising artificial intelligence startups is expanding its business into the US as part of ambitious expansion plans. BenevolentAI, whose technology helped researchers find a drug treatment which could delay the onset of motor neuron disease, is opening a new office in New York and has hired a former Google scientist [...]
Machine learning, artificial intelligence and robo-advisers: The future of finance? August 4, 2017 The topic of machine learning-enabled artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining increasing visibility in the world of investment management. Of particular interest is the application of AI to the development of smarter robo-advisers that some hope, while others fear, will yield 'intelligent' and cost-effective investment management advice. This topic was raised by investment professionals during the [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond launches consultation into funding the next UK unicorn startups August 1, 2017 Philip Hammond has proposed a new investment fund for innovative UK companies to help them become “unicorns” valued at more than $1bn (£760m). The chancellor today launched a consultation on financing growth in innovative firms in response to an identified £4bn funding gap between American and British firms. Read more: Chancellor lays out four-pronged approach [...]
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are embroiled in a geeky spat over artificial intelligence and robots July 26, 2017 We can officially hand out the award for geekiest fight of the year. Two of the most influential entrepreneurs of the last decade, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, have entered into a war of words over the future of robots and artificial intelligence. The pair have taken opposing sides in the [...]
Aviva and Founders Factory are betting on these five fintech startups for artificial intelligence, blockchain and virtual reality expertise July 24, 2017 Aviva is betting on virtual reality, artificial intelligence and blockchain when it comes to technology. The insurer has unveiled the first five startups to benefit from a multi-million pound investment into new technology with startup accelerator and incubator Founders Factory. And the two have also created their own startup together, OnCare, aiming to take the [...]
Graphcore lands $30m from top AI experts Demis Hassabis from Deepmind, Uber’s Zoubin Ghahramani and more along with Atomico and others | City A.M. July 20, 2017 Some of the world’s leading experts in artificial intelligence are among fresh investors to plough $30m into a Bristol-based chip startup. Google DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis and Zoubin Ghahramani, Uber’s chief scientist and Cambridge university professor, are among new investors in Graphcore, which makes chips that can process machine learning faster and more efficiently. It [...]