The future is free market populism January 22, 2025 Javier Milei, Pierre Poilievre and, of course, Donald Trump are at the vanguard of a new movement for free-market populism gaining support across the world, says Fred de Fossard The inauguration of President Trump for his second term is the latest development in the trend of a new type of free-market populism gathering momentum across [...]
Public sector tackles inefficiency with new AI tools January 21, 2025 The government has launched a new digital strategy to modernise public services, using a series of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to fix government inefficiency. The science and technology secretary Peter Kyle announced the initiative following a review which revealed various efficiencies within the government. Daily, HMRC was dealing with over 100,000 phone calls, while DVLA [...]
The UK is at risk of missing out on the crypto revolution January 19, 2025 Crypto is not a curiosity or a fad, it’s set to transform financial services – and as with any true innovation we must be prepared to experiment and sometimes fail, says Lord Ranger The soaring office towers of Canary Wharf stand as testimony to Britain’s golden era of smart regulation and financial ingenuity, cementing London’s [...]
Apple: AI news alerts on iPhones halted after backlash January 17, 2025 Apple has paused its new artificial intelligence (AI) feature for news apps, after facing criticism over repeatedly inaccurate alerts. Pressure mounted for the tech behemoth as BBC, among others, complained to Apple that their articles were being wrongly summarised. Media groups like Reporters Without Borders and Bluesky pushed for the company to halt the feature [...]
Pearson’s stock price falls after revenue slowdown January 16, 2025 Academic publisher Pearson saw its stock price fall almost three per cent in early trading after reporting a slowdown in quarter-on-quarter organic growth. “Pearson’s transformation from being an owner of media titles like the Financial Times and selling expensive physical academic books to a company at the forefront of digital education has not been without [...]
UK set for AI tech boost as millions of pounds injected after action plan January 15, 2025 The UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector has received an average of £200m in private investment daily since July 2024, as global firms rally behind Starmer’s blueprint to turbocharge AI. In the 24 hours that followed the government’s release on Monday, over £14bn of new investment has been reported, with pledges to create over 13,000 jobs [...]
Lloyds Banking Group to shut major office impacting 500 staff January 15, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group will shut its office in Liverpool later this year, in a move set to impact the site’s 500 staff. The group said its decision to close its Speke location is part of broader plans to run “fewer, better-equipped” offices amid efforts to cut costs. In a statement, Lloyds said it has not [...]
Microsoft and FTSE firm Pearson tie up AI deal after UK action plan January 15, 2025 Microsoft and London-listed education giant Pearson have announced a multiyear partnership to address the global skills gap in artificial intelligence, as the UK prioritises AI. This collaboration will combine Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies with Pearson’s learning and assessment expertise to provide AI tools. It will also offer tailored learning and certifications for workers and [...]
Taiwan: The technology of freedom January 15, 2025 This week, Tom Tudgendhat spoke at the Taiwan Institute for National Defence and Security Research. Here he makes an impassioned case for the island’s outward-facing, innovative economic model – and argues it is an essential partner for the West Visiting Taipei, a city striving at the forefront of innovation, even as it upholds Chinese traditions and [...]
Labour is squandering Britain’s lead on the AI revolution January 14, 2025 The UK is well positioned to lead the coming AI revolution, but the Labour government is doing everything it can to undermine this country’s strength in tech, says Alan Mak The UK is on the cusp of a technological revolution. AI offers a wealth of growth opportunities and Britain can be a world leader in [...]