KPMG to merge dozens of markets in major overhaul March 10, 2025 Big Four audit giant KPMG will merge dozens of its national partnerships in an attempt to accelerate growth and minimise audit scandals. The move to integrate its panoply of businesses, each of which is owned by the respective partners in each jurisdiction, represents one of the most significant shake-ups at a major professional services network [...]
Quantexa: London-based AI startup’s valuation hits £2bn March 5, 2025 London-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Quantexa‘s valuation has jumped to more than £2bn following a new round of funding. The firm, which uses AI to interpret data sets and help financial firms manage risk, secured a $175m (£137.66m) investment in a funding round led by the Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), which will bring the firm’s [...]
Starmer must not exploit Ukraine crisis for right-wing votes March 5, 2025 With Trump and Vance attacking causes and values that British voters hold dear, Keir Starmer has to work harder to convey to a country shocked and appalled by the American administration’s behaviour whose side he is on, says Will Cooling As Sir Keir Starmer flew back to London last week, he could have been forgiven [...]
Why top law firms are betting big on virtual reality training | What’s the Context? March 4, 2025 City AM's legal reporter Maria Ward-Brennan visits the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills to try out the virtual reality tools they are testing to train their lawyers.
AI-men: How Gen Z will join religions created by algorithms March 4, 2025 Bespoke belief systems like tarot and astrology are already gaining popularity with Gen Z – AI will take it further, offering bespoke doctrines, machine-learning-driven prophecies and virtual deities that evolve based on user data, says Paul Armstrong Spirituality is evolving, and Gen Z is leading the charge. Traditional religious affiliation is in freefall (43 out [...]
Wayve: Nvidia, Uber and Softbank backed EV startup set for global expansion March 3, 2025 British artificial intelligence (AI) startup Wayve, which develops autonomous vehicle systems, has announced plans to accelerate its international expansion by launching a new hub in Stuttgart, Germany. Backed by tech giants Uber and Softbank, the self-driving firm is testing its AI-powered self-driving tech in Germany and the US and plans to secure partnerships with various automakers. [...]
Trump-Starmer: UK may dodge tariffs as work to begin on new US trade deal February 27, 2025 The UK could be set to dodge US tariffs with work to begin on a new US-UK trade deal, it was revealed during Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to US President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister flew to the States yesterday for a highly anticipated first meeting with President Trump since he reentered the White House [...]
Question the hype: AI still faces huge barriers February 27, 2025 AI models have developed at a pace that was unimaginable just two years ago, but there are three big barriers to further progress, says Lewis Z Liu As the current revolution in artificial intelligence accelerates, it is more important than ever for society to engage in a well-informed debate about this technology. Through this column, [...]
Nvidia faces market test post DeepSeek chaos February 26, 2025 Nvidia is set to release its highly anticipated fourth-quarter earnings today at market close in the US, its first financial update since the emergence of China’s DeepSeek model. With expectations running high, investors will be scrutinising the results for any signs of slowing momentum or continued dominance in the AI boom. DeepSeek’s recent boom sent [...]
Half of UK financial firms lack AI strategy, despite feeling ‘AI-ready’ February 26, 2025 There is a significant gap between confidence and action in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the UK financial sector, a new report has found. Professional services firm Forvis Mazars‘ report revealed that while all surveyed C-suite executives claim to be “AI-ready”, only 43 per cent of firms have a well-developed AI strategy. Meanwhile, just over [...]