Robot sales in 2016 were the best ever
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Sales of robots, particularly in China, are booming and analysts expect more of the same in 2017. The rise of automation and its impact on jobs has dominated headlines for a while now, whether it’s because Foxconn are cutting 1.2 million jobs, or companies...
Futurist keynote, London: The Future of Capital Markets, Accenture Capital Markets Summit
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Investments and the capital markets, arguably, sit at the heart of our capitalist society, but they, and the industries they rely on to find Alpha, are starting to change at a faster rate than at any point in their illustrious history and it’s sending shockwaves...
Europe will debate robot rights, ethics and AI kill switches in February
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Machines are increasingly becoming autonomous and intelligent and it’s one of the greatest dangers humanity has ever faced, later this year law makers in Europe will finally determine how we govern, monitor, manage and tax them in order to minimise the damage to society. ...
UK’s NHS gives millions of Londoners their own on call AI doctor
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF For better or worse, more and more healthcare services are being augmented and automated using new artificial intelligence services, only time will tell what the results will be. A few months ago Baidu rolled out a limited trial of a new virtual doctors service,...
New EU report recommends Universal Basic Income for all 27 member states
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The rise of robotics and new, intelligent AI automation systems that threaten Blue and White collar jobs is spurring governments around the world into action, so far a Universal Basic Income is the only idea they seem to have to dampen societal unrest and poverty....
Robots to get legal recognition as Europe votes to classify them as ‘Electronic persons’
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The move by the EU to classify robots as “Electronic persons” is a watershed moment. It signifies a significant attitude shift in policy and the way that new robo-systems are viewed, and paves the way for new laws and new regulations. With robots and...
Japanese insurer announces it will replace office workers with artificial intelligence
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF More and more companies are experimenting with AI as a way to automate away jobs, and as the human toll continues to increase this is just the beginning Fukoku Mutual Life, a Japanese insurance company with a turnover of $6.8 Billion in 2016, announced...
The world’s largest hedge fund is using AI to automate its entire management team
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The news is filled with news about automation and machines that are taking our jobs, arguably for the first time we can see companies who are automating both the workers at the base of the pyramid, and the executives at the top. In the next...
1.2 million jobs to vanish as Foxconn unveils plans for fully autonomous factories
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Foxconn is one of the world’s largest employers, and its pursuit of 100% automation at all of its factories will put millions out of work and give China a headache We’re hearing a lot recently about how most of our jobs are going to...
Finland rolls out its universal basic income scheme to 2,000 citizens
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As technology replaces and automates more jobs governments are experimenting with universal basic incomes as a means to keep people out of poverty, now Finland has taken the plunge. It’s January 2017, and as promised, Finlands government is now rolling out it’s ambitious Universal Basic...
As machines replace jobs new White House report prioritises education
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As analysts predict that more jobs will be replaced by automation and machines a new White House report plays down Universal Basic Incomes and prioritises investment and education. A new 55 page White House report that investigates the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation...
Elon Musk believes universal basic income is inevitable
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Many people believe that a rising tide of automation and intelligent machines will put much of today’s workforce onto the streets leaving governments with no option but to roll out some form of universal basic income, and it appears that Elon Musk thinks the same....
Canadian province votes to trial Universal Basic Income
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As technology automates more jobs governments around the world are trialling UBI as a means to potentially mitigate social unrest and increasingly inequality In the face of growing automation which many governments and analysts believe will lead to a rapid rise in global unemployment...
New Deloitte study says 861,000 UK public sector jobs can be automated
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Technologies including AI, bots, drones and robots will lead to the automation of large parts of the global workforce More than 861,000 public sector jobs could be lost by 2030 through automation, according to a study that comes as a further blow after hundreds...
Futurist keynote, Paris: The Future of Law, Dentons
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Change can be scary, especially if you’re unprepared, however, with the right insights and experts around you, and if you know where to look, it can also present you with boundless new opportunities. With over 8,000 lawyers, in over 140 locations in 52 countries...
The future of jobs in a Machine World
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We are all aware that technology is capable of replacing particular categories of jobs, but often those jobs “belong to someone else” and the impact on our own jobs is minimal. Today though new classes of emerging technologies, from artificial intelligence to machine vision are...
Future corporations will run without Humans
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF A world where corporations run themselves without the need for any Human intervention is already being realised. The future is hidden in plain sight. Multi billion dollar corporations that run without the need for people sounds like Hollywood fiction but the technology and technology...
