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Microsoft Copilot for Security to be generally available April 1

Today, we are excited to announce that Microsoft Copilot for Security will be generally available worldwide on April 1, 2024. The industry’s first generative AI solution will help security and IT professionals catch what others miss, move faster, and strengthen team expertise. Copilot is informed by large-scale data and threat intelligence, including more than 78 trillion security signals processed by Microsoft each day, and coupled with large language models to…

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Are you bamboozled by your company’s culture?

Your first day at a new job is a lot like embarking on an adventure. You step through the doors, eager and optimistic, your mind filled with expectations set by the promises of the company’s values and mission. For some, these principles are more than just words on a wall—they’re guiding lights, especially when one core value resonates deeply within.  But what happens when the reality within those walls seems…

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Aviation industry: Guidance on ‘No Re-Export to Russia’ clauses

This requirement was adopted as part of the 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia in December 2023 and aims to combat the circumvention of existing sanctions against Russia. The Article 12g Requirement: Who must comply Article 12g obliges EU exporters to contractually prohibit the re-exportation to Russia and the re-exportation for use in Russia of certain goods when exporting, selling, supplying or transferring those goods from the EU to…

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A (very) confused EU

On security issues, the European Union does not speak collectively with one voice and member states are very far from having the same objectives on defence. Yet, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the prospect of a second Trump term, more needs to happen at the EU level. What that entails depends on which country one is in. The result is a debate that is confused and pulls in…

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Whisper speech-to-text model in Azure AI now generally available

Human speech remains one of the most complex things for computers to process. With thousands of spoken languages in the world, enterprises often struggle to choose the right technologies to understand and analyze audio conversations while keeping right data security and privacy guardrails in place. Thanks to generative AI, it has become easier for enterprises to analyze every customer interaction and derive actionable insights from these interactions. Azure AI Build…

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The App Store, Spotify, and Europe’s thriving digital music market

The European Commission announced a decision claiming the App Store has been a barrier to competition in the digital music market. The decision was reached despite the Commission’s failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast. The primary advocate for this decision — and the biggest beneficiary — is Spotify, a company based in Stockholm,…

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Ukraine’s path to European Union membership – long-term implications

Whether and when Ukraine accedes to the European Union will depend greatly on how and when its war with Russia ends and post-war reconstruction starts, and how the EU handles issues of governance, security, migration, trade, investment, the energy transition, decarbonisation and the EU budget. The enlargement process is likely to overlap with post-war reconstruction, increasing the EU's influence in fostering Ukraine’s institutional development. Ukrainian leaders will have strong incentives…

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  • Reading time:47 mins read
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How Much is Your Culture Costing You?

Creating a positive workplace culture isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a key player in the success of any business. It goes beyond token gestures like wellness days and promotions; it’s fundamentally about how you treat your people, the support you extend to your team, and the pervasive culture that permeates your workplace. Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty. Have you ever pondered the true cost of your organization’s culture? Does…

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Southeast Asia quarterly economic review: Proving resilient

Southeast Asia’s economies exhibited robust performance in the fourth quarter 2023. GDP grew in all economies, with growth in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam increasing during this period, while Malaysia and the Philippines recorded slower growth (Exhibit 1). Strong domestic demand, backed by stable employment prospects and easing prices, along with a continued recovery of the services sector—particularly tourism—and early signs of improvement in exports demand supported growth. The view…

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OSHA’s Proposed Emergency Response Standard: A Closer Look and an Analysis for Covered Employers

Quick Hits OSHA’s proposed Emergency Response Standard—an overhaul of the decades-old Fire Brigades Standard—would apply to firefighting, emergency medical services, and technical search and rescue. The proposed standard’s lack of specific definitions, action levels, and exposure limits makes its compliance expectations less than clear for covered employers. The proposed standard’s framework may impose additional compliance, implementation, and operational challenges on ESOs and WEREs/WERTs while impacting their ability to recruit and…

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AI innovation takes center stage at World Governments Summit 2024

We were privileged to attend the World Governments Summit 2024 event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on February 12 to 14, 2024. It was a momentous gathering of more than 10,000 leaders, ministers, and experts from around the world—coming together to shape the future of governments and find innovative solutions for major challenges.  The themes of the summit included government acceleration and transformation, AI, economic development, sustainability, and global health.…

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Let’s Talk: Why It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Taboo Topics at Work

You feel your career stalling, with no clear path for advancement or a raise. You know the right conversation, artfully navigated, with the right individual at the right time is necessary—but approaching that moment requires ingenuity and skill.From politics to sex, hot-button topics arise all the time in the workplace and can be addressed wisely—or poorly—says Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Christina Wing, whose forthcoming book Unspeakable offers advice for…

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An Italian dispute over the strength of a trade mark

On 20th September 2023, the Italian Supreme Court issued an interesting decision that clarifies some questions concerning the qualification of the strength of a trade mark and the corresponding protection against the likelihood of confusion. Background – dispute between “Boss” and “Il boss dei panini” In 2016, a company active in the catering sector, Big Food Catering Industries – Ristorazione e Fast Food, filed an application for registration of the…

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Can Industrial Policy Help Revive Struggling Regions?

Economic inequality continues to widen—and not just between people, but between places, too. The United States, for example, has seen a regional divergence since the 1970s, when the country began transitioning away from heavy manufacturing and toward a service-based economy, resulting in dampened economic prospects and living standards throughout the Rust Belt. The widening chasm between richer and poorer regions has motivated policymakers in multiple countries to offer incentives, like…

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Three Things to Know About the Workplace Generation Gap

Magazine Spring 2024 Issue Radar Younger employees have high expectations for themselves, their leaders, and their weekends. Cynthia E. Clark March 11, 2024 Reading Time: 2 min  Topics Radar Brief insights on emerging trends in management from the opening pages of MIT Sloan Management Review’s quarterly print magazine. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images What is the purpose of business, and what is…

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DEI Under Scrutiny, Part VIII: Eleventh Circuit Strikes Down Florida Ban On Workplace DEI Training Under First Amendment

Quick Hits The Eleventh Circuit ruled a Florida law that would prohibit employers from holding mandatory workplace training programs that discuss certain DEI-related topics was unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The restriction was part of a broader law known as the “Stop WOKE Act” signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in April 2022 to limit DEI in education and employment. The Eleventh Circuit rejected arguments that the law sought to stop…

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Enrich your teaching with 11 new updates from Microsoft Education

As educators, we recognize that you stay on the lookout for new ways to engage your students, enhance your teaching, and streamline your workflows. To help support your search, we’re excited to share a roundup of the latest features and resources available from Microsoft Education, each designed to empower you and your students to achieve your goals.  We’ll highlight some of the most recent updates from Microsoft Education that will…

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A Legal Compass for Data Scraping in Europe:

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the hunt for information drives businesses to adopt innovative techniques like data scraping. This method, which automates the extraction of vast amounts of information from digital platforms, is a game-changer for anyone looking to gain insights, generate leads, or simply stay ahead in the market. However, as handy as data scraping can be, it treads a fine line within the complex web of European legal…

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Driving Organizational Success Through Behavior Change

How can you make your workplace more exciting and successful?  Organizational success is not solely dependent on strategies or cutting-edge technologies. Instead, the key driver of success lies within the organization itself—specifically, within the collective behaviors of its members.  When the term “toxic employee” is mentioned, thoughts often gravitate towards micromanaging, aggressive communication, threats, and more. However, research indicates that toxicity is more accurately attributed to specific behaviors than to…

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Mapping the road to prosperity and parity for Black and Latino residents across America

At a glance More than two-thirds of Black and Latino US residents live in the nation’s largest cities, compared to less than half of White residents. While this means some of the issues and barriers facing these two groups are highly concentrated, solutions also can be highly targeted. Nowhere do either Black or Latino residents experience even three-quarters the average overall well-being of their White neighbors, although Latino–White disparities are…

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In Search of Global Balance: Rethinking the Role of the UN and Sino-American Relations

The world has lost its understanding of the balance of power that is obvious to everyone, which makes international relations more complex. A large number of emerging crises are caused by the fact that “small” and “medium-sized” countries have begun to experiment: they see an opportunity for themselves to test the system of international relations and understand how much their freedom of action has expanded. “Older” countries, feeling that the…

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Insights to Impact: A weekly briefing on creating sustainable and inclusive growth

Subscribe to get the Insights to Impact briefing in your inbox weekly March 14, 2024 This week’s headline findings: Customer demands. Organizational customer care leaders find themselves trapped in no-man’s-land as they balance preparing for an AI-enabled future with managing escalating customer expectations in a rapidly digitizing contact center environment. Partners Eric Buesing, Julian Raabe, and coauthors report that more than 80 percent of organizations are investing in generative AI or plan…

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Balancing a career with being a mum 

How do you maintain a balance between work and family life? When I joined Valcon, I set clear boundaries for when I would finish my work day to pick up my children, which is around 4pm. Sometimes this means clocking in early or opening my computer for an hour in the evening, but this is something I do not mind doing so I can have this balance. When you have…

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The UK non-dom regime is ending. Preparation for the new era should start now.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement that the United Kingdom’s non-dom regime will come to an end should have taken nobody by surprise. The decision by Jeremy Hunt to phase out the controversial tax system puts a full stop at the end of an argument that has flared up periodically over a number of years. The political durability of the non-dom regime has long been questionable and now it has…

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Securities and Exchange Commission Pay Versus Performance Updates

Seyfarth Synopsis:  As reporting companies prepare their Pay Versus Performance (PVP) disclosures for their upcoming proxy statements, they should take into consideration the most recent guidance on the topic in Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations (CD&Is). The PVP disclosure rules (Item 402(v) of SEC Regulation S-K) require public reporting companies to disclose (for fiscal years ending on or after December 16, 2022) the relationship between executive…

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Bringing Copilot to more customers worldwide—across life and work

Copilot is your everyday AI companion, meant to bring the power of generative AI to everyone across work and life. We’re expanding availability and purchase options for individuals and organizations and bringing new value to Copilot Pro subscribers.   Since launching Copilot, it’s been exciting to see our customers bring AI into their lives—both personal and professional—creating stunning images, tackling their overflowing inboxes, jump-starting the writing process, catching up on missed…

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A Breakdown of the Distinctiveness Threshold and Why it Matters for a Federal Trademark Registration

Filing a federal trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) is something that often gets overlooked by small companies. However, a federal trademark registration acts as an important shield of protection for businesses and their brands. Trademarks are important for businesses as they help them to establish and maintain their brand identity in the marketplace. A trademark is a symbol, design, word, or phrase that is…

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Robert Alpern: Creating an Inspired Medical School

Howie and Harlan are joined by Robert Alpern, a Yale nephrologist and the former dean of the Yale School of Medicine, to discuss the importance of a fiscal base for enabling a medical school to deliver top-quality training, research, and clinical care. Harlan asks whether widespread norovirus is a reason to call it quits on shaking hands. Howie reports on a study of the increased mortality among those with ADHD.…

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Analyzing Employee Survey Data – Avoid These Common Logic Biases

When reviewing employee survey data, it's easy to fall prey to logical fallacies. These errors in reasoning can lead to misguided decisions that may not effectively address the concerns or sentiments expressed by employees. Identifying and understanding these fallacies is crucial for making informed decisions based on your employee survey data. Here are five common logical fallacies that can derail leaders’ responses, along with some tips to avoid them. 1.…

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Three Cambridge researchers awarded Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies

From atomically thin semiconductors for more energy-efficient electronics, to harnessing the power of the sun by upcycling biomass and plastic waste into sustainable chemicals, their research encompasses a variety of technological advances with the potential to deliver wide-ranging benefits.Funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Academy’s Chair in Emerging Technologies scheme aims to identify global research visionaries and provide them with long-term support. Each £2,500,000 award covers…

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Who Profits the Most From Generative AI?

Magazine Spring 2024 Issue Unpacking what it takes to build and deploy a large language model reveals which players stand to gain the most — and where newer entrants might have the best prospects. Kartik Hosanagar and Ramayya Krishnan March 12, 2024 Reading Time: 18 min  Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning Jon Krause In the months since the public launch of ChatGPT, massive investments have…

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Seyfarth Announces Creation of Impact & Sustainability Partner Role to Help Drive the Future of Client Service and Innovation

March 12, 2024 — Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a leading law firm known for its innovative approach and client-focused services, today announced the creation of its first Impact & Sustainability Partner position, underscoring its commitment to aligning business goals with client values and demands. The firm has appointed seasoned partner Ameena Majid to this founding role, which will help the firm and its clients navigate and drive business goals centered around…

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Podcast: How do you solve a problem that’s never been solved before?

MOLLY WOOD: The best leaders step confidently into the unknown and bring their teams with them. Today, I’m talking to Dr. Britt Aylor, Director of Leadership Development at Microsoft, all about a framework for tackling new challenges, like the transition to AI, that are changing the way we work. Dr. Aylor is an expert in something called adaptive leadership. She got her doctorate in education from Harvard University, where she…

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Why you should ignore media “experts” and stick to your financial plan

The Canadian educator Laurence J. Peter once quipped, “An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.” While Peter’s pithy indictment may perhaps be a bit unfair to an entire class of economists, historical study and contemporary research suggest that following the “experts” or trends based on the current “noise” isn’t always advisable. With social media, 24-hour news, and a seemingly…

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The “art” of central banking on screen

14 March 2024By Carolin Benack and Stefan RuhkampCentral banks have been collecting art for a long time. While the works were previously only accessible at their physical locations, more and more central banks now make their collections available online. The ECB Blog showcases four collections you can enjoy from wherever you are.Central bankers sometimes speak of their profession as an art – perhaps to make it seem more vivid and…

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How Companies Can Support Single Parents

Single parents face increased pressure as they balance full-time employment with the responsibility of caring for their children. This heightened pressure comes from various factors, such as economic challenges, limited support systems, and the need to provide for their families. The United States has one of the highest rates globally of children residing in single-parent households, with nearly one in four children, totaling approximately 22 million, living with a sole…

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Implementing generative AI with speed and safety

Generative AI (gen AI) presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for companies, with the potential for transformative impact across innovation, growth, and productivity. The technology can now produce credible software code, text, speech, high-fidelity images, and interactive videos. It has identified the potential for millions of new materials through crystal structures and even developed molecular models that may serve as the base for finding cures for previously untreated diseases.McKinsey research has estimated…

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What Should We Expect from BRICS and What Should We Not?

Discrepancies between expectations and practice are one of the most noticeable characteristics of modern world politics, both in the performance of leading powers and in the activities of the international institutions they create. The origin of this phenomenon is the fact that the first is a product of subjective ideas or intentions, while the second is the result of objective factors, which even the strongest political will cannot cancel. Moreover,…

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Working nine to thrive

At a glance Health can be meaningfully modified by factors outside traditional healthcare systems, including work factors. Employers have considerable opportunities to improve health through six modifiable drivers: social interaction, mindsets and beliefs, productive activity, stress, economic security, and sleep. Globally, improving employee health and well-being could create $3.7 trillion to $11.7 trillion in economic value. Imagine a world in which employers make evidence-based investments in the health of their…

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