Bård Harstad tells his students that every environmental problem is, at its core, an inefficiency problem. “This inefficiency means that, overall, you’re losing something,” he explains. “It means that there is another way to make decisions so that we could potentially all be better off.” Harstad, a professor of political economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, has spent much of his career as an economist trying to find more…
Drop a few simple conversational prompts into AI, and the results are pretty astonishing. But these tools also have a deeper potential to transform how work gets done for those who learn how to fully leverage it. Think of generative AI as a digital assistant that augments your own knowledge and capabilities. If you take a few seconds to give it context and explain your goals, you can create things…
As three longtime advocates for Mideast peace, from both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations, we believe that a silver lining could eventually emerge from the shocking invasion of Israel by Hamas and the tragic slaughter of over 1,300 civilians. Despite Hamas’ intention to prevent wider Mideast peace from emerging from the Biden Administration’s effort to broker normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and Saudi’s mixed signals on their willingness to…
As Mark Twain might say, reports of the death of G-7 Russian oil price cap have been greatly exaggerated. Devised by the U.S. Treasury Department and adopted by all the G-7 and European Union countries, the novel oil price cap was designed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to limit the price of Russian crude oil to $60 per barrel while simultaneously ensuring global market stability. Over the past several…
At Lenovo, our approach to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is driven by our vision to provide smarter technology that builds a brighter, more sustainable future for our customers, colleagues, communities, and the planet. Our commitment to meeting our ESG goals and moving our efforts forward is dependent on learning from peers, being inspired by […]
In a lawsuit, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Amazon used a secret algorithm to determine how much to raise prices in a way competitors would follow and that brought the company $1 billion in revenue. Amazon insists the project had a benign aim and was scrapped. In this context, a new study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University sheds light on the effectiveness of automated pricing strategies used in e-commerce and their interactions…
An alliance between UC Berkeley researchers and partners in Singapore shows that combining ceiling fans with higher air conditioning set points can lower energy use by one-third without sacrificing comfort.
Strategic planners are often blind about how the future will challenge their status quo. A scenario-planning mindset can help them see what they’re missing. Executives engaged in strategic planning typically have a blind spot. They focus almost exclusively on possible courses of action and pay little attention to the future socioeconomic and environmental context in which those actions will play out. During our combined 70 years of research, practice, and…
Quick Hits Employer monitoring of workers must be carried out in a way that is lawful and fair to the workforce so as not to infringe on the rights of data subjects, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office said in updated guidance. In order to lawfully collect and process information from monitoring workers, employers must identify one of the six lawful bases under the UK GDPR: consent, contractual basis, legal obligation,…
Generative AI is just scratching the surface in this new era of AI. We are knocking on the door of superintelligence, which promises to radically change our world as we know it. But what does that word even mean, when will it be here, and how will it affect everyday customer interactions? In his new book, The Coming Wave, Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Deep Mind and Inflection AI, claims that…
As computers evolved from room-sized contraptions wrangled by specialists to machines that displaced typewriters on more and more desks, the change was met with excitement, anxiety, hype, and skepticism. Workers feared being replaced by machines; managers weren’t sure, despite the eyewatering expense of equipping everyone with a computer, whether the devices actually made workers more productive. Today, businesses face a similar choice. A nascent, probably transformative technology is emerging. Generative…
One in eight people, or nearly 1 billion, live with a mental health condition. Given the scope of the challenge, innovation is key to advance mental health support for greater numbers of people around the world. For instance, in India, an estimated 83 percent of the 300 million people who need mental health care do not get the support they need. The Microsoft Accessibility Innovation Team is working with digital…
Once enacted, the legislation will give the Minister the power to mitigate the effect of transactions in sensitive sectors identified as problematic or, if necessary, prohibit them outright. This note provides an overview of the key aspects of the proposed investment screening regime on the basis of the current draft of the Bill (currently expected to be enacted in Q4 2023). In terms of timing for the implementation of the…
Q: You are two of the co-authors of a paper, “The Bias Time Out: A Practical Tool for Advancing DEIB in the Healthcare Space” that proposes a real-time process for reducing errors and negative outcomes due to bias. How did you develop this tool? Dr. Cecelia Calhoun: Five of us came together as clinical and administrative healthcare leaders. We shared stories about our work in care delivery, hospital management, workforce…
A new executive order signed by President Biden in August 2023 restricts outbound investment to China in several critical cutting-edge technologies.
Stanford University reported returns on its investment portfolio as of June 30, 2023, and the value of its endowment as of the close of its fiscal year, August 31, 2023. Stanford University today announced a 4.4% investment return in its Merged Pool, net of all external and internal costs and fees, for the year ending June 30, 2023. The Merged Pool is the principal investment vehicle for the university’s endowment.…
Have you come across terms like “rizz,” “no cap,” “it’s giving,” or “lit” lately? Well, these are the words popularized by Generation Z. As a Gen Z myself, I find myself using these phrases not only in my daily life but also in my professional endeavors. It’s an exciting time for businesses and organizations as the new generation steps into the workforce. Gen Z’s unique upbringing, technological prowess, and distinct…
The purpose of investing is to increase the value of your assets over time. Unnecessary tax can chip away at your gains and hinder your progress. With tax allowances falling it can be useful to look at how you can structure your investments to ensure they are as tax-efficient as possible. Claire Spinks, our Head of Tax Technical and Development, looks at what options you might find helpful to factor…
What do enterprise buyers in healthcare care about most when evaluating AI products? To answer that question, we interviewed leaders from many of the largest healthcare providers and insurers across the country. In Part A, we outlined the paths to generating unique value for the healthcare system and patients. Now, in Part B, we cover capturing and defending some portion of the value you generate. We’ve designed this to mirror…
This is not an imaginary question, more than half a billion AI-enabled voice assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa, have been sold internationally by major corporations, despite persistent concerns about their handling of users’ personal data. We conducted research among a small group of young, generally tech-savvy people who have had this dilemma and, despite voicing serious concerns, chose option c. Why would they do this, when it is a tech luxury, not…
Arbitration is a means of dispute resolution that offers an alternative to litigation in court and is a popular method of dispute resolution for international construction disputes. Unlike mediation and other methods of alternative dispute resolution, the decision in arbitration is final and binding, much like a court judgment. As part of our Back to Basics series, here we look at how arbitration differs from other types of dispute resolution,…
Total U.S. retail sales in June 2023 were down 1.2 percent from June 2022, according to data the U.S. Census Bureau released in September. In July 2023, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) release showed compensation costs for civilian workers increased 1.0 percent for the three-month period ending in June 2023. Have you ever wondered where government agencies get such numbers? These agencies collect data, not only about people…
BEFIT purports to simplify tax reporting and reduce compliance costs for businesses in Europe. BEFIT contains a common set of rules for calculating an aggregated tax base for members of a BEFIT group and the allocation of the tax base between BEFIT group members. If adopted at Council the new rules must be implemented by 1 January 2028 and applicable from 1 July 2028. If adopted, it is expected to…
Artificial intelligence has transformed the way we live, work and even think. While AI offers seemingly endless potential benefits in the workplace – including improvements in efficiency, cost cutting and innovation – employers must balance those benefits with the legal risks of using AI tools in employment processes. Employers using these tools also must attempt to keep up with regulatory and technological developments in a rapidly evolving space. Below, we’ve…
Contracts serve as the cornerstone of professional relationships, outlining obligations, responsibilities and expectations between the parties. For businesses operating under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), these contracts take on even greater significance, requiring a meticulously crafted framework to ensure compliance, security, and risk mitigation. Here, we delve into some of the legal protections FCA-regulated businesses should consider when entering into contracts with third parties. Regulatory compliance At the heart of…
When an individual dies, their assets (e.g., properties, bank accounts, investments, stocks and shares, valuable personal possessions) and their liabilities (e.g., credit cards, utility bills, personal loans, mortgages, Income Tax) are calculated as at the date they died. Altogether, the sum of these assets and liabilities is known as that individual’s ‘Estate’. If the individual had assets which were not in the UK at their death, such as overseas investments,…
The pattern has become painfully predictable in recent years: As the economy shows signs of a slowdown, companies hand out layoff notices to stabilize profitability and calm investor fears. That cycle seems to be in place in the post-pandemic business world, as historic spikes in inflation and corresponding increases in interest rates prompt fears of a recession. Indeed, a recent Harvard Business School case study details how four tech giants…
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from electric vehicles to personal devices like cell phones, tablets and laptops.
A decision made by the Employment Tribunal has been recently reviewed where it was found that an NHS nurse with two disabled children was fairly dismissed. This was because of her refusal to comply with the introduction of flexible working patterns to her role. It has highlighted that a need for flexible working is not always to be applied too strictly and an employer’s needs as a whole must sometimes…
Do you ever find yourself in that all-too-familiar situation of juggling different tasks at work, feeling like you’re on a never-ending rollercoaster of meetings, deadlines, emails, and projects? It’s a scenario we can all relate to. The demands on time just seem to keep piling up. The key to thriving in this work environment lies in mastering time management—a skill that can be your ticket to achieving greater productivity, reducing…
Throughout 2023, tech companies have continually laid off workers. The year started with Amazon and Salesforce cutting 18,000 and 8,000 people, respectively, and sector momentum grew into the spring. An article in the April/May 2023 issue of Fortune magazine asserted that companies were “swapping exuberance for efficiency” and pointed out that they had collectively laid off more than 150,000 people since January. (By August, that number was up to nearly…
Last week, three questions dominated the coverage of indefatigable Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s high-profile visit to the United Nations in New York and meetings with President Joe Biden and bipartisan legislators in Washington: How much longer will this war last? How will it end? And what are Ukraine’s prospects as a society afterward? Freshly back from a visit to Kyiv sponsored by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation’s Yalta European Strategy forum,…
The biggest, thorniest organizational problems can be solved in just one week, say Frances Frei and Anne Morriss, coauthors of the new book Move Fast and Fix Things. Armed with decision-making power and the right change-management toolkit, leaders don’t need to work for months or even years to solve difficult problems. Denouncing Mark Zuckerberg’s informal Facebook motto, “move fast and break things,” partners Frei and Morriss combine their decades of…
There’s plenty of advice out there for American companies hoping to expand internationally. But what’s the playbook for European and Israeli companies—specifically those in enterprise tech—hoping to “hop the pond” and enter the lucrative U.S. market? On this topic, Battery has you covered. We recently published an in-depth guidebook with advice for EMEA-based companies on how to structure a move into the U.S. We discuss issues such as timing (when,…
Loneliness is something that many people will experience during their lifetime. Recognising the signs and knowing how to offer support could make all the difference to someone who is struggling. Feeling lonely can affect all generations, and it might be more common than you think. A survey suggests that almost half of UK adults feel lonely at least occasionally. Around 7% said they often or always feel lonely – that’s…
In this series, we have explored a variety of funding options for startups looking to launch a new financial product as well as terms to consider when negotiating your first warehouse facility. At this point, your company has decided to raise debt or at least would like to explore the option… where do you start? If this is your first time embarking on a debt raise, it can be a daunting…
You might have seen our recent campaign, which draws on the parallels between CEOs and professional athletes. If not, you can check it out here. Since its launch, both the sports and business domains, and their synergies, have become front of mind for us at Elixirr. While the overlap between the two worlds is by no means a new comparison, the more widely we spoke on it, the more it…
Anthropologist Dr Julia Ebner has been nominated for her insightful doctoral research, which is already having significant impact – helping to identify which extremist individuals and groups pose a risk of violence to the public, using her unique framework for assessing their online messaging. Dr Ebner explains, she created a language framework, based on research into terrorist manifestos. This has already prompted intelligence agencies and online platforms to rethink their prevention approaches and develop new ways of distinguishing credible…
The launch of generative AI represents an era-defining moment. Never before have so many people become so excited by a technology program. Within five days of ChatGPT’s release in November 2022, more than 1 million people (including me) had logged on to try it out. If financial investments are a predictor of growth, then the $12 billion invested in generative AI in the first five months of 2023 shows the…
Q: You mentioned the role of technology in assisting healthcare professionals. What other opportunities do you see for technology to make healthcare a more attractive field to work in? A: We have seen quite a few successful initiatives in Poland to digitalize healthcare and facilitate the exchange of medical information. We are actually the country where the most prescriptions now take place electronically, partly owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile,…