As artificial intelligence has begun to generate text and images over the last few years, it has sparked a new round of questions about how handing over human decisions and activities to AI will affect society. Will the AI sources we’ve launched prove to be friendly helpmates or the heartless despots seen in dystopian films and fictions? Matthew Jackson. Photo by Do Pham/Stanford University. A team anchored by Matthew Jackson,…
Lawmakers in New York passed a bill in June of 2023 to ban noncompetes statewide. Although Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed the bill in December 2023 due to overbreadth, citing concerns regarding its impact on the economy, the governor noted she favored a ban on noncompetes for middle-class and low-wage workers. Lawmakers plan to reintroduce a revised bill in 2024. Noncompetes are increasingly being banned by states, and a proposal to…
Children’s drawing and drawing recognition abilities change throughout childhood By Madeline Reinsel A child using a kiosk at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. Drawings from the kiosk were collected and analyzed using AI to help the researchers better understand how children perceive the world, and how they communicate those perceptions through drawing. (Image credit: Nick Gamurot) Children’s ability to draw recognizable objects and to recognize each other’s drawings…
In a rapidly changing work environment, organisations grapple with retaining quality talent amidst an exhausted workforce, shrinking budgets, and an uncertain economy. The desire to stick around is decreasing among employees. According to Gartner, employee attrition averaged around 20% in 2022. The evolving landscape of employment—characterised by a surge in remote working, the loss of critical knowledge due to an aging workforce, and a demand for purpose-driven roles—underscores the need for…
A geographical indication (or "GI") is a type of intellectual property protected by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), as well as Canadian trademark law. GIs are akin to trademarks in that they help consumers identify and differentiate the source of products. However, GIs are an especially valuable branding tool which can greatly enhance the exclusivity and reputation of a product. GIs also assist with…
As climate change accelerates and wreaks more and more havoc across the globe, a crucial question is how we can increase the share of power produced by renewables while simultaneously reducing demands on the electrical grid. Policymakers have an important role to play in this transition, but businesses arguably have a bigger one. In 2022, the U.S. produced 4.24 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity, which resulted in $488 billion in…
In 2023, many consumer products (CP) companies focused on profitability and optimization of existing assets instead of making large growth-oriented investments in their business. Acquisition activity also slowed, as many companies focused on refining their core offerings in preparation for moves in the future. In addition, a challenging financing environment with higher interest rates and recent pauses in Fed hikes has caused many companies and investors to take a “wait…
Gemini 1.5 Pro brings big improvements to speed and efficiency, but one of its innovations is its long context window, which measures how many tokens that the model can …
An organization’s success is made or broken by its ability to execute its strategies successfully. Simply stated, strategy execution is the process of carrying out activities to complete objectives outlined by an organization over a distinct period. While generally apparent in its definition, many organizations struggle to achieve the objectives they set out to accomplish. […] The post Strategy Execution 101 Guide: What is Strategy Execution? appeared first on Accelare.
Researchers from the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Plastics, University of Oxford, have outlined ambitious targets to help deliver a sustainable and net zero plastic economy. In a paper published in Nature, the authors argue for a rethinking of the technical, economic, and policy paradigms that have entrenched the status-quo, one of rising carbon emissions and uncontrolled pollution. Currently the global plastics system results in over 1 gigatonnes…
22 February 2024By Ulrich Bindseil and Jürgen SchaafBitcoin has failed on the promise to be a global decentralised digital currency. Instead it is used for illicit transactions. The latest approval of an ETF doesn’t change the fact that Bitcoin is not suitable as means of payment or as an investment. On 10 January, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Bitcoin. For disciples, the formal…
As the months of 2024 unfold, we are all part of an extraordinary year for the history of both democracy and technology. More countries and people will vote for their elected leaders than in any year in human history. At the same time, the development of AI is racing ever faster ahead, offering extraordinary benefits but also enabling bad actors to deceive voters by creating realistic “deepfakes” of candidates and…
The use of delegated design in construction, where a project’s design professional of record (DPR) assigns responsibility for a specific part of the design to the contractor, is on the rise throughout the industry. This approach, historically limited in practice to a narrow set of specialized elements like steel stairs and fire sprinkler systems, is now being used for an ever-growing scope of specialties, from intricate excavations and sophisticated deep…
In a featured comment publication for Nature Energy, researchers - including from the Institute for New Economic Thinking and the Oxford Smith School at the University of Oxford - outline the challenges facing policymakers working with traditional economic modelling across the public and industrial sectors. The paper calls for a shift from narrow cost-benefit analysis and modelling based on economic equilibrium, towards models which capture the dynamics of the transition…
More than 20 million Americans are covered by state and local government pensions. Unlike the 401(k) plans found in the private sector, these “defined benefit” plans promise to pay retirees a set amount of money every month for the rest of their lives. For most public workers, these generous programs are a cornerstone of their financial security; for many, they’re one of the main attractions of government jobs. Yet the…
19 February 2024By Ulrich Bindseil, Piero Cipollone and Jürgen Schaaf Many banks worry their customers might withdraw deposits to hold digital euro instead. These fears are misplaced: a digital euro will be designed as a means of payment and not for investment, argue ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, Ulrich Bindseil and Jürgen Schaaf. On 18 October 2023 the ECB’s Governing Council outlined the scope and key features of a…
TV ads shaped by social science-based testing can have a powerful impact on voter attitudes, new research finds. But that comes with challenges for U.S. democracy.
The Digital Services Act stands out as the most important and ambitious regulation globally in the realm of protecting the digital space against the spread of illegal content and safeguarding users’ fundamental rights, heralding a safer and more equitable online environment throughout the European Union (EU). With the deadline for compliance approaching, this article breaks down the crucial next steps to help your online business get on the right track.…
In a rapidly evolving business landscape, strategic organisational design has never been more critical. This was the central theme of our recent panel discussion titled, ‘The experts’ guide: Design your operating model for growth, cost & agility’. Targeting business leaders across all sectors, the discussion consisted of practical insights and tools for effectively navigating the complexities and challenges of today’s dynamic business environment. Attendees were also given a roadmap for understanding…
Our increasingly digital-first workplaces have profound implications for the employee experience, particularly on employee well-being and overall mental and physical health. This shift, underscored by an "always-on" culture, has necessitated a deeper examination of how continuous availability and the blurring lines between our work and personal lives are impacting employees at all levels. Drawing from Perceptyx research, I want to unpack some of the complexities of these work dynamics and…
17 European and U.S. founders are joining the Google for Startups: AI for Cybersecurity program to work on making the world a safer place.
The business landscape is a constant tidal wave, and those caught unprepared by the next shift risk getting swept away. That’s where digital disruption comes in – a force reshaping industries and challenging traditional models through the power of technology. But what exactly is it, and how can you navigate its currents towards success? In […] The post What is Digital Disruption? A Guide for Business Leaders appeared first on Accelare.
Private equity firms play a vital role in driving economic growth and innovation by investing in companies and providing strategic guidance to unlock their full potential. However, navigating the complex landscape of private equity investments requires specialized expertise and strategic insight. This is where management consultants step in, offering tailored solutions to empower private equity firms and maximize their investments. Challenges in Private Equity Private equity firms face a…
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill is set to come into force on 1 July 2024. The new legislation will place a legal obligation on employers to ensure that all tips, gratuity, and service charges are paid in full to workers, including eligible agency workers. This is expected to have a substantial impact on the income levels of approximately 2 million workers in the UK’s hospitality, leisure, and service sectors.…
The Eurosystem has accepted Scope as a new rating agency alongside Fitch, Moody's, S&P and DBRS. This has a number of implications, including a wider range of credit opinions and expertise being considered for monetary policy purposes. The ECB Blog explains. By Diana Gomes and Anamaria Piloiu Credit rating agencies are private companies which assess the creditworthiness of issuers of financial instruments – be they governments, commercial banks or corporates.…
Kylian Marcos (Le Temps): The agricultural sector is currently experiencing a revolt in several European countries. In Switzerland, the revolt is focused on the administrative burden. These are closely linked to subsidies, aren’t they? Isn’t this a trap that has fallen on farmers? Patrick Dümmler (Avenir Suisse): Switzerland’s excessive regulations for the agricultural sector and the very high level of subsidies by international standards are the front and back sides…
For big multinationals that love tax havens, the start of 2024 was not cause for celebration. On Jan. 1, the European Union, Japan, Canada, and Australia joined other jurisdictions in requiring their largest companies to pay a tax rate of at least 15 percent on their worldwide profits. The moves are part of an unprecedented push, led by the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, to create a more uniform…
13 February 2024By Imène Rahmouni-Rousseau and Isabel Schnabel[1]When reading data on reinvestments under the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) one needs to understand how we implement purchases. Director General Market Operations Imène Rahmouni-Rousseau and Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel explain how to avoid pitfalls.In March 2020, the ECB launched the PEPP “to counter the serious risks to the monetary policy transmission mechanism and the outlook for the euro area” posed…
Rainy days and Mondays (and other things that don’t have to get you down)
In an era of unprecedented global turbulence, the University of Oxford has launched the ‘Global Shocks’ podcast, featuring in-depth interviews with former leaders from the world’s major international organisations on responding to global shocks, adapting to them, and surviving turbulent times such as humanitarian emergencies, war, financial crises, and pandemics. Dr Jan Eijking, Global Shocks podcast host, and Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Politics and International Relations…
Down a gray and gritty alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown, a Victorian-era investigator waved away the sickly fumes emanating from forbidden opium dens, stopped before an unmarked door and rapped on it with his cane. A fictional sleuth? No, it’s a real-life character in George Fisher’s compelling introduction to his detailed study of our anti-intoxicant laws. Beware Euphoria: The Moral Roots and Racial Myths of America’s War on Drugs, published…
Being kind to others is great when it comes to personal relationships. But is it great in business? Regular readers of business publications would have noticed an uptick in discussions around the value of kindness in the workplace and how it can be practiced effectively. Kindness has also been increasingly emphasised across various industries such as oil and gas, fashion and beauty, consulting, security, marketing, agriculture and banking, to name a few. It seems that kindness has been elevated…
If a company registers an identical or similar company name in the UK with Companies House, submitting a complaint with the Company Names Tribunal (“CNT”) can be an effective way to challenge them. In a related article, we discussed what you would need to submit a successful complaint, the possible issues that may arise, the expected timescale and some practical tips. In this article, BrandWrites looks at the defended CNT actions to date and…
Google's experts walk through the all-too-common cybersecurity mistakes people make online, and what to do instead. Read on to learn more about which habits you should d…
As a company that’s been at the cutting edge of AI development for more than a decade, it’s been hugely encouraging to witness the explosion of creativity from people using our new generative AI tools, like our Meta AI image generator which helps people create pictures with simple text prompts. As the difference between human and synthetic content gets blurred, people want to know where the boundary lies. People are…
Novo Holdings, the parent company to Novo Nordisk, announced a deal this morning to acquire Catalent, a leading global CDMO known for its broad end-to-end CDMO capabilities. The deal, valuing Catalent at $16.5bn, is designed to help improve supply challenges that have been holding back the growth of their blockbuster GLP-1 drug semaglutide, more well-known by brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. In the same breath, Novo Holdings announced they will…
The youngest generation of shoppers – Gen Alpha – seems to be dominating news headlines lately, flocking into retail stores like Ulta and Sephora over the holiday season as they shop for the perfect products for their 10-step skincare routines and “Get Ready with Me” TikTok videos. As Ulta Beauty’s Chief Merchandising Officer noted, skincare was at the top of Gen Alpha’s holiday wish list as the 2023 holiday season…
Business continues to play a critical role in society, according to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer. The survey, which polled more than 32,000 citizens across 28 countries, finds that business is the most trusted institution to integrate innovation into society. Business is also seen as more competent and ethical than governments, NGOs and the media. With this power comes responsibility – specifically, a responsibility to serve as a force for good.…
The latest report from Threat Analysis Group documents the rise of commercial surveillance vendors and the industry that threatens free speech, the free press and the op…
Health After Cancer podcast tackles survivorship, advocacy The Health After Cancer podcast brings together Stanford Medicine physicians, cancer survivors and advocates to discuss issues around cancer survivorship and health after cancer treatment. Author Krista CongerPublished on February 2, 2024February 2, 2024 A young adult grappling with murky memories -- but permanent side-effects -- of cancer treatment as a child. A woman recently declared breast-cancer-free who opens her mailbox…