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Data and AI integration enhance Oracle Database@Azure

Together with Oracle, we’re announcing upgrades to Oracle Database@Azure, giving customers the ability to run or build new cloud applications that combine Oracle Database services with native Microsoft Azure services and benefit from extremely low latency and high performance. This blog is co-authored by Kambiz Aghili, Vice President, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Multicloud, Oracle. One year ago, Microsoft and Oracle built upon our multi-year partnership by announcing a first of its kind…

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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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What Happens When Business Owners Turn to ChatBots for Advice

AI can help you become a better writer, coder, and researcher. But can the powerful technology boost business acumen and economic performance?Sort of, says a recent study. An experimental artificial intelligence (AI) mentor designed to answer business questions from Kenyan entrepreneurs helped some become more successful—but led others down the wrong path, says Rembrand Koning, the Mary V. and Mark A. Stevens Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business…

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Indonesia: the fraught road from Jakarta to Nusantara

A decision driven by pragmatic considerations… The problems afflicting Jakarta include overpopulation, pollution, subsidence and flooding. With 12 million people living there – 30 million if you include the entire metropolitan area – Jakarta is overpopulated. It’s one of the world’s most densely populated cities, with more than 16,000 people per square kilometre. Its residents suffer the effects of chronic traffic congestion and the air pollution that goes with it. Above…

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Talking about Child Sexual Abuse Can Help End Child Sexual Abuse

Joan Tabachnick ’86 has worked in the field of child sexual abuse prevention for more than 30 years and developed widely used educational tools and programs. She serves on the advisory council of Stop It Now, and recently retired as the executive director of MASOC—the Massachusetts Society for a World Free of Sexual Harm by Youth. Q: What do people need to understand about child sexual abuse? For many years,…

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Reality Check: Generative AI’s Impact on Work

Radar Research finds that companies have been slow to adopt generative AI and that the technology’s labor impacts have not been widely felt. Kaushik Viswanath September 09, 2024 Reading Time: 2 min  Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning 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 Getty Images Since the…

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UK Labour Government Proposes the Right to ‘Switch Off’

Quick Hits The right to switch off would give workers the right to not have to engage with work correspondence (including emails, phone calls, and work-based messaging services) outside their contracted working hours. This right is intended to give “workers and employers the opportunity to have constructive conversations and work together on bespoke workplace policies or contractual terms that benefit both parties.” How will the right to “switch off” operate?…

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Is Financial Abuse a Crime?

With stricter domestic violence laws being introduced, a common question being asked is whether financial abuse is a crime. While this has previously been seen in the context of family law proceedings, the introduction of coercive control as a criminal offence has expanded the consequences of financial abuse. This is because control of finances is specifically set out in legislation as a facet of coercive control. A further consequence of…

  • Post category:Astor Legal
  • Reading time:6 mins read
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How to Fight Sanctions: The Iranian Experience

On September 9, the Valdai Discussion Club presented the report “Neither East, Nor West: How Iran’s Economy Copes With Sanctions”. The discussion was moderated by Ivan Timofeev, the Club’s programme director, who noted that Iran remains one of the key cases for those studying the use of sanctions, and that Iran’s experience is extremely important for Russia. Timofeev emphasised that, while this experience cannot be copied literally, it requires careful,…

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Tackling Challenges With Data Governance

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 Courtesy of Mathematica Akira Bell is senior vice president and CIO at Mathematica, a research and data analytics consultancy. Bell was a finalist for this year’s MIT Sloan CIO Leadership Award in recognition of her work at Mathematica to spearhead the launch…

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McDonald’s and the Post #MeToo Rules of Sex In the Workplace

It was a brief dalliance, just a few weeks in length, over text and video only.The end of the affair was nonetheless just the beginning for Stephen Easterbrook, the McDonald’s CEO who went from being hailed as the company’s “savior” by doubling its share price in less than five years to losing his job and getting banned from serving as an executive or director at any other company for five…

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The health impacts of climate change

With climate change increasing seasonal temperatures and causing more frequent heatwaves, understanding these effects has become more crucial than ever. Hormones play a role in nearly all biological functions, yet the influence of environmental factors on hormone release and action is not well characterised. Researchers from the University of Oxford, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary University of London, and…

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Asia–Pacific’s family office boom: Opportunity knocks

According to McKinsey analysis, between 2023 and 2030, ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) and high-net-worth (HNW) families in the Asia–Pacific region are set to experience an intergenerational wealth transfer estimated at $5.8 trillion. UHNW families are expected to account for about 60 percent of the total wealth transfer (Exhibit 1), and many are setting up family offices to facilitate the process. Accordingly, the number of single-family offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, the…

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  • Reading time:29 mins read
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Developing the AI strategy for your business

In the current business landscape, artificial intelligence offers unprecedented opportunities for innovation and growth. Our experts answer the most common questions when it comes to developing an AI strategy to gain a competitive advantage. This article covers key considerations, potential risks and best practices for integrating AI into your business. Should every company have an AI strategy? Absolutely. Every company needs an AI strategy, not just as a tech initiative,…

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3 proven ways to boost AI usage and make it stick

One thing we’ve learned about AI at work: if you want to see true business transformation, you need to get a critical mass of your organization using the technology every day. And that means encouraging dozens, hundreds, thousands of people to build entirely new habits, which can be a start-and-stop process. “Sure, you’ll always have early adopters,” says Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of AI at Work. “But they’re…

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Researchers make mouse skin transparent using a common food dye

Seeing what’s going on inside a body is never easy. While technologies like CT scans, X-rays, MRIs, and microscopy can provide insights, the images are rarely completely clear and can come with side effects like radiation exposure. But what if you could apply a substance on the skin, much like a moisturizing cream, and make it transparent, without harming the tissue? That’s what Stanford scientists have done using an FDA-approved…

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Create Your Own Custom AI With AI Studio

We’re starting to roll out AI Studio in the US as a place for people to create, share and discover AIs. Built with Llama 3.1, AI Studio lets anyone create and discover AI characters and allows creators to build an AI as an extension of themselves to reach more fans. Create an AI Character Based on Your Interests With AI Studio, anyone can create AI characters at ai.meta.com/ai-studio or in…

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How Quantum computing will disrupt the telco sector?

Quantum computation is a rapidly maturing technology with significant disruptive potential. Over the last 4 years alone, the record number of stable qubits has grown by a factor of nearly 18×, with quantum computers used to demonstrate proof-of-concepts in finance, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing – among other sectors. If this growth in capability continues, quantum computing may provide a step-change in computational capability, with the potential to fundamentally change the way…

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Meta new AI Model Can Segment Anything, Even Video

Segmentation – identifying which image pixels belong to an object – helps with tasks like analyzing scientific imagery or editing photos. Our original Segment Anything Model released last year inspired new AI-enabled image editing tools in our apps, such as Backdrop and Cutouts on Instagram. SAM has also catalyzed diverse applications in science, medicine and numerous other industries. For example, SAM has been used in marine science to segment sonar…

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HR leaders’ role in M&A: An interview with Lisa Blair Davis

The HR function plays an important—if often unrecognized—role in M&A. When it comes to bringing together separate businesses, structures, and cultures, “people make all the difference,” says Lisa Blair Davis, the global head of HR for Johnson & Johnson (J&J) MedTech. Davis has seen and helped drive substantial growth in the healthcare company’s medical-device business in her 25-plus years with J&J. During that time, the organization has acquired companies in…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:17 mins read
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Minnesota Enacts Pay Transparency Law to Require Salary Range Disclosure in Job Postings

Seyfarth Synopsis: Minnesota joins the growing number of states to adopt statewide legislation requiring employers to disclose starting salary ranges and other forms of compensation and benefits in postings for open positions.  The law becomes effective January 1, 2025 and applies to employers with 30 or more employees within the state. Beginning January 1, 2025, Minnesota employers are required to include the starting salary range and a general description of…

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The Truth Beneath the Economic Misinformation

This commentary originally appeared in Fortune. Writing in the journal Public Opinion 1951, Yale researchers Carl Hovland and Walter Weiss labeled their postwar studies on the trick of persuasive messaging regardless of the truth as “the sleeper effect.” They found that a message lingers through repetition, even if factually unfounded. Now just days away from the historic debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the Harris…

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Going all in: Why employee ‘will’ can make or break transformations

Lasting performance improvements that establish a competitive advantage: What organization doesn’t want that? For a company undergoing transformation, cultivating employee “will” to change the way it operates is critical for success. Organizations that focus on generating this will, along with building critical skills, executing with rigor, and setting a holistic aspiration, are far more likely to outperform peers. Leaders can take three critical steps to get more employees involved and…

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  • Reading time:15 mins read
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What Will It Take to Make Housing More Affordable?

How bad is housing affordability in the U.S.? Is it actually a crisis? There are many ways to define housing affordability, but common indicators point to much higher costs of both owning and renting than what we have seen since pre-COVID times. Average home prices grew more than twice as fast as average incomes between 2020 and 2023. This is an historically unprecedented rise in the U.S. home price-to-income ratio.…

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HKEx’s Enhanced Climate Disclosure Requirements

On 14 April 2024, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited published conclusions to its consultation on the enhancement of climate-related disclosures under its environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) framework. With effect from 1 January 2025, a new set of rules mandating climate-related disclosures (the “New Requirements”) will be added to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Listing Rules”). The…

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  • Reading time:7 mins read
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New York’s Retail Workplace Violence Prevention Bill Signed Into Law by Governor Hochul

Quick Hits On September 4, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the New York Retail Worker Safety Act, a comprehensive measure intended to increase worker safety and address the hazard of workplace violence in retail settings. The act, which applies to retail employers with at least ten employees and requires, among other things, assessments of potential workplace violence hazards, adoption of written workplace violence prevention policies, and workplace violence…

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How the Transformation of the European Union into a Defensive Union Threatens to Militarise Europe

The European Union has already militarised Ukraine to the breaking point. It is logical that, out of supposed fear of Russia, the countries of the European Union, which form the first line of contact with Russia from the Baltic to the Black Sea, would embrace additional militarisation. The transformation of the European Union into a defence union is certain to lead to the further militarisation of Europe, Aleksandar Raković writes.…

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A look at the technology trends that matter most

Innovation and interest in the tech sector remain strong, despite market challenges and dips in investment. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey technology experts Lareina Yee and Roger Roberts share findings from the McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2024 report. They talk with editorial director Roberta Fusaro about where innovation is exploding, interest is deepening, and investment is flowing.In our second segment, from our CEO Insights series, McKinsey partner Blair Epstein explores…

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  • Reading time:19 mins read
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When Waste Management Companies Pick Up AI Tools

Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images A Waste Connections garbage truck driver was making his rounds in a quiet neighborhood. He got out of his front-loading truck, picked up a few trash barrels, emptied them into the…

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California Legislature Sends Governor Bill Prohibiting Employer ‘Captive Audience’ Meetings

Quick Hits California’s SB 399 would limit an employer’s ability to communicate with employees regarding political or religious matters during mandatory meetings. The bill’s definition of “political matters” includes matters relating to union organizing. The act provides employees with a private right of action that includes punitive damages. If signed by the governor, SB 399 would limit an employer’s ability to communicate with employees regarding political or religious matters during…

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What the real estate industry needs to know about experiential retail

Experiential retail is a growing way for retailers to draw in shoppers, increase omnichannel sales, and build their brands. Real estate owners and operators that can attract experiential retailers can benefit in multiple ways. Here’s what it takes. Katy McLaughlin: What is experiential retail? Colleen Baum: It’s a format designed to help customers touch and feel and experience products as well as get to know a brand. Experiential formats tend…

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Wage and Hour Around the Corner – A New Blog Series Chronicling the Brave New World of Wage and Hour

The rules governing the employment relationship are always changing. Laws creating new employer obligations, technology solutions making work more efficient and more complicated, and rules governing the resolution of disputes between employers and their workers are around every corner. Seyfarth’s Wage Hour Litigation Practice Group is excited to announce a new blog series, Wage and Hour Around the Corner, to help employers stay on the cutting edge of wage and…

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How to Turn Sustainability Enthusiasm into Action

The biggest sustainability challenge today is not a lack of enthusiasm. We observe many more business leaders every day who are eager to engage in sustainability efforts, driven by factors such as government regulations, societal expectations, stakeholder demands or their own aspirations.The real challenge lies in effectively harnessing this enthusiasm to create meaningful impact. This goes beyond companies monitoring their own carbon footprint; sustainability thinking in business should go beyond…

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German auto industry: Too much gravity

AuthorAnalyst+49(69)910-31730Deutsche Bank Research ManagementRobin WinklerVolkswagens’s recent public considerations to possibly shut down plants in Germany and lay off employees for operational reasons came like a bombshell. Nevertheless, we have been pointing out for some time that the balance between production and employment in the automotive industry in Germany is disturbed. Currently, domestic production (production index) is almost 23% below previous highs. Although employment has also fallen in recent years, the…

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Early career researchers win major European funding

Of 3,500 proposals reviewed by the ERC, only 14% were selected for funding – Cambridge has the highest number of grants of any UK institution.ERC Starting Grants – totalling nearly €780 million – support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physics to social sciences and humanities. The awards help researchers at the beginning of their careers to launch their own projects, form their teams and…

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It’s Labor Day: Are you celebrating your workers or burning them out?

This last Labor Day should have been a day of rest—a chance for employees to recharge and reflect on the contributions they’ve made to their organizations. But for many workers, the reality was likely far from relaxing. A 2023 Gallup survey shows that only 32% of U.S. employees feel engaged at work, and burnout is hitting record levels. The American Institute of Stress also reports that 83% of workers deal…

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Diversifying global supply chains: Opportunities in Southeast Asia

The global supply chain is constantly changing, shaped by manufacturers around the world striving to limit risk, build resilience, manage costs, and explore new markets for production. As many manufacturers seek to reduce their dependence on a single supply source, Southeast Asia is emerging as a prominent manufacturing hub, reflected in the production changes in the region. Indonesia and Vietnam are currently leading the manufacturing and trade flow shifts, as…

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  • Reading time:14 mins read
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Children switch to walking and cycling to school after introduction of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone

Car travel contributes to air pollution, a major cause of heart and lung diseases including asthma attacks. Beyond this, it limits children's opportunities for physical activity, hindering their development and mental health, and increasing their risk of obesity and chronic illnesses.Despite UK guidelines recommending a daily average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for school-aged children and adolescents, less than half (45%) of children aged 5-16 met these levels…

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Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation

Research Feature To capitalize on emerging technologies while mitigating unanticipated consequences, innovation managers need to establish a systematic review process. Tania Bucic and Gina Colarelli O’Connor September 04, 2024 Reading Time: 20 min  Jedi Noordegraaf/Ikon Images The Research The authors interviewed five ethics and compliance executives about their companies’ ethical practices when commercializing emerging technologies. In a second round of interviews, 16 managers with roles in technology scouting, corporate venture…

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New Jersey Federal Court Denies Bid to Block Temporary Workers Bill of Rights Law

Quick Hits A federal district court in New Jersey denied a motion to partially enjoin the New Jersey Temporary Workers Bill of Rights, which seeks to equalize pay for temporary workers to that of permanent workers. The court ruled that while the plaintiffs have the potential to ultimately succeed on the merits of their ERISA preemption argument, on the current record, they failed to show a likelihood of success on…

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2 lesser-known ISAs that could help you build a nest egg for your children and grandchildren

If you’re a parent, you’ll likely want to make sure that your children and grandchildren have the best start in life. As such, setting aside wealth for your family might be a priority when creating your financial plan. You wouldn’t be alone in this as the Independent reports that the average UK parent has £4,001 saved for each of their children. Additionally, it’s estimated that parents who are actively saving…

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