“This week, Google announced Willow, a new chip that in five minutes was able to compute something that our current fastest supercomputer would have taken more time to do than the universe has existed. So immediately, of course, everyone thought, oh no, my Bitcoin. Fortunately though, this new quantum chip is not any good at guessing your wallet seed phrase, and it would apparently take a whole bunch of them specifically programmed to mine Bitcoin, or really to do anything practical so far anyway. But at some point, theoretically, they’re going to be able to steal your Bitcoin, right? Or … Continue reading Google Willow

By Emma Dunkley Peter Hargreaves does not mince his words. Shortly after arriving at Cafe Murano, a stylish Italian restaurant on St James’s Street in the West End of London, he tells me that he rarely ventures this far for business meetings, preferring instead to make Zoom calls from the comfort of his home in Bristol. “People would say, ‘Peter why don’t you come to London and have lunch in our boardroom?’” He pauses, then says emphatically, “Why the bloody hell do I want to do that? I’d say if you want to see me, come and see me.” I’m honoured … Continue reading ‘I never see the point of spending money for the sake of it’

Over 11,000 new publications were launched in 2024! Here are a few that particularly resonated with our readers this year: The Quantastic Journal: a publication about humanity, science, and technology.Sample story: What is a Particle, Really? by Selena Routley. The Parenting Portal: it’s about all things parenting, but it’s not just for parents. Sample story: Pregnancy Feels Different With Grief by Ayne. Life Without Children: for those who choose (or did not choose) a child-free life. Sample story: Why the Crazy Cat Lady Stereotype Is Especially Problematic for Women Without Children by Charlie Brown. Iberospherical, a publication that focuses on stories of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking lands and culture. Sample … Continue reading New pubs on Medium

Becoming an #AI bank is no longer a question of if but of how. McKinsey has just released one of the best reports on how to do it. Here are my main take-aways: Being an AI-first bank is about 4 things: —  Reimagining the customer experience (personalization, frictionless journeys)—  Using AI to help with decision making—  Modernizing core #technology—  Setting up a platform operating model Banks excelling in AI do 4 things well: —  Set a bold, bankwide vision for the value AI can create—  Transform entire domains, processes, and journeys rather than just deploying narrow use cases—  Build a comprehensive stack of AI capabilities powered by … Continue reading TSource: McKinsey & Company, link in the comments

2024 was a big year for artificial intelligence on several fronts. The use of the technology has become more widespread, and we encounter its applications on a daily basis. A Canadian researcher, Geoffrey Hinton, shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics for his contributions to machine learning and artificial neural networks. While celebrating his win, Hinton cautioned — as he has been for a few years now — against the misuse of AI, and called for responsible and transparent AI development. At The Conversation Canada, we’ve published many articles on AI and its applications in several fields, written by academics … Continue reading News and analysis from Canadian academic experts

Description of background video (continued): A butterfly emerges from the chrysalis and unfolds its wings revealing a circuitry pattern on its wingspan. The butterfly takes flight and camera starts to pan down. Digital leaders have widened their competitive distance by 60 percent in the past three years, according to senior partner Eric Lamarre and colleagues. But tortoises have a way of catching up: to stay ahead, leaders will have to accelerate their transformations. While last year was largely about generative AI (gen AI) pilots, this year has seen the technology driving revenue increases—most notably in supply chain and inventory management—and cost reductions (exhibit). According to senior … Continue reading Keeping up with gen AI – McKinsey