AI, Canada

The Canada AI Strategy Task Force was officially launched in September 2025

Colin Henderson

The Canada AI Strategy Task Force was officially launched in September 2025 by Minister Evan Solomon, marking a renewed effort to update and advance the country’s National AI Strategy. This initiative comes at a critical juncture as technological transformation and geopolitical forces reshape national priorities. Government of Canada launches AI Strategy Task Force and public engagement on the development of the next AI strategy From: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Key facts about the AI Strategy Task Force Source perplexity.ai Purpose: The Task Force will conduct a 30-day “national sprint” from October 1 to October 31, 2025. Its primary goal … Continue reading The Canada AI Strategy Task Force was officially launched in September 2025

AI

AI helped recover £500m lost to fraud -UK government

Colin Henderson

A theme is developing in business that AI contributes business value by eliminating one of the moost pervasive data issues, one which Banks reallly suffer but all businesses do a large extent: that issue is co-relating customer data from disparate sources and producing a novel profile which can be used to create value through customer activity, inadvertent or deliberate, by identifying items such as missed opportunities, fraudulent activity or customer ignorance which resulted in losses or missed new business. The UK givernment has develpoed an AI tool to create a picture of citizen activity related to government payments, much of … Continue reading AI helped recover £500m lost to fraud -UK government

banking, Business Models

Why It Is So Hard to Sell Core Banking Systems

Colin Henderson

A well written piece that encasulates the difficulties Banks’ organisation naturally resist change. At the heart of the challenge are the people running the banks. Broadly speaking, there are two types. The first are stewards—or what I call “babysitters.” These bankers are conservative, risk-averse, and focused on not rocking the boat. They’re not sabotaging the bank’s future, but they aren’t championing innovation either. Their mindset is survival, not transformation. The second type are mavericks—rare individuals who look beyond their own tenure. They want to future-proof the bank, save customers money, and avoid being the “Kodak” or “Blockbuster” of finance. They … Continue reading Why It Is So Hard to Sell Core Banking Systems

AI

OECD report on AI provides thoughtful and relevant context for current state

Colin Henderson

Intersting report from OECD. I focussed here in diffusion, i.e. the spread and systemic adoption of AI. With an eye on the eventual improvements in productivity effective diffusion is essential. The full report can be found at end of post.. For Bankers, consider this quote. This is the beginnings of the holly grail to address the elephant in the room of Banks data worries. Applications can transform customer relationships and marketing, by improving market segmentation and raising capacity to “Know Your Customer” (KYC), by automating basic customer services and enabling a 24/7 attendance, or by supporting content creation at lower … Continue reading OECD report on AI provides thoughtful and relevant context for current state

AI

Follow up to “Transformative AI, existential risk, and real interest rates” (Chow, Halperin, Mazlish, 2025) – Test and Conclusion

Colin Henderson

introduces a novel approach for forecasting the timelines for transformative AI by analyzing macro-financial markets—specifically, the behavior of long-term real interest rates. TEST: apply this framework to current situation and explain what the output tells us about transformative AI timelines. Analysis Follows: (Perplexity.ai) 1. Theoretical Mechanism Aligned AI (very high growth): If investors expect AI-driven explosive growth (e.g., 30%+ global GDP growth per year), they treat future consumption as less valuable (abundance lowers marginal utility), pushing up long-term real rates. Unaligned AI (existential risk): If investors think AI could cause human extinction, future consumption has close to zero expected value, … Continue reading Follow up to “Transformative AI, existential risk, and real interest rates” (Chow, Halperin, Mazlish, 2025) – Test and Conclusion

AI, AI_research, Economics

The paper “Transformative AI, existential risk, and real interest rates” by Trevor Chow, Basil Halperin, and J. Zachary Mazlish (August 2025)

Colin Henderson

Summary of Key Argument The core thesis of the paper is that macro-financial indicators—specifically, long-term real interest rates—can serve as a market-based “outside view” for forecasting the likelihood and timing of transformative AI (TAI, roughly equivalent to AGI or “superintelligence”) development. The mechanism underpinning this association is straightforward economic theory: If TAI is expected to accelerate economic growth drastically (e.g., global GDP growth > 30% per year), long-run real interest rates should rise sharply due to diminishing marginal utility of future consumption. If TAI is expected to pose an existential risk (unaligned AI), the marginal value of future consumption could … Continue reading The paper “Transformative AI, existential risk, and real interest rates” by Trevor Chow, Basil Halperin, and J. Zachary Mazlish (August 2025)

AI

The most significant technology trends, product launches, and innovations from the past week

Colin Henderson

… include notable advances in artificial intelligence, major product unveilings by industry giants like Apple, accelerating investments in quantum computing and sustainability, and the emergence of key startup innovations across multiple sectors.[1][2][3] Major Technology Trends Artificial Intelligence Integration: AI continues to expand its influence, especially with “agentic AI” systems enabling autonomous decision-making in healthcare, logistics, and telemedicine. AI-powered diagnostics and multimodal systems are transforming content creation and enterprise workflows.[4][5][1] Quantum Computing Leap: Microsoft announced breakthroughs in scalable quantum systems with the potential to accelerate data processing in enterprise contexts.[5][1] Sustainability and Bioengineering: Wider adoption of AI-powered environmental monitoring, investments in … Continue reading The most significant technology trends, product launches, and innovations from the past week

banking, Business Models

Victor Leung on banks development of breakthrough products

Colin Henderson

A useful and common sense modern approach. The lead in shown is exactly how most banks approach product development. ———————————— Read on blog or ReaderVictor Leung How to Develop Breakthrough Core Banking Products and Services By Victor Leung on September 14, 2025 Banks must develop major innovations to prosper, but they don’t know how to. Many still try to build them with an old producer model. In that model, vendors publish roadmaps, banks write long requirement documents, and system integrators deliver projects after months of work. Academic research and field practice point to a different path. Important innovation often come from users. These users share and … Continue reading Victor Leung on banks development of breakthrough products

aml, banking, ID_theft, KYC, regulation, terrorist_financing

Terrorist financing since 9/11: How the threat and the response have evolved

Colin Henderson

Sep. 10, 2025 Dustin Eaton, CAMS As we pause to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), we are reminded that 9/11 has forever changed how the world combats terrorist financing. The 9/11 attacks triggered a revolution in … Continue reading Terrorist financing since 9/11: How the threat and the response have evolved