Cybersecurity

He knew he was a target. He was lucky to suspect that hackers had turned his own phone against him

Colin Henderson

On the night of the fake WhatsApp call, just before turning in, Ahmed Aziz noticed that his phone’s screen glowed softly in short intervals, signalling an incoming call on silent mode. Too tired to answer after a long day, he placed his phone on the bedside table and drifted off to sleep. Feb. 2, 2025 The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab studies threats to the openness and security of the internet and the risks to human rights they pose. The lab’s founder recounts how they learned one such threat had raised its game, in this excerpt from his new book. There … Continue reading He knew he was a target. He was lucky to suspect that hackers had turned his own phone against him

AI

China and America economic future – Ferguson/ Fallows debate

Colin Henderson

Economy, US 2009-07-04 A summary in NYT of the fascinating Ferguson/ Fallows debate at Aspen on the economic relationship between China and US. Ferguson: US and China are divorcing economically.  China will focus on internal consumption, not exports.  “Depreciation (of US $) is inevitable and the Chinese are working to end the dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency.” Fallows: “…  doesn’t know what the future will hold, but he believes that Chinese officials still see the dollar as their least risky investment. Domestically, China will not turn democratic, but individual liberties will expand. He agreed that China and the U.S. will dominate … Continue reading China and America economic future – Ferguson/ Fallows debate

AI

The next wave moves beyond generative AI with proactive intelligent agents

Colin Henderson

What Is Agentic AI? The next wave moves beyond generative AI with proactive intelligent agents that work through steps toward a goal. Jue Wang Bain Goal-oriented approach: Comprehends a high-level goal and the AI agent’s defined role. Multistep problem solving: Devises a plan to reach the goal. Self-directed execution: Takes tactical action, working with other tools, applications, and workflows. Adaptability: Flexibly handles trial-and-error and other changes. Is agentic AI a fad? Agentic AI is not new—academic researchers have been working on the topic for years. But interest has surged dramatically over the past year. This interest extends beyond hype, with strong engagement from developers … Continue reading The next wave moves beyond generative AI with proactive intelligent agents

AI

Thoughts on Deepfake and GenAI

Colin Henderson

I have watched AI progess for some time. Notes below from this blog in 2023. Open/ closed source misses the point. The future of AI lies in embedding the benefits throughout the country. Hence this blog focusses on productivity since.. This is a concept with a long enough horizon (50 years + ) that AI is similarly embedded across the country, busines and society. Achievement is orders of scale larger than open /closed,rather is dependant on scale across build and development. AI will be pervasive across across society. Simple and complex ai requires pervasive engagement in all facets of people, … Continue reading Thoughts on Deepfake and GenAI

Geopolitics

Rubiks Cube of Global Security – Davos 2025

Colin Henderson

Foreign Affairs at World Economic Forum 2025 Rubiks Cube of Global Security – Davos 2025 The global security landscape has deteriorated sharply in the past decade, with nearly 15% of the world’s population now living in conflict-affected areas. As these conflicts combine with climate and technological risks, as well as the re-emergence of threats of nuclear proliferation, what can leaders do to stem the breakdown of longstanding security norms and institutions and bolster long-term comprehensive collective security? Speakers: Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Affairs Comfort Ero, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Crisis Group (ICG) Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director-General, International Atomic … Continue reading Rubiks Cube of Global Security – Davos 2025

AI

Donald Trump to announce up to $500bn for Stargate AI project

Colin Henderson

Donald Trump to announce up to $500bn for Stargate AI project The initial investment of $100bn for an advanced data centre is set to climb as the world’s biggest tech investors, including Sam Altman and Larry Ellison, get involved January 21 2025, The Times Masayoshi Son, chief of a tech investment company, met Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in December President Trump is set to announce plans for investment worth hundreds of billions of dollars in America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure. The funding, which could climb to $500 billion, will be part of a joint venture by some of the world’s biggest … Continue reading Donald Trump to announce up to $500bn for Stargate AI project

AI

State of Financial Crime 2025

Colin Henderson

Courtesy of ComplyAdvantage. Document As we navigate an increasingly complex landscape of financial crime, the latest report from ComplyAdvantage sheds light on critical trends shaping the industry. Here are some key takeaways: Rising Compliance Costs: Over 50% of firms reported that compliance costs had increased by more than 10% due to regulatory demands and emerging risks. Impact of Geopolitics: The geopolitical panorama, marked by instability and conflict, continues to create fresh challenges for compliance, especially with upcoming elections and heightened scrutiny of politically exposed persons. Role of Technology: The adoption of AI and RegTech is on the upward thrust, with … Continue reading State of Financial Crime 2025

AI

What Is #Multi-Agent RAG?

Colin Henderson

The rise of AI agents has revolutionized the development of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (#RAG) systems, leading to the evolution of agentic and multi-agent RAG architectures. These systems embody a modular and scalable approach to handle diverse and complex workflows, moving beyond the limitations of single-agent designs. What Is #Multi-Agent RAG?Multi-agent RAG introduces an advanced framework where tasks such as reasoning, retrieval, and response generation are distributed across specialized agents. Instead of a single agent juggling all responsibilities, the system leverages multiple agents, each tailored for specific roles or data types. This specialization enhances efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. Multi-Agent Agentic RAG Workflow: … Continue reading What Is #Multi-Agent RAG?

AI

Spotlight on gen AI at Davos

Colin Henderson

Spotlight on gen AI at Davos Davos 2025 January 19, 2025Gen AI dominated conversations at last year’s Annual Meeting, and its impact has only accelerated since. This year at Davos, the dialogue evolves. How can organizations capture the value of this technology and navigate its profound impact on the future of work? “Breaking open the gen AI opportunity requires companies to rewire how they work,” write McKinsey senior partners and Davos delegates Alexander Sukharevsky and Rodney Zemmel. To seize the $4.4 trillion opportunity, organizations need to rewire across six core dimensions: strategy, talent, operating model, technology, data and AI, and adoption, scaling, and sustainability. … Continue reading Spotlight on gen AI at Davos