AI

Delivering on the promise of AI in banking (Mckinsey)

Colin Henderson

Much has been written about the power of AI, including generative AI (gen AI), to transform banking. Beyond ushering in the next wave of automation, AI promises to make banks more intelligent, efficient, and better able to achieve stronger financial performance. About the authors While the buzz is undeniable, many banking C-suite leaders are increasingly asking questions about the realization of value in light of the headwinds facing the sector. Will AI live up to expectations? After initial experimentation, how can banks go from proof of concept to proof of value and truly reimagine and transform the enterprise using AI? How soon, if … Continue reading Delivering on the promise of AI in banking (Mckinsey)

AI

In the immediate aftermath of the widely expected cut, the Canadian dollar firmed up

Colin Henderson

Good morning,  Financial Post 12/12/24 You might have thought the Bank of Canada‘s latest interest rate cut — a second consecutive 50-basis-point whopper — would have sent the loonie plunging, but you were wrong if you did. In the immediate aftermath of the widely expected cut, the Canadian dollar firmed up by about a half of a U.S. cent, on the reasoning that it looks like the Bank of Canada could take a slower approach to future rate cuts and might even make some previously unexpected pauses. “Bad news is, to a significant degree, already priced into the exchange rate, … Continue reading In the immediate aftermath of the widely expected cut, the Canadian dollar firmed up

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Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currencies: Approaches, Implementation Strategies and Use Cases

Colin Henderson

This report, based on extensive research, industry consultations and interviews with regulators, examines the key motivations, models, and policy considerations for wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (wCBDC). It discusses the need for wCBDCs as a risk-free settlement asset to support digital transaction infrastructure and mitigate potential instability arising from reliance on tokenised private assets. Central banks are considering wCBDCs as an alternative to upgrading Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) systems, aiming to keep pace with programmable, always-on infrastructures that facilitate real-time, cross-currency liquidity and tokenised asset transactions. We examined: The variety of possible settlement assets from wCBDC through to Stablecoins and … Continue reading Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currencies: Approaches, Implementation Strategies and Use Cases

AI

The difference between using Retrieval Augmented Generation and Agents?

Colin Henderson

A thought provoking piece from Shahab Anbarjafari • Professor, Author, Public Speaker I have been discussing with a few CTOs and CIOs, all sharp, no-nonsense leaders. The question they tossed at me sounded simple: “Shahab, what’s the difference between using Retrieval Augmented Generation (hashtag#RAG) and using hashtag#Agents?” But I could sense their real curiosity—like they were trying to understand a new dimension of AI that could define the future of their organizations. In that moment, I felt like I was back at the dawn of deep learning, where we realized that neural networks were more than just pattern-matchers. They could … Continue reading The difference between using Retrieval Augmented Generation and Agents?

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U.S. Special Operations Command Expands Contract with Palantir to Deliver Advanced AI and Mission Manager Capabilities

Colin Henderson

December 09, 2024 06:59 AM Eastern Standard Time DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) today announced an expansion of its contract with the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to deliver technology solutions in support of enterprise capabilities. The one-year delivery is valued at $36.8 million and establishes Palantir as the lead software integrator for USSOCOM’s Mission Command System (MCS) while expanding the technology solutions supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) globally. “Palantir’s Mission Manager is positioned to innovate the Defense industry by providing software to enable and operationalize commercial capabilities for U.S. Government missions. USSOCOM understands that commercial software can … Continue reading U.S. Special Operations Command Expands Contract with Palantir to Deliver Advanced AI and Mission Manager Capabilities

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The Syrian rebel leader hoping to overthrow Assad 

Colin Henderson

By Raya Jalabi in Beirut Dressed head to toe in khaki and flanked by unarmed guards, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani triumphantly walked up the steps of Aleppo’s medieval citadel this week. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was swarmed by supporters waving flags synonymous with the rebel groups who had just captured Syria’s second city in a lightning offensive.  Jolani waved at Aleppo’s stunned residents before getting into his white jeep and driving back to the frontline. He barely cracked a smile. It was a politically astute move typical of the ambitious 42-year-old Islamist who has spent the past few years in … Continue reading The Syrian rebel leader hoping to overthrow Assad 

AI

Palantir, Anduril sign partnership for AI training in defense

Colin Henderson

By Reuters December 6, 20245:04 PM ESTUpdated a day ago Item 1 of 2 Signage for Palantir is seen during the Association of the United States Army annual meeting and exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, U.S., October 14, 2024. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo [1/2]Signage for Palantir is seen during the Association of the United States Army annual meeting and exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, U.S., October 14, 2024…. Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more Dec 6 (Reuters) – Data analytics firm Palantir Technologies (PLTR.O), opens new tab and defense tech company Anduril Industries have partnered … Continue reading Palantir, Anduril sign partnership for AI training in defense

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Italian startup iGenius and Nvidia to build major AI system

Colin Henderson

By Stephen Nellis December 5, 20249:07 AM ESTUpdated an hour ago Dec 5 (Reuters) – Italian startup iGenius and Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab on Thursday said they are planning to bring online one of the world’s biggest deployments of Nvidia’s newest servers by the middle of next year in a data center in southern Italy. iGenius is building a data center that will house about 80 of Nvidia’s most powerful servers, called GB200 NVL72 machines, each with 72 of the tech company’s “Blackwell” chips in them. The startup did not give a price tag for the project. But Chief Executive Uljan Sharka … Continue reading Italian startup iGenius and Nvidia to build major AI system

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Gen AI agents are starting to deliver breakthrough value, but only when companies figure out how to build and orchestrate hundreds of them.

Colin Henderson

DOWNLOADS Article (8 pages) At the heart of virtually every large organization is a massive anchor slowing a business down: the tech debt found in legacy IT systems. Often built decades ago, these large systems form the technical backbone of companies and functions across almost every sector. As much as 70 percent of the software used by Fortune 500 companies was developed 20 or more years ago1 (see sidebar “What are legacy systems, and how do they hold organizations back?”). Byline About the authors Modernizing these aging systems and paying down tech debt have traditionally been considered an “IT problem,” and business leaders have … Continue reading Gen AI agents are starting to deliver breakthrough value, but only when companies figure out how to build and orchestrate hundreds of them.

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After Google Search

Colin Henderson

The rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT has sparked talk of a new model of search in which artificial intelligence delivers decisive answers, rather than the page of links popularized by Google. But the biggest challenge for companies hoping to capitalize on that idea has been a lack of data — the kind that Google amassed through decades of running the internet’s dominant search engine.  Enter the US Justice Department, which last month proposed major changes to Google after a federal judge’s landmark ruling that the tech giant illegally monopolized online search. The DOJ’s proposed remedies include a forced sale of Google’s Chrome browser and … Continue reading After Google Search