After just one business trip to Tel Aviv, I could easily tell that Israel’s startup scene is thriving compared with the UK’s, but why… — While working with my client Visa a few years ago now, I helped open innovation hubs for the financial services firm in London, Berlin, and Tel Aviv. The project meant spending some time in each of these vibrant cities, which was awesome all round, but it was Tel Aviv that…

Microsoft is leveraging AI to beat March Madness, but where have we seen a reliance on historical data for sports speculation before… — As my regular readers must surely know by now, I have a real weakness for links between tech or business, on one hand, and pop culture, on the other. I usually find these connections in science fiction films, series and books, but not always. …

Artificial intelligence is changing the role of auditors in terms of both what they do and how they do it. Here’s why… — By this point, we all know that Artificial Intelligence is set to change the face of business across the globe. In fact, the change is already happening in no small way. But what does this mean for auditors, both internal and external? Two things: first, AI will make superheroes out…

The cryptocurrency requires an ever-increasing quantity of energy thanks to mining, but is a greener process possible? If not, what do we… — When Bitcoin first jangled onto my radar, I asked two questions, the first of which was: “Could this stuff make me very rich?” My answer was “perhaps,” and so in 2014 I bought some. Ultimately though, I didn’t hang onto it! Considering the sharp increase in Bitcoin’s value in recent…

Hulu’s Elizabeth Holmes miniseries is a stark reminder of the things women must do to succeed in the male-dominated business world. — Like many, I’ve been completely absorbed by the case of disgraced biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, especially after reading John Carreyrou’s best-selling 2018 non-fiction book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. From the initial 2015 journalistic and regulatory investigations, which uncovered tech failures within now defunct blood-testing…

What kind of conflicts arise between the requirements of trusted AI? How do we strike a balance? When can’t we strike a balance? — I’ve just finished off at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, where I had the pleasure of moderating two fascinating and insightful panel discussions: one called Open Innovation and CVC and the other In AI We Trust? In today’s blog, I’ll focus on the latter, where I was…

Wordle (along with a slew of wacky spinoffs) has taken the world by storm, but why do we love the word game so much? — It all started with a boy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to love…his word game. I am, of course, talking about Wordle. Initially created earlier this year by British software engineer Josh Wardle for his partner Palak Shah, who struggled with boredom during lockdown, Wordle is now…

Why the wider community can learn some important climate action lessons from the LGBTQ+ community — Today we face some of the greatest challenges in the history of humanity, one of which is undoubtedly climate change. We’re at a defining moment in terms of global warming, and to reduce the growing threat it poses to our continued existence, it’s becoming imperative to seek out increasingly creative…

Even today there are comparatively fewer women in the STEM careers than men, but why is this and what can we do about it? — My blog two weeks back discussed why our metaverse avatars don’t look like us right now and why they never should (it’s all about uncanny valley). I shared a cartoony avatar I’d made of myself for illustration, and very fine she looked too. …