Entries by Ross

Why doesn’t the construction industry make more use of technology?

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Building techniques have not changed much since the early 1900s. The actual construction of buildings still relies heavily on manual labour. However, there have been technological advances that the industry could benefit from. Among them are 3D printing. It can be used for extruding concrete or other materials to build up the walls of a […]

A voluntary AI safety code – is it enough?

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At least 16 companies have signed up to voluntary artificial intelligence safety standards introduced at the Bletchley Park summit. They include companies from China and the UAE. The signatories have committed to voluntarily “work toward” information sharing, “invest” in cybersecurity and “prioritise” research into societal risks. However, the standards have faced criticism for lacking teeth […]

The demand for data storage is increasing fast

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As museums and galleries among others collect ever more artefacts they need digital archives their ever-growing collection of pictures, audio and film. Making digital copies of those historical sources is vital as the original copies degrade over time, and will, one day, be lost forever, according to Ian Crawford of the Imperial War Museum. “When […]

Can AI remove the burden of tedious parts of accountancy?

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According to some one of the most tedious parts of the job is analysis of financial data, summarising documents, creating content, drafting documentation, advanced searching, analytics and insight and knowledge management. “When you look at some of the tasks that auditors were doing – some of the boring, mundane tasks around churning data and manipulating […]

Recruitment fraud

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Recruitment fraud affects not only job applicants, it can also impact your business. A particular target as reported by the BBC has been LinkedIn although it is not by any means the only victim. Primarily targeted at applicants it offered what turned out to be fake job interviews. The scams work by firstly posting a […]

Has the technological revolution improved productivity?

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Despite the hype there is apparently very little evidence of improved productivity, according to the BBC. “Between 1974 and 2008 the UK’s productivity – the amount of output you get per worker – grew at an annual rate of 2.3%. But between 2008 and 2020 the rate of productivity growth collapsed to around 0.5% per […]

AI and your business

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Job posts mentioning AI or generative AI have, globally, more than doubled in the past two years, according to a report by LinkedIn. However, AI skills may be in demand but the supply of those AI capable is still lagging. According to Ngaire Moyes, UK country manager at LinkedIn, AI can “help remove the drudgery […]

Businesses cannot ignore the risks of Cyber Crime

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Earlier this year the government published new guidelines to help businesses to protect themselves from the risk of cybercrime, which can cost them millions. It argued that cyber threats should be prioritised as a key business risk like financial and legal challenges and should be put on an equal footing with other threats like financial […]

Cheap tablet deals for March

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Are you in the market for a new tablet? If you’re not yet a convert to tablets they are often lighter, thinner and generally more portable and convenient than a laptop, They come with a wide range of screen sizes and features and some include detachable keyboards. The Independent has published information on the best […]

What does a unicorn have to do with your small business?

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A unicorn is the title given to private start-up firms that are valued at more than a billion dollars. In 2021 36 unicorns were formed in the UK, but in 2022 there were 20, according to Dealroom, which tracks the start-up sector. One of the reasons for the apparent reduction is the difficult economic environment, […]