The AI Pulse

Issue #8 — 11th November 2024

Editor: Professor Alan Brown

Welcome to the latest edition of The AI Pulse for Digital Leaders. A curated collection of essential articles, commentaries, and news stories from reputable sources that bring insight to digital leaders on the principles and practices of delivering AI-at-Scale

Highlights in this edition include:

What are the likely AI and technology implications of a Trump election victory?

UK businesses could save 25% of their workforce by adopting AI

IBM release an enterprise guide to AI governance

AI for Good

TechRepublic report that the UK Government has introduced a self-assessment tool to help businesses manage responsible AI use.

The new report from the Responsible AI Institute (RAI) considers the value of AI impact assessments for incentivizing and assuring responsible AI delivery.

InfoQ asks what it takes to be a responsible developer in the age of AI hype.

After 2 years work with a panel of experts, InfoQ reports that the Open Source Initiative (OSI) released its Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) to set standards for transparency and accessibility.

Bias and Ethics

IBM Institute for Business Value has issued a useful report providing an enterprise guide to AI governance.

In this short essay, Ken Payne explores the broader geopolitical implications of AI and concludes that AI will have even more profound effects on jobs, economies, and governments than earlier technology revolutions.

CIOs are looking to sharpen AI governance despite uncertainties, according to CIO magazine.

A study from the Alan Turing Institute reports that one in four UK doctors are using AI.

Forbes reports that AI that can invent AI Is coming. Oh my!

Cyber Security

Meta have announced they will now allow US government agencies and contractors to use its open-source Llama AI model for national security applications to promote global security and help establish the U.S. in the global race for AI leadership.

Maria Luciana Axente, head of AI Public Policy and Ethics at PwC UK, discusses the relationship of Open AI and public policy.

TechRadar considers what Chief Information and Security Officers (CISOs) should know about the EU AI Act to strengthen security.

Data & Decision Making

With so many devices collecting and sharing data, The Guardian notes that even your air fryer may now be spying on you!

From The Hedgehog Review, an essay from Nicholas Carr wonders why we are being constantly monitored and bombarded with information , even about seemingly insignificant details.

The Guardian reports concerns that a new AI tool which proposes enforcement action against adult and child migrants is influencing decision making at the UK Home Office.

An article in the Communications of the ACM reviews how AI is helping doctors make better decisions in healthcare .

Innovation & Collaboration

The UK Government has released an experimental AI chatbot to help people set up small businesses and find support.

The Guardian reports that the first artwork painted by humanoid robot to sell at auction has fetched over $1m. Why not?

Meanwhile, did OpenAI just pay over £10M to acquire the chat.com domain? MSN reports it did!

Productivity & Efficiency

The Economist explores why companies are struggling to scale up with GenAI.

Informed Solutions’ Chief Innovation Officer, David Lawton, discusses today’s challenges when scaling AI and digital transformation in the public sector .

Despite the promise of AI, Sajal Singh of IE University highlights how high costs, infrastructure demands, and cautious enterprise investment are slowing transformation and driving market volatility.

This year’s GitHub annual developers survey reveals that developers are increasingly building AI models into applications and engaging with AI projects on GitHub in large numbers.

Investment company 8VC reflects on Palantir’s AI strategy and how important AI services have been to their success.

Via Apolitical, Hassa Al Mansoori describes an innovative generative AI tool for urban planning is under development in the United Arab Emirates.

Regulation and Compliance

In anticipation of the US election, the Whitehouse issued a summary of its key AI accomplishments in the year since the Biden-⁠Harris administration’s executive order.

After a Trump victory in the US elections, Wired speculates on what might be the implications for US tech policy and regulation. Fortune believes Trump will repeal recent AI regulations and increase import tariffs. Time thinks it will have far-reaching implications for national security, the economy, and the global balance of power.

DSIT have announced the publication of a new Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA) report entitled ‘Assuring a Responsible Future for AI’ report assessing the current state of the UK AI assurance market and identifying opportunities for future growth.

The Irish government has refreshed its National AI Strategy to take account of recent developments in AI technology and regulation .

Anthropic makes the case for targeted AI regulation to realize the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks.

Sustainability

An article in IEEE Spectrum notes that the AI boom rests on billions of tonnes of concrete…with all of the environmental impacts that implies.

According to the MIT Technology Review, equipment used to train and run generative AI models could produce up to 5 million tons of e-waste by 2030.

With AI driving a surge in energy demand, BCG considers how CEOs can achieve both AI and climate goals.

User Experience

The UK government data quality hub has issued guidance on Challenging Assumption-Based Design to help social researchers identify, challenge and re-frame assumption-based design.

Workforce & Skills

In an important detailed study on the impact of AI on the labour market, the Tony Blair Institute conclude that UK businesses could save 25% of their workforce time by adopting AI, equivalent to the annual output of 6 million workers.

Based on a survey of 5000 people, Section claims to have just released the first report to measure the state of AI proficiency in the modern workforce.

The Financial Times discusses how employers are looking to AI tools to plug skills gap and retain staff.

A Forbes report reviews the latest Microsoft Workplace study which says that 71% of employers would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them.

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