As organizations look to integrate AI tools into their business models, key questions will have to be answered around how this fits in with their wider strategy. This doesn’t just mean data analysis or adoption of generative AI tools, but less directly connected initiatives such as sustainability goals. The adoption of AI is also running up against concerns around skills. Many organizations, if not most, are yet to truly determine which roles and tasks can be augmented and improved by AI services. Additionally, there are questions among workers and employers alike as to what emerging AI-focused skills they will need to acquire to stay competitive in their field. In this episode: - Jane speaks to Pauline Yau, UKI verticals sales director at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, to unpack the current trends around AI and what the future holds for AI in business. - Rory and Jane discuss the significance of these trends and how this may pan out in 2024. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/technology/why-cutting-edge-innovation-is-killing-the-planet - https://www.itpro.com/cloud/hybrid-cloud/how-hpe-plans-to-combat-generative-ais-dirty-secret - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/the-ai-skills-gap-is-prompting-a-widespread-rethink-on-workforce-upskilling - https://www.itpro.com/technology/370401/how-the-metaverse-is-powering-next-gen-digital-twins - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/digital-transformation/359392/does-your-business-need-a-digital-twin - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai/369979/chatgpt-vs-chatbots-whats-the-difference - https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/data-centres/global-power-shortages-mean-data-centers-could-struggle-to-shoulder-the-burden-of-energy-intensive-generative-ai-demands-in-2024 - https://www.itpro.com/business/business-strategy/369897/tech-industry-vast-lead-in-green-energy-spending - https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/data-centres/scotland-could-be-the-next-big-data-center-powerhouse-offering-greener-options-significant-savings-and-direct-access-to-renewable-energy - https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/data-centres/weve-made-savings-of-around-85-embracing-green-energy-for-data-centers-by-migrating-to-iceland

It’s becoming something of a tradition for companies to ring in the new year with a wave of layoffs. In 2024, as in 2023, workforce reduction has been a major theme in the tech sector and beyond for January. As technologies such as AI take root, the nature and pace of layoffs is likely to change in the near future. Competing pressures of economic downturns and productivity shortfalls could change the tech workforce dramatically. In this episode, Jane and Rory are joined by Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to discuss the latest wave of tech sector layoffs, how they compare to previous years, and what this means for the future. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/business/business-strategy/tech-layoffs-in-2024-show-the-year-of-efficiency-is-here-to-stay-it-just-wont-be-quite-as-ruthless - https://www.itpro.com/business/careers-and-training/cloudflare-employees-viral-dismissal-video-offers-a-stark-glimpse-into-the-human-cost-of-layoffs - https://www.itpro.com/business/business-strategy/sundar-pichais-ambitious-goals-for-google-in-2024-rest-on-yet-more-layoffs-as-firm-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/the-reality-of-mass-ai-linked-job-cuts-is-here - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ibms-ceo-just-said-the-quiet-part-out-loud-on-ai-related-job-losses - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ibm-ceo-in-damage-control-mode-after-ai-job-loss-comments - https://www.itpro.com/business/business-strategy/once-again-paypal-starts-the-year-with-another-round-of-job-cuts - https://www.itpro.com/business/business-strategy/369944/whats-behind-the-wave-of-big-tech-layoffs - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-seeks-to-ward-off-potential-union-action-over-ai-job-risks - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai/359765/with-ai-on-the-rise-is-it-time-to-join-a-union - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/careers-training/369793/first-microsoft-union-formed-by-zenimax-workers - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/careers-training/369890/the-tech-industry-needs-to-unionise-now-more-than-ever

If you’ve seen Oppenheimer, Dune, or Blade Runner 2049, then you’ve seen the work of DNEG. The British visual effects firm, formerly known as Double Negative, has had to contend with growing compute and data demands in its 26 year history, with thousands of hours of rendering required to bring the latest visuals from servers to the cinema screen. In recent years, DNEG’s legacy infrastructure began to feel the strain of this task, leading the firm to work with Red Hat to adopt a cloud-native approach. In this episode, Jane and Rory speak to Ian Abbott, software architect at DNEG, and Ollie Harding, software infrastructure architect at DNEG, to discuss how the visual effects firm has adopted a cloud-native approach to help its artists be more productive. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/business/digital-transformation/how-cloud-native-agility-helped-dneg-level-up-its-award-winning-vfx - https://www.itpro.com/cloud/369362/cloud-native-tools-more-popular-europe-than-us - https://www.itpro.com/development/containers/359360/red-hat-launches-openshift-platform-plus-alongside-new-managed-cloud - https://www.itpro.com/cloud/cloud-computing/367489/red-hat-unveils-new-application-services-toolbox-for-developers

Computers and technology have well and truly permeated our professional and private lives. While this has led to great strides in efficiency, opened up new opportunities for businesses and individuals, and helped us become more connected than ever before, there are also downsides. As the world becomes more digital and even menial tasks are increasingly outsourced to computer systems, a simultaneous shift in accountability and oversight needs to take place. Trust in computers is all too often automatic, with the pitfalls of this brought to life through the Horizon scandal in the UK. As we move to a future where AI is ubiquitous and computing permeates every level of life, how do we avoid a repeat of this kind of tragedy and move forward using AI in the most ethical way possible? In this episode, Jane and Rory discuss the fallibility of tech and why business leaders would do well to approach the data they receive from computer systems with a healthy dose of skepticism. Read more: - https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Post-Office-Horizon-scandal-explained-everything-you-need-to-know - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openai-aims-to-reduce-generative-ai-hallucinations-with-new-training-method - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openais-sam-altman-hallucinations-are-part-of-the-magic-of-generative-ai - https://www.itpro.com/business/policy-and-legislation/labour-must-approach-ai-carefully-to-avoid-repeating-a-dutch-disaster - https://www.itpro.com/business-operations/accounting/362290/gov-urged-to-save-post-office-workers-financial-ruin - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/use-of-generative-ai-in-the-legal-profession-accelerating-despite-accuracy-concerns - https://www.itpro.com/technology/30736/what-is-ethical-ai

Business intelligence tools already help leaders learn more about the data that drives their business and make more informed decisions. BI dashboards, in particular, help business leaders quantify their successes and identify areas for improvement from one central point of access. When it comes to adopting AI effectively, proper oversight and understanding of your data can be of the utmost importance. On paper, there could be a strong role for a combination of BI and AI, with intelligent identification of patterns to inform IT leaders to a greater degree. But is it this simple in practice? In this episode, Jane and Rory speak to Nick Magnuson, Head of AI at Qlik, to find out how business intelligence and AI can be brought together most effectively and some of the main mistakes businesses make when it comes to integrating the two. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/business-intelligence/21861/what-is-business-intelligence - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/careers-training/28093/what-is-a-business-intelligence-analyst - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai/356053/four-business-benefits-of-ai-powered-analytics - https://www.itpro.com/business-intelligence/28220/what-is-data-analytics - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/a-lack-of-data-maturity-could-hamper-enterprise-ai-ambitions-in-2024 - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/is-ai-the-future-of-everything - https://www.itpro.com/data-management/30216/three-keys-to-successful-data-management - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/why-not-to-invest-in-generative-ai-for-now

This classic episode of the ITPro Podcast was first published on 6 January 2023. Passwords can be tricky at the best of times. Proper password hygiene is one of the most important factors in endpoint security, as it keeps sensitive data secure and prevents threat actors from getting into important systems. Despite the risks, the use of weak or recycled passwords continues to be a problem even amongst IT professionals and remembering too many unique passwords is a strain. While systems such as multi-factor authentication have been used as an extra layer of security, groups like the FIDO Alliance and World Wide Web Consortium have been working to make passwords a thing of the past, in favour of more secure methods. This week, we spoke to Richard Meeus, EMEA director of security & technology strategy for Akamai Technologies, to explore the solutions driving secure sign ons, and how the sector can adapt to this change. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/security/cyber-security/369527/revealed-the-top-200-most-common-passwords-of-2022 - https://www.itpro.com/security/cyber-security/354468/if-not-passwords-then-what - https://www.itpro.com/security/29705/what-are-biometrics - https://www.itpro.com/security/29982/what-is-two-factor-authentication - https://www.itpro.com/security/cyber-security/369745/what-is-mfa-fatigue - https://www.itpro.com/security/367243/how-to-implement-passwordless-authentication - https://www.itpro.com/software/368077/best-password-managers-in-2022 - https://www.itpro.com/software/368045/best-free-password-managers-in-2022 - https://www.itpro.com/security/information-security-infosec/369242/sooner-fido-can-shut-down-passwords-the-better - https://www.itpro.com/security/cyber-security/368478/will-fido-passwordless-authentication-save-cyber-security - https://www.itpro.com/security/34616/the-top-password-cracking-techniques-used-by-hackers

The UK’s data privacy landscape has long come with strict responsibilities for businesses, requiring detailed justifications for all customer data stored and processed. After the UK formally exited the European Union in 2020, the UK retained regulations for controllers and processors via the UK GDPR which sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018. Businesses have often criticized the red tape present within GDPR, arguing that it holds them back from carrying out the core functions of their business model. In response, the UK government has repeatedly backed the creation of a bill that would reform to UK data protection law and while this has been subject to some false starts, it is now underway as the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill. In this episode, Jane and Rory speak to Chris Combemale, CEO at the Data and Marketing Association and chair of the Government’s Business Advisory Group on reforms, to learn how the DPDI could improve UK innovation and where it differs from other laws.

As business leaders reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to what the next might hold, a number of trends and technologies stand out. While AI is dead set to continue its large role in 2024, the impact of high-performance computing (HPC), the spread of new 5G technologies, and the pernicious role that increasingly sophisticated fraud tech will play is also worth exploring. For this new year’s edition of the podcast, Jane and Rory eschew predictions to focus on the top trends from this year that will continue to play a part in 2024. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/technology/what-is-exascale-computing - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/uk-supercomputer-boom-as-hpe-and-dell-receive-funding-for-new-ai-cluster - https://www.itpro.com/mobile/5g/370267/what-is-5g-mmwave-and-what-are-its-benefits - https://www.itpro.com/infrastructure/5g/what-are-private-5g-networks - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ibm-ceo-in-damage-control-mode-after-ai-job-loss-comments - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/the-reality-of-mass-ai-linked-job-cuts-is-here - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-job-risks-skilled-workers-are-most-likely-to-lose-out-to-artificial-intelligence-in-uk - https://www.itpro.com/business/policy-and-legislation/why-ai-could-be-a-legal-nightmare-for-years-to-come - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/who-owns-the-data-used-to-train-ai - https://www.itpro.com/security/369243/real-time-deepfakes-are-becoming-a-serious-threat - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai/370325/intel-facecatcher-eradicate-deepfakes - https://www.itpro.com/security/cyber-crime/c-suites-consider-quantum-a-serious-threat-and-amazing-deepfake-attacks-are-just-months-away - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-ai/369857/microsofts-valle-cyber-crime-deepfakes

So much has happened this year, not least in the areas of AI and social media, but at the same time some events have been some notable omissions. While generative AI has taken the world by storm, there is still much to prove about its business use cases and how it should be regulated. Security and hardware are also in a similar place to previous years, with the same threats and designs coming to the surface in 2023 in place of any revolutionary shifts. For this festive episode of the podcast, Jane and Rory discuss the biggest things that didn't happen this year, from things that were promised but didn't come to fruition or even events that have been awaited for years and still failed to show up in 2023. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/eu-hammers-out-deal-on-ai-act-but-it-may-have-missed-the-mark - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/france-germany-and-italy-align-themselves-on-ai-regulation-but-the-eu-may-not-like-it - https://www.itpro.com/business/policy-and-legislation/why-ai-could-be-a-legal-nightmare-for-years-to-come - https://www.itpro.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/the-uks-hollow-ai-safety-summit-has-only-emphasized-global-divides - https://www.itpro.com/hardware/the-time-has-come-to-say-arrivederci-to-the-all-in-one - https://www.itpro.com/hardware/the-ai-powered-pc-from-personal-computer-to-personal-companion - https://www.itpro.com/technology/why-2024-wont-be-the-year-of-ar-vr-mr-xr - https://www.itpro.com/security/cyber-attacks/what-are-the-most-targeted-industries-for-cyber-attacks - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/careers-training/369540/twitter-employee-revolt-survival-concerns-platform-crumbling-from-within

Machine learning (ML) has been a field of research for more than 50 years, and as a subset of artificial intelligence has also been the focus of great innovation in that time. Many businesses use machine learning throughout their stack and some will have relied upon ML frameworks without realizing it. With the rise in popularity of newer forms of AI developments such as generative AI, however, some have questioned the extent to which traditional approaches such as machine learning algorithms still have a place in the tech industry. In this episode Jane speaks to Sascha Heyer, senior machine learning engineer at DoiT, to explore whether ML still has a role to play in a world that is more interested in conversational AI. Read more: - https://www.itpro.com/strategy/28071/what-is-machine-learning - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/data-insights/369981/machine-learning-vs-data-science-whats-the-difference - https://www.itpro.com/technology/machine-learning/369163/machine-learning-vs-deep-learning-vs-neural-networks - https://www.itpro.com/strategy/28087/machine-learning-vs-ai - https://www.itpro.com/business-strategy/careers-training/369273/seven-reasons-why-machine-learning-is-a-good-career - https://www.itpro.com/technology/machine-learning/369579/machine-learning-vs-statistics-whats-the-difference