Category: Government

Facial Recognition – Should we be Worried?

The new Apple iPhone X uses facial-recognition software (FRS) to unlock the device rather than a pin or fingerprint.  Apple’s adoption of FRS underlines the importance of this burgeoning technology. We will likely see a massive spread in the use of FRS which will bring many benefits but some serious risks which we need to start addressing now. The use of facial recognition combined with... Read More--

Eleven Reasons for the UK’s Poor Productivity

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK productivity has fallen to levels it held in 2007.  Productivity in the UK has consistently lagged well behind Germany and France and has now been overtaken by many other countries as this OECD chart shows.  This is the key reason why wages, growth and competitive performance are all held back.  Why is this and what can be done about it? ... Read More--

Twelve Jobs that Robots cannot do

The Hadrian X robot is made by Fastbrick Robotics from Australia.  It can lay 1000 house bricks in an hour.  The average bricklayer lays around 500 bricks a day.  We will soon see robots doing much of the standard work in building assembly with a small number of skilled craftsmen supervising them, applying finishing touches or completing tricky tasks.  McDonald’s is trialling a “Create Your... Read More--

Too much Precaution deters Innovation

The precautionary principle states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public, or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is not harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those taking the action. (Wikipedia) The application of the precautionary principle has been made a statutory requirement in some... Read More--

Why Government is Essential for Private Sector Innovation

Steve Jobs announced the iPhone to the world on 9 January 2007. This iconic product became a sensational success and propelled Apple to become the most valuable company on Earth. It created a new product category, the smartphone, which has become the must-have item for people in all nations. It became a platform for secondary markets in apps, music and videos. Steve Jobs, Sir Jonathan Ive and the design... Read More--