Jeremy Hunt’s green technology strategy pokes Joe Biden 2023

Climate protesters call Rishi Sunak’s government’s carbon capture and offshore wind plans “half-baked” and “dangerous uninspired.”

The first move in reaction to the US’ multibillion-dollar investment in green technology was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt with a jab at Joe Biden.

The US president’s £348bn green technology tax credits and subsidies prepare the economy for climate change.

In The Times, Mr. Hunt accused Mr. Biden of leading a “distortive” global subsidy race, suggesting that “not subsidy but security” was the long-term solution to protectionism.

“Yes, we will continue to back industries of the future, but, we will target public money in a smart way in areas where the UK has a demonstrated competitive advantage,” Mr. Hunt said. We won’t compete with our partners in a distortive global subsidy competition.

The UK energy secretary proposal includes £20bn for carbon capture technologies and £160m for port infrastructure to develop offshore wind.

Labour called the measures “reheated policies and no fresh investment” and accused the chancellor of “raising the white flag in the global competition for green jobs”.

The MP stated, “Other nations are matching the ambition of the US, UK industry says we must, but Conservative orthodoxy says No.” Britain cannot afford a government that loses this contest.

Former energy minister Chris Skidmore, Conservative climate advisor, called Mr. Hunt’s remarks regarding the Biden administration “regrettable”. He told Times Radio: “We should be looking at what’s occurring in the US as a chance for ourselves.”

Energy minister Grant Shapps said Thursday’s energy security plan and chancellor’s green finance strategy update will detail how the government wants to “fix” dependable electricity.

Together with Great British Nuclear and new green hydrogen production projects, the government is extending £5,000 heat pump insulation incentives to 2028.

Electric car charging station improvements will cost about £380m. The Great British Insulation Programme, rebranded ECO+, will fund 300,000 house upgrades.

Nevertheless, Friends of the Earth (FoE) called some of the proposals “half-baked and half-hearted,” suggesting governments lost the potential to pursue a more radical green industrial policy.

“The stated objective of insulating 300,000 out of [more than] 20 million households is patently insufficient when we have such a badly insulated housing stock,” said Queen Mary University of London senior lecturer in renewable energy Dr. Paul Balcombe.

“With these plans appearing dangerously weak and deficient on climate action, we will be poring through the detail of the updated strategy and are set to act if ministers have fallen short once again,” said FoE policy chief Mike Childs.

Climate experts have cautioned the Sunak administration to halt licensing new oil and gas operations because carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is “yet to be validated at scale” and promotes fossil fuel use.

“We definitely have the potential to store billions if not trillions of pounds worth of other people’s carbon in those locations,” Mr. Shapps said, adding that carbon capture technology is “not there yet.”

“We know you can actually do this,” the cabinet minister told GB News. Technically feasible. It has various implications.”

The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided £300bn in green subsidies through grants, loans, and tax credits. The EU Green Industrial Plan lends firms £200bn to invest in green technologies.

British business leaders expected green technology investment proposals on Thursday. Mr. Hunt said the government would not provide a “full national response” to US and EU initiatives until September.

Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, asked why the UK would take more than a year to respond to the US Inflation Reduction Act when the EU did it in six months.

She warned this delay might kill investors seeking long-term policy and regulatory predictability. “Where’s the gigafactory and green steel strategy where we trail behind Europe? ”

The government will also respond to Conservative MP Chris Skidmore’s evaluation of net zero by 2050. It claimed it is implementing 23 of Mr. Skidmore’s 25 January report recommendations.

Innovative Technology Transforming India 2023

Innovative technology addressing population-scale problems are accelerating India’s digital revolution. The tech ecosystem is transforming the country, not just tech companies.

Santhosh Viswanathan, Managing Director & Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Communications Group of Intel India, spoke to Indiatimes on how technology are tackling local issues and India’s digital revolution.

India’s digitization

Viswanathan said India is on the verge of fast digital change. To make India genuinely digital, the government, industry, and academics are collaborating. Tech solutions like Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud and Intel’s Xeon processors made India’s vaccination platform CoWin, which “at its peak scaled to more than 3.2 billion accesses a day,” possible.

Smart solutions push limits daily. CUSAT and Union Christian College researchers created an AI-powered breast cancer tumor detection and classification solution. Aster DM Healthcare and analytics platform CARPL developed India’s first secure federated learning-based health data platform. Viswanathan noted that this boosts innovation in drug research, diagnostics, genomics, and predictive healthcare and allows clinical trials to safely access important data sets.

Is India maximizing technology?

Intel’s Viswanathan stated “developing” regions are leapfrogging by using technology. AI breakthroughs are improving road safety, a national issue. Onboard Fleet Services, an AI-powered fleet safety solution for commercial vehicles specifically developed for Indian roads, might save lives.

Viswanathan noted that “in the previous few years, India has achieved great achievements in the digital payment ecosystem, which I feel is an ideal illustration of our country’s progress from being a cash-driven economy to a cashless one.” Tech titans in India fuel this by collaborating throughout the ecosystem.

In December 2022, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which Viswanathan dubbed “a game-changer in India’s digital payment landscape,” processed over 7.82 billion transactions. He said that India generates 20% of global data but hosts only 2% of it. He claimed data is the new oil and data centers are refineries. India might realize its digital economic potential with ecosystem assistance.

Microsoft and Google Outperform Apple and Amazon in Generative AI 2023

With the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, several technology investors are focusing on the progress made by Google’s parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT) with ChatGPT. So where do Amazon.com (AMZN) and Apple (AAPL), the creators of voice assistants Alexa and Siri that predicted ChatGPT, now stand in generative artificial intelligence?

According to industry observers, Amazon and Apple have fallen behind in the AI race. Amazon is pleased to deploy AI technology in its cloud-computing business, having withdrawn from selling smart home gadgets.

And Apple’s advancements in artificial intelligence have been modest, despite the company’s recruitment of top AI experts from Google and others. Apple stock is under increasing pressure to immediately handle AI applications on iPhones. As opposed to allowing consumers to use Chatbot-type applications that are remotely processed in the internet cloud.

Apple and Amazon are attempting to catch up while Google and Microsoft continue to grow their AI companies, reigniting an ongoing competition in the process.

Google Vs. Microsoft In Artificial Intelligence

The major concern for Google is whether it will lose market share to Microsoft in internet search. Others also question if the needed computer power of AI chatbot technology in internet search would reduce commercial margins.

Investors anticipate a rise in corporate demand for artificial intelligence-enhanced Microsoft Office productivity solutions. Microsoft now appears to be winning the AI public relations war.

Microsoft and Alphabet continue to make AI-based announcements, but investors should anticipate that the revenue gains from generative AI will be of a longer-term nature, according to a recent note from Evercore ISI analyst Kirk Materne.

In regards to generative AI, he continued, “It is too early to proclaim a winner, and the fact is that there will be numerous victors.”

Google and Microsoft are two AI-related companies to watch.

How This Generative AI Will Rewrite The Rules

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is just one of numerous generative AI technologies that might disrupt a variety of sectors by automatically generating text, graphics, video, and computer programming code. Furthermore, generative AI technology is already being utilized in a variety of fields. Marketing, advertising, medication development, legal contracts, video games, customer service, and digital art are included.

Google made its Bard chatbot available in the U.S. and the U.K. on March 21. It competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, whose largest backer is Microsoft.

Apple debuted Siri in October 2011 meantime. Alexa launched in 2014 on Amazon. According to analysts, voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa deliver restricted replies to simple requests. They receive no instruction on large databases such as ChatGPT.

IBD questioned the Google chatbot Bard why ChatGPT is superior to Siri and Alexa. ChatGPT is deemed superior than Alexa and Siri in terms of its capacity to engage in genuine conversations and access and interpret information from the actual world, according to Bard.

Amazon’s Artificial Intelligence Hugging Face

IDC forecasts that global shipments of smart-home devices would fall 2.6% to 874 million units this year.

Amazon, for its part, has teamed with artificial intelligence (AI) firm Hugging Face to expand its cloud computing business. Hugging Face, like OpenAI, has constructed enormous language models that serve as the foundation for developing AI applications. Hugging Face’s capabilities will be made available to Amazon Web Services’ cloud clients.

A recent client note from RBC Capital stated, “Although Amazon may appear to be at a relative disadvantage at the present, we believe they have the potential to be a quick following in generative workloads.”

“Although the agreement with Hugging Face offers Amazon access to the models that can be trained and deployed via SageMaker, the fact that Google and Microsoft do not control the models themselves might be perceived as a relative disadvantage,” the study continued. In addition, it is unclear if they have an obvious method for disseminating generative AI to make it more apparent to people outside Alexa devices.

According to the RBC analysis, Amazon utilizes AI technology throughout its core e-commerce operations. This comprises product suggestions for customers, search relevance, supply chain management, fraud detection, picture recognition, and customer service.

Will Generative AI Impact Apple Shares?

Meanwhile, the majority of Apple’s Siri developers have departed the business. John Giannandrea, Google’s head of artificial intelligence, was recruited by Apple in 2018. Samy Bengio, an artificial intelligence expert at Google, was hired by Apple in 2021.

Apple’s accomplishments remain obscure in the midst of the unexpected emergence of generative AI. According to a rumor, Giannandrea currently leads the development of Apple Car.

Moreover, Apple has a stake in the search engine competition between Microsoft and Google. iPhones utilize Google as their default search engine. Google pays Apple TAC, or “traffic acquisition charges.”

Additionally, if Microsoft gains search market share, the Google-Apple agreement might be affected, according to Tim Long, an analyst at Barclays.

“The buzz surrounding Bing/ChatGPT might force Google to strengthen the (search) agreement with Apple, perhaps at higher fees,” added Long. Moreover, he projected that Google paid Apple around $17 billion in 2022 for search rights on iPhones.

“Creating an enterprise-class search product would be incredibly costly and time intensive for Apple, but the firm has acquired a number of former Google AI and search professionals over the years, so it’s not inconceivable that this is in the works,” Long noted.

Apple is Acquiring AI Startups.

Apple has bought a number of artificial intelligence businesses, such as Drive.ai and Xnor.ai.

In addition, researchers anticipate an increase in the direct processing of information on cellphones rather than remotely in the internet cloud. For instance, Qualcomm (QCOM) is developing AI processing for smartphones running Google’s Android platform.

Local device processing will increase, according to Sridhar Ramaswamy, co-founder and CEO of internet search firm Neeva and former senior vice president at Google. Apple currently designs its own microprocessors, the central processing units of personal computers and mobile devices.

In a recent interview, he stated, “iPhones are equipped with GPUs to enable features such as Face ID.” For certain types of applications, a great deal can be done locally, but given the scope of Web search, this may not be an option.

WiMi Hologram Cloud Creates Interactive Holographic 3D Visualization Technology for Intelligent Interaction 2023

The creation of an interactive holographic 3D visualization system has been disclosed by a global leader in Hologram Augmented Reality (“AR”) Technologies. The interactive holographic 3D visualization system is an application system that integrates numerous advanced technologies and means, including digital twin networks, multimedia integration technologies, and human-computer interaction.

This integrated system may provide realistic information presentation and interaction and bridge the natural and virtual worlds.

WiMi employs 3D visualization technology to generate identical visual interaction scenes in the virtual environment as the physical model. The intuitive visualization display of the system enables users to comprehend the site from multiple levels and perspectives.

Using the digital twin network, the system matches the expression of each information system in the physical area to its digital model and connects each information system to construct a comprehensive and dynamically mutable 3D visualization interactive system.

By interacting the data of each system with the site environment, users can obtain comprehensive and accurate real information from a real virtual space or model, analyze and simulate these data dynamically, and visualize the data in the digital 3D area, thereby forming a complete real-time data-driven system.

The system also leverages multimedia integration technology to give users with a variety of integrated perspectives, including data visualization, network information sharing, historical information querying, data storage, etc.

With the growing popularity of artificial intelligence in the digital age, human-computer intelligence interaction methods are also evolving.

Artificial intelligence interaction has been used to smart automobiles, smart homes, industrial production, government services, finance, education, and the medical area.

In the future, interaction approaches such as WiMi’s interactive holographic 3D visualization system may progressively become the norm for human-computer intelligent contact, fostering a more mindful and effective connection between the natural world and the digital virtual.

About WIMI Hologram Cloud

WIMI Hologram Cloud, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIMI) is a holographic cloud technical solution provider focusing on professional areas such as holographic AR automotive HUD software, 3D holographic pulse LiDAR, head-mounted light field holographic equipment, holographic semiconductor, holographic cloud software, holographic car navigation, and others. Holographic AR automotive application, 3D holographic pulse LiDAR technology, holographic vision semiconductor technology, holographic software development, holographic AR advertising technology, holographic AR entertainment technology, holographic ARSDK payment, interactive holographic communication, and other holographic AR technologies are among its services and holographic AR technologies.

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Additionally, the Company may make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 20F and 6K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors, or employees to third parties.

There are inherent risks and uncertainties in forward-looking statements. Several factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forwardlooking statement, including but not limited to: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development, financial condition, and results of operations; the anticipated growth of the AR holographic industry; and the Company’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services.

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Securitas Launches Securitas is a brand of technology 2023

After the completion of the company’s acquisition of STANLEY Security in July 2022, Securitas has introduced a new brand in the electronic security services market under the name Securitas Technologies. STANLEY Security, which was acquired by Securitas from Stanley Black & Decker in the summer of 2018 for a reported price of $3.2 billion, and the electronic security operations section of Securitas have been combined under the new name.

Over 13,000 individuals are currently employed by the recently established Securitas Technologies across the world, with 5,100 of them persons working as field technicians. There are around 500 coworkers residing in the UK. The company offers individualized solutions for design, installation, monitoring, and analytics in the areas of video surveillance, access control, intrusion protection, and integrated security systems.

We are excited to debut Securitas Technologies and show customers our incredible security partner value.

Reuters claimed that at the time of the purchase of STANLEY Security, Securitas was trying to minimize its dependency on guarding services and grow its market position in the electronic security services industry. This was one of the motivations for the acquisition of STANLEY Security.

Tony Byerly, the global president of Securitas Technology, expressed his excitement over the company’s formal debut, saying, “We are happy to officially launch Securitas Technology and share with customers the amazing value we provide as a security partner.” “

As a worldwide supplier, we are distinguished by three key advantages: our people, our technology, and our knowledge. I am really proud of the organization that we are constructing together, as well as the extensive history and in-depth industry experience that contribute to our position as a global leader.

Vincent Poty, the UK Commercial Leader, explains that with Securitas Technologies, “we are developing something distinct and unique in the field of electronic security.” It expresses our sense of service, competence in technology, and capacity for innovation, all of which, when combined, will help our customers in a world that is always evolving.

How Can Creative Technology Create Memory Structures and Long-Term Brands? 2023

Technology in our industry is taxing. With continual and quick breakthroughs in AI and an unknown future for mixed reality, marketers often embark on tech trends that are either fleeting or irrelevant to their consumers to stay up. I still love tech. As I write this, I see the Meta team testing the new Quest Pro and creative teams using Midjourney to create gorgeous reference photos.

Technology is disrupting our industry. New technology helps us build lasting client relationships by offering new experiences and value.

After seeing “Les Binet,” the godfather of effectiveness, talk at SXSW this year, I was encouraged to consider experiential technology’s role in long-term brand growth. Successful brands grow slowly and methodically, as Les’s thesis shows. How can we ensure that our great, often consumer-centric technological activations complement our brands as they transform people’s thoughts and feelings?

First, AMV, a megabrand I love. WHISKASTM developed Purr More in 2022. A brand platform to bring warmth and enchantment to a cat parent favorite. WHISKASTM used two levers to create Purr More: reinforcing that cats purr more with WHISKASTM and assisting cat parents maintain their cats humming throughout their lives. We employed creative technologies to bring these two levers to life and strengthen brand platform memory.

We created “Pay by Purr,” an AI model that could classify purrs from charming to sensual, to reinforce the initial lever. We offered interested cat owners a web-based AR experience that rewarded louder purrs with greater incentives. Cat parents who couldn’t get this purr were given Whiskas vouchers.

Ask the Cats’ second lever support. AI-talking cats run a help content ecosystem. Pet owners may beg cats for aid, goods, or services

These first-in-class technologies reinforce the memory structures developed in the Purr More campaign and continue to be a valuable entryway to actually knowing and understanding our consumer, gathering first-party data and helping us to build a true connection with them over time.

We Capital’s “Data Tienda” campaign, which supports low-income Mexican women’s financial inclusion, won a Grand Prize at Cannes. The tool allows them to collect data on unbanked women’s payment behavior in local retailers, developing a credit history and unlocking microcredits for company startups. The brand’s DNA drives great narrative. We Capital’s product story complemented their brand positioning.

Will Harvey’s SXSW lecture on how technology enhances narrative inspired me. The most intriguing technique is to use our senses. Using our senses strengthens memory. Scent evokes remembrance. Whether it’s a linen air freshener that takes you back to your parents’ house or a tune that brings back your wedding day. Could we activate smell, taste, and touch in video production? Creating stronger memories.

Michelob Ultra’s 2022 Cannes Gold winner “Mcenroe vs Mcenroe” evoked nostalgia. The FCB and Unit9 execution was amazing and remained in my mind (especially as a tennis lover). Using this approach, I doubt it was successful. I had to ask GPT whose brand had sponsored the trial weeks later. That was a powerful commercial, but I didn’t like the beer or the brand.

We may be enthused about how disruptive technology can supercharge our brand experiences, allowing us to build activations that generate short-term buzz and exponential growth. Memories, sentiments, and impressions now provide long-term ROI. If Les is correct and brand communications is consumer training, creative technology can assist that instruction stick in our minds.

According to Intuit QuickBooks Study, 90% of accountants expect technology to grow their firms in 2023

TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, a worldwide financial technology platform, released fresh statistics showing how accountants are using technology and AI to expand their businesses and better serve their clients.
The Intuit QuickBooks Accountant Technology Study, which polled 2,000 U.S. accountants, also examines how organizations are reacting to the talent pipeline reduction while remaining optimistic about the profession.

“As our most valued partners, we wanted to dig deeper into what macro trends are impacting accountants so we can continue to focus on further developing the technology they need most to grow the business,” said Jeremy Sulzmann, Vice President, Intuit QuickBooks Partners Segment. 43% of accountants serve more than 40 clients.

AI and Tech Adoption Grows Firms

86% of respondents agree that technology will play a significant role in the growth and expansion of their practices in the next year, and in 2023, accountants expect to spend an average of $15,800 on technology improvements and upgrades. Nearly half expect to invest in and adopt automation tools.

“AI has powerful potential, and accountants are hungry to capitalize on what it has to offer,” Sulzmann said. “We see this appetite today with emerging tech, such as generative AI, as accountants look for ways to leverage new technologies that create efficiencies and free up their time to pursue higher-value work and better serve their clients. At QuickBooks, we recognize this demand and build solutions into our platform to provide an AI-driven expert platform.

91% of early adopters of these technologies say innovative tech has helped them support their clients’ evolving needs over the past two years. However, 31% say trusting the solution’s accuracy is a top concern for adopting technology like AI.

Expecting Business Boom

Even with external factors like inflation, 82% of accountants expect growth in 2023. More than 60% say clients’ financial needs have increased. Technology is a key contributor to this bullish view, with 41% citing their increased revenue as a result of technology improvements they previously implemented. Accountants also say that providing better value to clients, updating workflows, and adding new services contribute to this bullish view.

Satisfaction High, Talent Pipeline Poor

Despite 69% of workers being content with their positions, a lack of fresh talent entering the business raises concerns about the future.

Notwithstanding concerns about the talent pipeline, 82% of accountants would suggest the area to new professionals, citing high pay and earning potential.

More than nine in 10 (94%) respondents reported that a dwindling pipeline of young accountants entering the profession is one of the biggest talent challenges, and 90% have experienced hiring challenges over the past year, with particular difficulty hiring individuals with more than five years of experience. As a result, 87% of accountants say succession planning is a priority.

Mentoring (36%), qualification fees (36%), development chances (36%), and training (36%).

Visit FirmoftheFuture.com to read about QuickBooks’ newest developments and how it’s benefiting the accounting community. Visit the Intuit blog to understand how Intuit is offering AI-powered solutions to over 10 million small and mid-sized company customers, including accountants.

Intuit QuickBooks Accountant and Tech Survey Methodology

In January 2023, Intuit surveyed 2,000 US accountants aged 18+. 54% work for an accounting firm or own an accounting business, and 46% work for a non-accounting firm as an in-house accountant. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest decimal place, so some charts or statistics shown here or on the QuickBooks blog may not add up to 100% but 99% or 101%.

About Intuit

Intuit is the global financial technology platform that powers prosperity for the people and communities we serve. With more than 100 million customers worldwide using TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to prosper and never stop finding new, innovative ways to make that possible. Please visit us for the latest information about Intuit, our products, and services, and find us on social.