July Coffee & Cake Briefing
Carruthers and Jackson
help people harness data to think and then do, differently.
Find this month’s top data stories that you might have missed below.
Almost two-thirds of British jobs could be “enhanced” with AI,?Google?has claimed, with only a tiny proportion at risk of being “phased out” entirely. “Fewer than 50% of people are actually taking advantage of these tools in their working life on a day to day basis,” said Debbie Weinstein, managing director of Google UK. “The uptake of these tools is very low, and I think the only way we’re going to unlock the potential of what AI can do is actually by getting people to use them, and to feel confident and capable about them.”
The UK’s data protection regulator has issued a reprimand to the London Borough of Hackney over its handling of a cyber attack. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the council had “failed to effectively implement sufficient measures” to protect its systems from attack. The data accessed included information related to religious beliefs, health, criminal records, economic data and details of sexual orientation, among other personal identifiers.
Researchers have called on the government to step in to settle a dispute preventing them from fully exploiting the world’s largest store of human genetic data. The scientists say they are unable to access patients’ data, held by British GPs, despite a decade of requests, and that the refusal is impeding the development of new diagnoses and treatments.
Researchers studying sperm whale communication have uncovered sophisticated structures similar to those found in the human language. Using AI, they are able to sift through enormous datasets and reveal previously unknown diversity and complexity in animal communication. Remarkably, researchers claim to have used AI to decode a "sperm whale phonetic alphabet," providing new insights into the intricate ways the animals communicate.
Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds are among seven banks to share customer data with the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the largest project of its kind worldwide to tackle criminal gangs, money laundering and "dirty money" flowing through the country.
The new Government has recently announced a new Digital Information and Smart Data Bill. The bill aims to “ensure we harness the power of data for economic growth, to support a modern digital government, and to improve people’s lives.”
The legislation will create a statutory basis for data to be used in digital verification services – such as digital identities and age verification services.
The bill will also support the creation of smart data schemes, whereby customer information can be shared with authorised providers to develop new and innovative services.
The legislation will also make it easier for government departments to share data, introduce a digital system for registration of births and deaths, and determine IT standards for suppliers to the health and care sector.
As planned by the Tory administration, the bill will also reform the role of the ICO, with a new structure and greater powers.
US telecoms operator AT&T has revealed details of a data breach it learned about in April this year, which affected “nearly all” its wireless customers and Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that use its network.
The company revealed that customer data was illegally downloaded from an AT&T workspace on a third-party cloud platform.
Call and text records between May 1st and October 31st 2022 were leaked for nearly all of AT&T’s wireless customers, the customers of MVNOs that use its network and AT&T landline customers that interacted with the cellular numbers.
AT&T said that no personally identifiable information such as social security numbers or dates of birth were leaked, nor were the time stamps or contents of calls or texts.
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However, “While the data does not include customer names, there are often ways, using publicly available online tools, to find the name associated with a specific telephone number,” AT&T’s statement said.
It’s no surprise that this month's news agenda has been dominated by the recent UK election and the new Labour government.
The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill was one of 39 legislative initiatives presented in the King’s Speech this month which outlined plans for the recently elected Labor government.
It revealed?aims to establish a ‘Digital Verification Services’ platform that will allow for the creation and adoption of “secure and trusted digital identity products and services from certified providers”.
According to the bill, digital verification services will help people prove information about themselves and allow for smoother online transactions.
Supporters of Digital ID’s in the UK make many claims for their benefits, ranging from making the process of buying a house more straightforward to offering an easier way to manage immigration. However, ?privacy campaigners say it amounts to an unnecessary collection of personal data by the state. Members of the public also had some concerns around potential identity fraud and large companies that are not based in the UK accessing their data.
Following the huge amount of public discussions about new suggested data practices, its of paramount importance that any changes enacted are implemented effectively. Transparency, safety and security need to be at the centre of the government's data stratergy.
It's crucial that any organisation dealing with data (especially sensitive information about the public), reduces risk in every way possible and ensures full compliance with data protection legislation. ?This approach will not only limit the likelihood of harmful, disruptive data breaches but will also promote public trust.
C&J News – Big news announced yesterday that we will be joining forces with Corndel, an award-winning strategic skills and development company, in a new strategic partnership. Find out more about the exciting news here.
C&J In Raconteur - Our amazing CEO, Caroline Carruthers was featured in Raconteur, talking about the plans to expand the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)?. Enjoy the article here.
C&J Summer School Hits Half Way! What a few weeks its been! We have been lucky enough to be joined by some amazing guest speakers, such as Aaron Wilkerson from Carharrt, Scott Taylor - The Data Whisperer, Brian Erickson from the US Coast Guard, David Atherton from Praesto Consulting, Nick Barth from MicroStratergy and Thomas Neal from Corndel!
C&J Discusses The Role of a CAIO! Caroline was also featured in ITPro, discussing how, when, and why to hire a Chief AI Officer. To learn more read the full article here.
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6 个月Carruthers and Jackson hosting great events, as per usual. I highly recommend attending should you have opportunity.