Starter for Ten - Summertime and the livin' is easy
Summer is definitely here and no doubt many of you have spent time outdoors enjoying the sunshine this weekend. And a few may have enjoyed a cold glass of bubbly to enjoy in the good weather. We continue to toast the rise and rise of the quality and popularity of English fizz with the UK having a record-breaking year for accolades, scooping 151 medals at the?2022 Decanter World Wine Awards?alone. In preparation for English Wine Week (17 June -?25 June) here is a list the?top12 English sparkling wines?that you might like to try.
Friday was the start of Pride Month so we tried our hand at?Midjourney?to help us design some images to celebrate the month. We're still improving our prompts, but certainly, this is proving a useful tool.?
Nurturing a vibrant and inclusive startup ecosystem in the UK
The UK is widely recognised for its entrepreneurial spirit and this, aligned to a rich investor base, deep pools of talent and respected legal and regulatory frameworks, has long made it regarded as one of the best places to start a business, globally.?However, it is also acknowledged that barriers remain – notably for businesses that are founded outside of London.
There were some key themes discussed at the recent?Treasury Select Committee?hearing?on the UK venture capital landscape, including addressing the challenges in accessing funding and capital, the critical role of government and policy, and the need for a fairer and more diverse ecosystem, including a greater focus on the regions.
Mercia's CEO, Mark Payton, was invited to take part in the hearing that you can also watch via the link in the main report.
LinkedIn integrates more buyer intent signals into their Sales Navigator alerts
LinkedIn has?added some new elements?to its?Sales Navigator?business dashboard, which will provide more insight into potential leads based on your existing client lists, along with new product interest insights that factor in LinkedIn activity.?Mercia and FDC's marketing teams spent a morning last week at LinkedIn's London HQ to find out more about these updates and its near-term technology roadmap.
First off, LinkedIn’s added a new ‘Account Hub’ functionality, which will prioritise buyer listings based on various data points. LinkedIn’s also integrating its ‘Product Category Intent’ info into its Sales Navigator, which will show you which products a potential buyer has shown?an interest in, based on their LinkedIn activity. LinkedIn’s also adding similar buying intent signals into its search filters, while it’s also integrating more purchase interest signals into its Sales Navigator alerts.
AI rules coming ‘way too late,’ EU official warns
Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s top tech official, warned that proposed AI regulations will come “way too late,” and a code of conduct for the industry is needed as soon as possible.?Vestager said regulations could take two years, adding, “We need to act now”.
A group of tech leaders and experts—including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—signed?a?letter last Tuesday that warned mitigating the “risk of extinction” posed by AI should be a “global priority.”?Leaders at the G7 Summit—including Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the U.S., the U.K. and Germany—also?called for?regulations on AI in an effort to make the technology more “trustworthy.”?
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Inclusivity tips to celebrate Pride
Implementing inclusion initiatives at your workplace is something that should be happening year-round, but Pride month is a great time to celebrate some of the strategies that work best supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.?
?? Stand Firm for Equality: When the status quo contradicts our core values of equality and inclusivity, we need to have the courage to challenge it. Difficult conversations are stepping stones to meaningful change.
??? Encourage Open Dialogues: Let's not just allow, but actively promote spaces for free discussions about LGBTQIA+ rights and experiences.?
?? Build Networks of Allyship: Being an ally isn't a passive role. It requires active participation in LGBTQIA+ led initiatives, attending Pride events, and fostering supportive networks.
Death by GPT syndrome
This week, a veteran New York lawyer of 30 years’ standing will face a disciplinary hearing over a novel kind of misdemeanour: including bogus AI-generated content in a legal brief.
Steven Schwartz, from the firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, had submitted a 10-page document to a New York court as part of a personal injury claim against Avianca airlines. The trouble was, as the judge discovered on closer reading, the submission contained entirely fictional judicial decisions and citations that the generative AI model ChatGPT had “hallucinated”.
As many millions of people have discovered, ChatGPT can create extremely plausible, but highly fallible, content.?