London's status as a centre of technological innovation and excellence received a boost on Monday with the announcement that Microsoft intends to build an artificial intelligence hub in the UK capital.
The tech giant said it will start recruiting AI engineers for the hub at Paddington, and is “actively hiring exceptional individuals who want to work on the most interesting and challenging AI questions of our time”, Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of Microsoft AI, said in a blog post.
The new London hub will be run by Jordan Hoffmann, an AI engineer who worked with Mr Suleyman when they were both at Google DeepMind and Infection AI.
“I’m deeply aware of the extraordinary talent pool and AI ecosystem in the UK,” Mr Suleyman said.
“I know, through my close work with thought leaders in the UK government, business community and academia, that the country is committed to advancing AI responsibly and with a safety-first commitment to drive investment, innovation and economic growth.”
The Microsoft AI London hub adds to the tech giant's existing presence in the UK, which includes the Microsoft Research Cambridge lab.
At the same time, it complements Microsoft’s £2.5 billion investment aimed at upskilling the British workforce for the advent of AI and building the infrastructure to power the AI economy, including bringing 20,000 of the most advanced graphic processors (GPUs) to the UK by 2026.
London attracts AI
Microsoft's move illustrates the growing magnetism of London as a place for the business of advanced technology, and especially AI.
Just last year, ChatGPT developer Open AI made London the destination for its first office outside the US, and C3.ai relocated its European headquarters from Paris to London.
Meanwhile, the biotech company Recursion Pharmaceuticals announced last month that it will open an AI unit in the King's Cross area of London in June.
In November, the UK hosted the first world AI Summit, with politicians, tech leaders, diplomats and entrepreneurs gathering at the famous Bletchley Park site, where top British codebreakers once cracked Nazi Germany's “Enigma” code.
The summit aimed to take steps to create a set of global guiding principles in the development of AI.
The UK government asked its regulators to publish plans by the end of April for responding to AI risks and opportunities, with instructions to produce binding requirements for most advanced general-purpose AI systems.
In February it said developers building the most advanced AI systems must be accountable for making these technologies sufficiently safe.
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THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
ELECTION%20RESULTS
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Honeymoonish
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
'Will%20of%20the%20People'
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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