The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised concerns around the dominance ‘Big Tech’ holds over the AI market.

The CMA highlights an “interconnected web” of AI partnerships that involve the same 6 organisations: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Nvidia. In a speech delivered by Sarah Cardell, the Chief Executive of the CMA, she emphasised the potential impact on fair competition posed by the influence these companies have over the AI space:

The essential challenge we face is how to harness this immensely exciting technology for the benefit of all, while safeguarding against potential exploitation of market power and unintended consequences.

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA

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The World Cybercrime Index has been published following three years of research by academics from the University of Oxford and the University of New South Wales Canberra.

The rankings were based on data gathered by the researchers, which saw them survey almost 100 cybercrime experts from around the world, and asked each to identify the most significant sources of five major types of cybercrime, ranking countries according to the impact, professionalism and technical skill of its criminals.

The reports places Russia, Ukraine, and China in the top 3 for greatest cybercrime threat. The UK comes in at number 8.

Read more here.

In a welcome move to boost the UK’s AI credentials, Microsoft have announces that they are opening a new office in London dedicated to AI research and development.

In his announcement, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, praised the UK’s AI sector and reiterates the company’s support for UK AI development:

There is an enormous pool of AI talent and expertise in the UK. Microsoft AI plans to make a significant, long-term investment in the region as we begin hiring the best AI scientists and engineers into this new AI hub.

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI

Read more here.