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May 2024

May 15
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Featured Article : Currys, Accenture, Microsoft & New ‘GPT-4o’

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International omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, Currys, has selected Accenture and Microsoft to deliver the core cloud technology infrastructure that will enable it to leverage the latest generative AI technologies.

Accenture? 

Accenture is a US multinational professional services company (IT services, cloud, data, AI, and consulting) headquartered in Dublin, that helps leading businesses, governments and other organisations build their digital core. Accenture says it has 742,000 “people serving clients” in more than 120 countries.

Why? 

Accenture says their involvement with Microsoft, as part of their joint venture called Avanade (established back in 2000), will be working closely with Currys to “modernise, secure and simplify its technology estate” with the intention “enabling Currys to accelerate the adoption of Microsoft AI technologies such as Azure OpenAI Service”.

What Will It Do For Currys? 

Currys says that using Microsoft’s AI technologies will enable it to “unlock value across every part of the business” bringing benefits like:

– Making it easier for customers to shop due to personalised and relevant product information and suggestions tailored to the consumer’s needs at the correct the moment.

– Improved customer retention and loyalty through the provision of improved post-sales experience and warranty services.

– A better experience for staff because they will be equipped with faster and easier access to information including product availability, delivery costs, and add-on services so they can better serve customers and identify potential cross and upselling opportunities.

– Future growth and profitability through the integration of AI into marketing, HR, finance, and legal processes. Currys anticipates that this will increase productivity across core business functions and that AI could be used to create/reveal opportunities to improve omnichannel experiences.

Net Zero?

It’s also hoped that this transition to embracing AI will help accelerate Currys’ journey to meet its net zero emissions before the 2040 target by moving nine existing data centres (including more than 2000 servers and 200 applications) onto Azure, to create a more energy efficient infrastructure.

Technological Leap 

Alex Baldock, Group CEO of Currys plc said: “AI is the biggest technological leap of our lifetime. Currys exists to help everyone enjoy amazing technology, so as well as bringing the benefits of AI to millions of customers, we’ll do the same to our own business.” 

Ralph Haupter, President (EMEA) at Microsoft said of its new deal with Currys: “By deploying the latest cloud and AI technologies, Currys can enhance the shopping experience for millions of customers, both in-store and online, whilst ensuring its 25,000 employees have the insights at their fingertips to unlock value across the entire business.” 

Competition

What Currys hasn’t mentioned in its announcement about its deal with Microsoft and Accenture is that it will enable Currys to compete with other major retailers who are already leveraging AI technologies from Microsoft and Accenture. These include, for example, John Lewis Partnership, Argos (part of Sainsbury’s), Tesco, Amazon, and AO World.

Currys has faced mixed financial performance in recent years due to challenges like increased competition, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer behaviour. Also, Currys has seen a decline in physical store sales but has tried to offset this with growth in its online sales. Efforts to streamline operations and cut costs have been part of their strategy to adapt to market conditions and improve financial stability, and the deal with Microsoft and Accenture could, therefore, be seen as part of this strategy.

Open AI Announces “Omni” Model 

Just four days after the Currys/Microsoft/ Accenture announcement, OpenAI (which is a close partner of Microsoft) made another significant AI announcement with the release of its next-generation GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”) model – now available in ChatGPT. Open AI says it is: “a step towards much more natural human-computer interaction” and that it “accepts as input any combination of text, audio, and image and generates any combination of text, audio, and image outputs.” 

OpenAI has also been keen to stress how fast it is (compared to 3.5 and 4.0) saying: “It can respond to audio inputs in as little as 232 milliseconds, with an average of 320 milliseconds, which is similar to human response time in a conversation.” 

Omni’s key USPs include advanced contextual understanding, superior problem-solving skills, a broader knowledge base, and (apparently) robust ethical safeguards.

Here’s a brief summary of the key features of GPT-4o: 

– Multimodal capabilities. GPT-4o can process and generate text, images, audio, and video, enabling diverse applications like image descriptions, video summaries, and interactive media experiences.

– Improved contextual understanding. It can maintain coherence over long conversations, making it highly effective for virtual assistants and other roles requiring extended interactions.

– Advanced problem-solving skills. OpenAI says GPT-4o offers enhanced reasoning, logic, and problem-solving abilities, suitable for tackling complex mathematical problems, data analysis, and scientific research.

– Real-time adaptability. Omni can adjust responses dynamically based on user feedback and changing contexts, improving personalisation and accuracy.

– A broader knowledge base, because it’s been trained on a larger, more diverse dataset, thereby enabling it to offer accurate and informed responses across a wide range of topics.

– Ethical and safe AI practices (according to Accenture) which incorporate advanced safety mechanisms to detect and mitigate harmful content, bias, and misinformation.

– Enhanced integration capabilities for easy embedding into various applications, such as chatbots, customer service platforms, and content creation tools.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Currys’ collaboration with Microsoft and Accenture to integrate AI technologies into its operations is a strategic move aimed at transforming its business model and enhancing its competitive edge. By leveraging advanced AI solutions, Currys hopes to streamline its technology infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, unlock value, improve productivity, and deliver personalised customer experiences. Currys no doubt hopes that AI could help it turn around some of the performance of recent years and improve how its online business operates as it moves away from physical stores.

For Currys, the benefits are, therefore, many. For example, the more tailored and personalised shopping experiences that AI can bring could enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Also, improved post-sales services, facilitated by AI, could further boost customer retention. Additionally, equipping staff with AI-powered could help drive sales growth. Not forgetting the core functions, integrating AI into HR, finance, and legal processes could increase productivity for Currys and reveal new growth opportunities, particularly in enhancing omnichannel experiences.

It could also be noted that transitioning to a more energy-efficient infrastructure powered by Microsoft’s Azure could help Currys in its net zero emissions by 2040 ambitions, helping the company to present a greener image.

This story also shows how (in the broader business landscape) AI is proving to be a significant advantage across various sectors. Companies using AI are being seen to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and make data-driven decisions more effectively. The ability of AI to process vast amounts of data and generate actionable insights is transforming industries from retail and finance to healthcare and logistics, providing a competitive edge to those who adopt it.

The recent launch of OpenAI’s GPT-4o also underscores the rapid advancements in AI technology. With its multimodal capabilities, GPT-4o looks like being a versatile tool for diverse applications. Also, for many ChatGPT users, news that it’s extremely fast will be welcome, and its real-time adaptability, superior problem-solving skills and broad knowledge base may make it a very useful model for the many businesses that are increasingly reliant on generative AI to help with their productivity, innovation, efficiency, and customer engagement.

For OpenAI, the launch of GPT-4o could, of course, strengthens its position in what is already now a highly competitive AI industry and could (probably for a brief period) set a new benchmark for competitors.

May 15
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Tech Insight : What Are ‘Deadbots’?

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Following warnings by ethicists at Cambridge University that AI chatbots made to simulate the personalities of deceased loved ones could be used to spam family and friends, we take a look at the subject of so-called “deadbots”.

Griefbots, Deadbots, Postmortem Avatars 

The Cambridge study, entitled “Griefbots, Deadbots, Postmortem Avatars: on Responsible Applications of Generative AI in the Digital Afterlife Industry” looks at the negative consequences and ethical concerns of adoption of generative AI solutions in what it calls “the digital afterlife industry (DAI)”. 

Scenarios 

As suggested by the title of the study, a ‘deadbot’ is a digital avatar or AI chatbot designed to simulate the personality and behaviour of a deceased individual. The Cambridge study used simulations and different scenarios to try and understand the effects that these AI clones trained on data about the deceased, known as “deadbots” or “griefbots”, could have on living loved ones if made to interact with them as part of this kind of service.

Who Could Make Deadbots and Why?

The research involved several scenarios designed to highlight the issues around the use of deadbots. For example, the possible negative uses of deadbots highlighted in the study included:

– A subscription app that can create a free AI re-creation of a deceased relative (a grandmother in the study), trained on their data, and which can exchange text messages with and contact the living loved one, in a similar way that the deceased relative used to (via WhatsApp) giving the impression that they are still around to talk to. The study scenario showed how the bot could be made to mimic the deceased loved one’s grandmother’s “accent and dialect when synthesising her voice, as well as her characteristic syntax and consistent typographical errors when texting”. However, the study showed how this deadbot service could also be made to output messages that include advertisements in the loved one’s voice, thereby causing the loved one distress. The study also looked at how further distress could be caused if the app designers did not fully consider the user’s feelings around deleting the account and the deadbot, such as if provision is not made to allow them to say goodbye to the deadbot in a meaningful way.

– A service allowing a dying relative (e.g. a father and grandfather), to create their own deadbot that will allow their younger relatives (i.e. children and grandchildren) to get to know them better after they’ve died. The study highlighted negative consequences of this type of service, such as the dying relative not getting consent from the children and grandchildren to be contacted by the ‘deadbolt’ and the resulting unsolicited notifications, reminders, and updates from the deadbot, leaving relatives distressed and feeling as though they were being ‘haunted’ or even ‘stalked’.

Examples of services and apps that already exist and offer to recreate the dead with AI include ‘Project December’, and apps like ‘HereAfter’.

Many Potential Issues 

As shown by the examples in the Cambridge research (there were 3 main scenarios), the use of deadbots raise several ethical, psychological and social concerns. Some of the potential ways they could be harmful, unethical, or exploitative (along with the negative feelings they might provoke in loved ones) include concerns, such as:

– Consent and autonomy. As noted in the Cambridge study, a primary concern is whether the deceased gave consent for their personality, appearance, or private thoughts to be used in this way. Using someone’s identity without their explicit consent could be seen as a violation of their autonomy and dignity.

– Accuracy and representation: There is a risk that the AI might not accurately represent the deceased’s personality or views, potentially spreading misinformation or creating a false image that could tarnish their memory.

– Commercial exploitation. The study looked at how a deadbot could be used for advertising because the potential for commercial exploitation of a deceased person’s identity is a real concern. Companies could use deadbots for profit, exploiting a person’s image or personality without fair compensation to their estate or consideration of their legacy.

– Contractual issues. For example, relatives may find themselves in a situation where they are powerless to have an AI deadbot simulation suspended, e.g. if their deceased loved one signed a lengthy contract with a digital afterlife service.

Psychological and Social Impacts 

The Cambridge study was designed to look at the possible negative aspects of the use of deadbots, an important part of which are the psychological and social impacts on the living. These could include, for example:

– Impeding grief. Interaction with a deadbot might impede the natural grieving process. Instead of coming to terms with the loss, people may cling to the digital semblance of the deceased, potentially leading to prolonged grief or complicated emotional states.

– There’s also a risk that individuals might become overly dependent on the deadbot for emotional support, isolating themselves from real human interactions and not seeking support from living friends and family.

– Distress and discomfort. As identified in the Cambridge study, aspects of the experience of interacting with a simulation of a deceased loved one can be distressing or unsettling for some people, especially if the interaction feels uncanny or not quite right. For example, the Cambridge study highlighted how relatives may get some initial comfort from the deadbot of a loved one but may become drained by daily interactions that become an “overwhelming emotional weight”.  

Potential for Abuse 

Considering the fact that, as identified in the Cambridge study, people may develop strong emotional bonds with the deadbot AI simulations thereby making them particularly vulnerable to manipulation, one of the major risks of the growth of a digital afterlife industry (DAI) is the potential for abuse. For example:

– There could be misuse of the deceased’s private information (privacy violations), especially if sensitive or personal data is incorporated into the deadbot without proper safeguards.

– In the wrong hands, deadbots could be used to harass or emotionally manipulate survivors, for example, by a controlling individual using a deadbot to exert influence beyond the grave.

– There is also the real potential for deadbots to be used in scams or fraudulent activities, impersonating the deceased to deceive the living.

Emotional Reactions from Loved Ones 

The psychological and social impacts of the use of deadbots as part some kind of service to living loved ones, and/or misuse of deadbots could therefore lead to a number of negative emotional reactions. These could include :

– Distress due to the unsettling experience of interacting with a digital replica.

– Anger or frustration over the misuse or misrepresentation of the deceased.

– Sadness from a constant reminder of the loss that might hinder emotional recovery.

– Fear concerning the ethical implications and potential for misuse.

– Confusion over the blurred lines between reality and digital facsimiles.

What Do The Cambridge Researchers Suggest?

The Cambridge study led to several suggestions of ways in which users of this kind of service may be better protected from its negative effects, including:

– Deadbot designers being required to seek consent from “data donors” before they die.

– Products of this kind being required to regularly alert users about the risks and to provide easy opt-out protocols, as well as measures being taken to prevent the disrespectful uses of deadbots.

– The introduction of user-friendly termination methods, e.g. having a “digital funeral” for the deadbot. This would allow the living relative to say goodbye to the deadbot in a meaningful way if the account was to be closed and the deadbot deleted.

– As highlighted by Dr Tomasz Hollanek, one of the study co-authors: “It is vital that digital afterlife services consider the rights and consent not just of those they recreate, but those who will have to interact with the simulations.” 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The findings and recommendations from the Cambridge study shed light on crucial considerations that organisations involved in the digital afterlife industry (DAI) must address. As developers and businesses providing deadbot services, there is a heightened responsibility to ensure these technologies are developed and used ethically and sensitively. The study’s call for obtaining consent from data donors before their death underscores the need for clear consent mechanisms to be built in. This consent is not just a legal formality but a foundational ethical practice that respects the rights and dignity of individuals.

Also, the suggestion by the Cambridge team to implement regular risk notifications and provide straightforward opt-out options is needed for greater transparency and user control in digital interactions. This could mean incorporating these safeguards into service offerings to enhance user trust and digital afterlife services companies perhaps positioning themselves as a leaders in ethical AI practice. The introduction of a “digital funeral” to these services could also be a respectful and symbolic way to conclude the use of a deadbot, as well as being a sensitive way to meet personal closure needs, e.g. at the end of the contract.

The broader implications of the Cambridge study for the DAI sector include the need to navigate potential psychological impacts and prevent exploitative practices. As Dr Tomasz Hollanek from the study highlighted, the unintentional distress caused by these AI recreations can be profound, suggesting that their design and deployment strategies should really prioritise psychological safety and emotional wellbeing. This should involve designing AI that is not only technically proficient but also emotionally intelligent and sensitive to the nuances of human grief and memory.

Businesses in this field must also consider the long-term implications of their services on societal norms and personal privacy. The risk of commercial exploitation or disrespectful uses of deadbots could lead to public backlash and regulatory scrutiny, which could stifle innovation and growth in the industry. The Cambridge study, therefore serves as an early but important guidepost for the DAI industry and has highlighted some useful guidelines and recommendations that could contribute to a more ethical and empathetic digital world.

May 15
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Tech News : OpenAI To Boost Training With Stack Overflow Data

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A partnership deal between OpenAI and Stack Overflow (the question-and-answer website for programmers and developers) will see the Stack overflow Q&A data used to train and improve AI model performance, potentially benefitting developers who use OpenAI’s products.

Stack Overflow 

Stack Overflow is the world’s largest developer community, with more than 59 million questions and answers. OverflowAPI is the subscription-based API service that gives AI companies access to Stack Overflow’s public dataset so they can use it to train and improve their LLMs.

The Partnership 

OpenAI says that its new partnership with Stack Overflow via OverflowAPI access will provide a way for OpenAI to give its users and customers the accurate and vetted data foundation that AI tools need to quickly find a solution to their problem. OpenAI says the deal will also mean that validated technical knowledge from Stack Overflow will be added directly in ChatGPT, thereby giving users “easy access to trusted, attributed, accurate, and highly technical knowledge and code backed by the millions of developers that have contributed to the Stack Overflow platform for 15 years.” 

What They Both Get 

Open AI says being able to utilise Stack Overflow’s OverflowAPI product and the Stack Overflow data “will help OpenAI improve its AI models using enhanced content and feedback from the Stack Overflow community and provide attribution to the Stack Overflow community within ChatGPT to foster deeper engagement with content.” 

The collaboration will also mean that Stack Overflow can utilise OpenAI models “as part of their development of OverflowAI and work with OpenAI to leverage insights from internal testing to maximize the performance of OpenAI models”. 

This could help Stack Overflow to create better products for its own Stack Exchange community.

Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow, said of the partnership: “Through this industry-leading partnership with OpenAI, we strive to redefine the developer experience, fostering efficiency and collaboration through the power of community, best-in-class data, and AI experiences,” 

Not Everyone Is Happy About The Deal 

Despite the positive noises by OpenAI and Stack Overflow about the deal, there appears to have been a mini rebellion among Stack Overflow users, with many removing or editing their questions and answers to stop them from being used to train AI. Many users have also highlighted how this appears to be an about-face by Stack Overflow from a long-standing policy of preventing the use of GenAI in the writing or rewording of any questions or answers posted on the site. Also, there have been reports that Stack Overflow’s moderators have been banning the rebellious users from the site and preventing high-popularity posts from being deleted.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The strategic partnership between OpenAI and Stack Overflow signifies a pivotal development in the integration of community-sourced knowledge and artificial intelligence. For businesses, this collaboration could herald a new era of enhanced technical solutions, more refined AI tools, and an enriched knowledge base, potentially reshaping the landscape of tech support and development.

For OpenAI, access to Stack Overflow’s vast repository of programming questions and answers through the OverflowAPI should mean a significant upgrade in the quality and relevance of the data used to train its models. This could translate into AI tools that are not only more accurate but also more attuned to the nuanced requirements of developers. Businesses using OpenAI’s products may find that these tools offer more precise and contextually appropriate solutions, thereby significantly reducing the time developers spend troubleshooting and refining code. This efficiency-boost could accelerate project timelines and improve the cost-effectiveness of technical development teams.

Stack Overflow stands to benefit from this partnership by integrating OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI capabilities into its new product offerings, such as OverflowAI. This could enhance the user experience on Stack Overflow’s platforms, making them more intuitive and responsive to user needs. For businesses that rely on Stack Overflow for problem-solving and knowledge sharing, these improvements may lead to quicker resolutions of technical issues, enabling smoother and more continuous workflow.

However, the partnership has not been met with universal acclaim within the Stack Overflow community. The backlash from some users highlights concerns about the ethical use of community-sourced information. This rebellion sheds light on the growing pains associated with adapting user-generated content for AI training purposes without alienating the very community that generates it. For businesses, this underscores the importance of navigating ethical considerations and community relations as they implement AI solutions.

May 15
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Tech News : Wales Has Put A SOC In It

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The UK’s first national security operations centre (SOC) known as CymruSOC, has launched in Wales to protect the country’s local authorities and fire and rescue services from cyber-attacks.

SOC 

The Welsh government has announced that the new SOC service will be managed by Cardiff-based firm Socura, with the intention of ensuring key organisations can continue offering critical services without disruption due to cyber-attacks. Also, the SOC service is intended to safeguard the data of the majority of the Welsh population, as well as 60,000 employees across the public sector.

The Issue 

The Wales First Minister, Vaughan Gething, recently outlined the reasons behind the introduction of CymruSOC, saying that the pandemic showed how important the digital side of peoples’ lives has become. Also, the fact that it is now “central” to the way people in Wales learn, work, access public services, and conduct business i.e., there’s now a reliance on digital), has also led to a “stark increase in the risk of cyber-attacks which are becoming ever more common and sophisticated.”  

24/7 Monitoring 

The Socura SOC team will monitor for potential threats such as phishing and ransomware from its 24/7 remote SOC. Also, the Welsh government says that in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Centre, CymruSOC will share threat intelligence information to ensure they are aware of emerging risks.

‘Defend As One’ Approach 

First Minister Vaughan Gething has also highlighted how CymruSOC (this new national security operations centre), a first-of-its-kind solution with social partnership at its heart, will “take a ‘defend as one’ approach”. Mr Gething views CymruSOC as being “a vital part” of the Cyber Action Plan for Wales, which was launched only one year ago, and which Mr Gething describes as “making good progress to protect public services and strengthen cyber resilience and preparedness.” 

Incidents 

Recent incidents which may have helped speed along the setting up of SOC include a reported hack on the Welsh government’s iShare Connect portal earlier this year, and Harlech Community Council (North Wales) being scammed last November by online fraudsters to the tune of £9,000 (the equivalent of 10 per cent of its annual budget.

A Boost In Defences 

Andy Kays, the CEO of Cardiff-based firm Socura, which is managing CymruSOC, has noted that by sharing a SOC and threat intel across all Welsh local authorities, “even the smallest Welsh town will now have the expertise and defences of a large modern enterprise organisation.”

Also, Mr Kays highlighted the importance of boosting the cyber-defences of and protecting the data held by local councils by making the point that a local council is where people “register a birth, apply for schools, housing, and marriage licences” and it is this that makes them “a prized target for financially motivated cybercriminal groups as well as nation state actors seeking to cause disruption to critical infrastructure.” 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Considering the importance of public sector services such as fire and rescue, plus the fact that the wealth of data and sometimes outdated and underfunded systems of councils and other public sector institutions often make them a softer target for cyber criminals, this is a timely development for Wales. Also, for businesses operating within Wales, this development offers substantial benefits that extend well beyond the immediate protection of public services.

Firstly, the centralised security operations centre, managed by (private) Cardiff-based firm Socura, should help ensure that even the smallest of local councils can enjoy the cyber-defences typically reserved for large enterprises. This is not just a boost for the public sector but also fortifies the security landscape in which Welsh businesses operate. By boosting the cyber-defences of local authorities, businesses that interact with or rely on them for services can expect a more secure and reliable digital environment. This integration of robust cybersecurity measures means that businesses can operate with a greater assurance of continuity, (hopefully) free from the disruptions of potential cyber-attacks on critical public infrastructure.

The ‘defend as one’ approach advocated by CymruSOC emphasises collaborative security, which may be a crucial advantage for businesses. For example, the shared threat intelligence and resources may ensure that emerging cyber threats are identified and mitigated swiftly, not just within the public sector but potentially within the private sector as well.

Also, the focus on safeguarding data across public sector entities could indirectly benefit businesses. With public services handling sensitive information more securely, businesses interacting with these services or handling similar data can align their practices with these enhanced standards, thus improving their overall data protection strategies. This alignment not only helps in compliance with regulatory requirements but also builds trust with customers and partners who are increasingly concerned about data security.

The establishment of CymruSOC, therefore, appears to be a forward-thinking initiative that promises not just to fortify the digital framework of Wales’s public sector, but also for businesses and other entities that interact with them, all of which could help foster growth and innovation in Wales in an increasingly digital business landscape.

May 15
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An Apple Byte : iPhone Users Get Google’s ‘Circle to Search’

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iPhone users can now use a version of Google’s “Circle to Search” thanks to Google Lens and iOS Shortcuts.

The “Circle to Search” gesture, launched in January (which Google Pixel phone users may already be familiar with) is where users can circle, highlight, scribble or tap any part of an image or text on the screen that they want to use Google search find out more about.

Now, a new Google app shortcut means that iPhone users can use the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro to quickly visually search anything on the screen via Google Lens. Although Google’s iOS app already offers a way to use Lens for visual search, this new shortcut makes it easier to start a search with just a simple gesture.

May 15
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Security Stop Press : WhatsApp Group Chat Scam Warning

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Warnings have been issued about a new audio call scam on WhatsApp targeting family and friends. The scam involves a fraudster, most likely using a fake profile picture and display name, making an unexpected call, impersonating a member of a WhatsApp group chat. The fraudster tells the victim they’re sending them a one-time passcode (OTP) to join a for group members and asks the victim to share the passcode with them in order to be registered for the call.

However, this is in fact an access code that will allow the scammer to register the victim’s WhatsApp to a new device, take over their account, and enable two-step verification so the victim is essentially locked out of their own WhatsApp account. The fraudster then messages people in the victim’s contacts asking for money.

Hundreds of complaints to Action Fraud have already been reported and the advice for those in large group chats on WhatsApp, is to be on their guard and monitor who joins the chats.

May 15
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Sustainability-in-Tech : World’s Largest Carbon Vacuuming Plant Opens

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The world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) plant, dubbed ‘Mammoth’ (which can suck polluting carbon from the air to help tackle global warming) has started operating in Iceland.

Mammoth 

Started on the 28th June 2022 and now completed and operating, Mammoth was designed to remove 36,000 tons of carbon from the air per year – the equivalent of removing 7,800 cars petrol-fuelled cars from the road.

Its creators and operators, Climeworks, based in Switzerland, say it has been built for multi-megaton capacity in the 2030s, and should deliver gigaton capacity by 2050.

Global Warming and Climate Change 

Mammoth is designed to directly remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere for climate change mitigation and to meet global climate targets. The challenge, as regards to global warming and the resulting climate change, is that in order to keep the temperature at (or below) the maximum 1.5°C threshold increase, many believe that measures to reduce our carbon footprint are not enough and active removal of CO₂ already in the atmosphere is needed. Climeworks says “we need to extract billions of tons of CO₂ between now and 2050”. 

DAC 

Mammoth, Climeworks’s second carbon capture plant (which is the largest in the world), involves using a geothermal power plant to provide the energy for the facility that vacuum-filters CO₂ from the air.  The filtered CO₂ is then stored in containers (DAC+S), stacked on top of each other. Finally, the CO₂ is ‘injected’ with ‘Carbfix’ and is transported deep underground, where it mineralizes in geological formations.  Climeworks says this process of storing the captured carbon underground in mineral form can keep it locked up (and out of the atmosphere) for “more than 10,000 years”. 

DAC+S Different From CCS? 

Climeworks days whereas DAC+S removes CO₂ directly from ambient air, other technologies to remove carbon, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), differs because it captures CO₂ from point sources of carbon dioxide (e.g., smokestacks of iron and steel factories) and then transports the captured CO₂ to a storage site, where it is sequestered.

Controversial 

Using DAC technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere as a way of tackling global warming, however, is a controversial subject. Some of the criticisms and debates around it include:

– DAC is expensive compared to other climate strategies like reforestation or industrial upgrades, raising concerns about the efficient use of limited financial resources.

– DAC is energy-intensive, requiring significant amounts of clean energy. If powered by non-renewable energy, it could negate its environmental benefits. In the case of Mammoth in Iceland, however, natural geothermal power is being used.

– Simply relying on DAC to save us might delay crucial direct emission reduction efforts due to the belief that technology alone can resolve climate change, a risk known as the “moral hazard.”

– Effectively scaling DAC to impact atmospheric CO₂ levels would demand extensive infrastructure and substantial investment, posing significant logistical challenges.

– The captured CO₂ must be securely stored to prevent leakage or used in ways that might still release it back into the atmosphere, thereby negating its effectiveness. Climeworks, however, describes its mineralisation and underground storage as a “permanent” solution.

– DAC requires significant resources, potentially conflicting with other essential needs like agriculture and water supply, raising concerns about equitable impact distribution.

– Deploying DAC responsibly and at scale requires robust policies and regulation to avoid potential negative environmental impacts and ensure effective climate mitigation.

– Some operators (not Climeworks it should be stressed) use the CO₂ captured using DAC to inject into oil fields to increase the pressure within the reservoir to help push more oil to the surface – known as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Some say this facilitates continued reliance on fossil fuels.

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation? 

The opening of the Mammoth DAC plant after 2 years of construction may be a milestone in the world of climate technology, reflecting both the innovation and the complexities inherent in modern environmental solutions. As the largest Direct Air Capture facility, set to remove 36,000 tons of CO₂ annually, this is a figure that represents a technological achievement and perhaps a call to industries and organisations worldwide to re-evaluate their environmental strategies. However, as the equivalent of removing 7,800 cars from the roads, this may not sound as though it can make a dent in the carbon problem, in the short term at least.

For any organisation, the potential of DAC technology to substantively reduce atmospheric CO₂ and help mitigate global warming can’t be ignored and is one battle-front in the war ahead. Although Mammoth may not be making a significant dent now, looking towards the future and aiming for gigaton removal by 2050, this technology could play much more of a part in future climate strategies. As such, this suggests a pathway for compliance with emerging environmental regulations and leadership in corporate sustainability.

However, the broader implications of DAC, particularly in terms of scalability and dependency, suggest a balanced approach is needed. While Mammoth operates on geothermal energy, making it relatively sustainable, DAC technology in general is energy intensive.

Also, the example of Mammoth should serve as a reminder of the importance of not solely relying on carbon capture to offset emissions. The ‘moral hazard’ of depending too heavily on technological fixes could detract from essential efforts to directly reduce emissions through renewable energy adoption, energy efficiency improvements, and sustainable operational practices. For businesses, this means integrating DAC as one element of a holistic environmental strategy while reducing emissions at the source.

May 15
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Tech Tip – Use Windows Security to Check Device Performance and Health

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Windows Security provides a comprehensive overview of your device’s health and security, including storage capacity, battery life, and apps and software that may affect your device’s performance. Here’s how to use it:

– Go to Settings > Privacy & Security (Update & Security in Windows 10) > Windows Security.

– Click on Device performance & health.

– Here, you can view a report detailing any issues with storage capacity, apps, battery life, and software that might impact system performance. If any issues are detected, Windows provides recommendations for resolving them.

May 08
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Featured Article : Microsoft’s $10 Billion Renewable Energy Deal Fuels AI & Cloud

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Microsoft has agreed to back $10bn in renewable electricity projects by Brookfield Asset Management to help it meet clean-energy commitments and provide its data-centres with the extra energy requirements of cloud and AI.

Global Framework Agreement 

The deal, which is a five-year agreement called the “global framework agreement” (“the agreement”) is a commitment by Microsoft, working in partnership with Brookfield, to bring 10.5 gigawatts of generating capacity online. This is reported to be more than three times larger than the 3GW of power used by the world’s largest hub of data centres in Virginia and is the equivalent of enough to power 1.8 million homes!

Microsoft’s partner in the deal, Brookfield, says the signing of the global renewable energy framework agreement will “contribute to Microsoft’s goal of having 100 per cent of its electricity consumption, 100 per cent of the time, matched by zero carbon energy purchases by 2030”. 

Renewable 

The renewable energy projects to create this significant extra generating capacity will come from wind and solar farms, which are yet to be built, between 2026 and 2030, beginning in the US and Europe. There will also be the potential to increase the scope to deliver additional renewable energy capacity to the Asia-Pacific region, India, and Latin America.

Feeding Demand From Cloud and AI 

The agreement is expected to provide Microsoft with access to a pipeline of new renewable energy capacity to support the global trend of digitalisation and, crucially, the growing demand for cloud and AI services.

More Data Centres Needed 

The growth of the cloud and now, significantly, the growth of generative AI has meant there is huge demand for (and investment) in data-centres. These are both the larger self-owned data-centres in the host countries (mostly in the US) of their ‘hyperscaler’ providers, leased data-centres, and smaller data-centres being built to ensure infrastructure is nearer to customers. The main ‘hyperscalers’ (i.e. the companies that provide cloud computing, storage, and networking services at a massive scale) are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Alibaba Cloud is the leading cloud provider in China and Asia.

Hyperscale Data-Centres To Double Every Four Years 

The effects of the growth in generative AI in terms of demand for more data-centres, processing power and storage capacity are illustrated in recent findings by the Synergy Research Group. Their research shows that the number of data-centre facilities run by hyperscale cloud providers has doubled in the past four years and will double again by 2028, with 120-130 hyperscale data-centres coming online each year.

Microsoft, for example, is building a new 750K SF, $9.2M hyperscale data-centre campus near Quincy, WA, to house three 250K SF server farms.

The Implications 

The implications of this surge in demand for (and building of) data-centres are many. For example, as infrastructure for cloud computing and data storage expands, it puts increasing pressure on existing power grids.

Also, as the growth in data-centres intensifies along with power-hungry technologies, and AI expands and algorithms become more complex, the energy requirements for these technologies are set to increase even further.

This will mean (and has already meant) a search by the hyperscalers for cleaner, greener alternative energy sources, hence Microsoft’s announcement of its renewable electricity projects with Brookfield. Transitioning from traditional fossil fuels to renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power is essential, not only for reducing carbon footprints but also for aligning with global sustainability goals.

Microsoft’s main competitors are also investing in renewable energy projects to mitigate their environmental impacts. For example, back in January, Google announced it is building a $1 billion data centre north of London that will be powered by renewable energy from offshore wind. Also, after signing a PPA with ENGIE in January to increase its share in the Moray wind farm to 473 megawatts, Amazon will be making itself the largest purchaser of renewable energy worldwide this year.

Balancing data-centre expansion with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments is also now becoming a priority for organisations and data-centre operators need to ensure that their capacity growth does not come at the expense of the environment or step out of line with ESG commitments and upcoming regulations. Compliance with these regulations not only helps in avoiding penalties but also promotes innovation in green technology and sustainable practices in the data-centre industry.

Alternatives Will Take Time and Planning

However, although Microsoft’s renewable energy project plans (and zero carbon energy purchases) sound promising, some commentators have noted that it will take many years to develop the scale and type of alternative energy sources that are able to provide long-term power to AI. In the meantime, grids will be stretched. Also, the new energy landscape needed to deliver AI’s power requirements will take strategic planning.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Microsoft’s $10 billion renewable energy deal with Brookfield Asset Management could be seen as a significant stride towards sustainable growth in digital infrastructure that aligns with the company’s goal to match its electricity consumption with zero-carbon energy purchases by 2030. This large-scale initiative not only aims to power Microsoft’s burgeoning data-centres but sees it join the other main hyperscale cloud providers in securing renewable energy sources to meet the escalating energy demands of cloud and AI technologies.

For example, hyperscalers like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud are all now investing in renewable energy projects as a strategic response to the dual challenges of surging energy requirements and environmental responsibility. These investments are crucial not only for reducing the carbon footprint associated with massive data-centres but also for ensuring compliance with global ESG commitments and forthcoming environmental regulations. These initiatives also reflect a growing recognition among the hyperscalers of their role in shaping a sustainable future for technology infrastructure.

For businesses, the main implications of these investments are profound. For example, as more data-centres are built to support more advanced and energy-intensive technologies like generative AI, the reliance on traditional energy sources could lead to increased operational costs and potential regulatory penalties. The shift towards renewable energy offers a more sustainable and potentially cost-effective alternative, reducing long-term dependency on fossil fuels and mitigating the risk of energy price volatility.

Also, the adoption of green energy by leading technology providers like Microsoft could influence the entire energy landscape. As these companies set new standards for energy use, they drive advancements in renewable energy technologies and contribute to the creation of more robust and sustainable power grids. This not only benefits the hyperscalers themselves but also the businesses that rely on their services, from small startups to large enterprises.

Ultimately, Microsoft’s renewable energy commitment is a signal of a broader and necessary shift in the technology sector towards sustainability. This trend may be an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to reconsider their own energy strategies and align more closely with sustainable practices. As the infrastructure for digital services expands, the integration of renewable energy is becoming increasingly important, not just for operational efficiency and compliance, but for ensuring the long-term viability of our global digital ecosystem.

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