Business (Page 53)

Major online firms including Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia and Tripadvisor have united to fight fake reviews. The group, which also includes workplace review site Glassdoor and review platform Trustpilot, will share information on deterring fraudsters. It follows concern that chatbot-like AI systems are being used to write bogus online reviews for profit. Fake reviews can damage a company’s reputation and lead consumers to buy poor-value products and services. A recent government report found that bogus reviews of products alone could cost UK consumers around £312m each year. Up to 15% of all reviews on e-commerce platforms in three common product categories – including consumer electronics, home and kitchen, and sports and outdoors – were probably fake, it said. The government plansContinue Reading

Amazon is trialling humanoid robots in its US warehouses, in the latest sign of the tech giant automating more of its operations. Amazon said the move was about “freeing employees up to better deliver for our customers”. It said it was testing a new robot called Digit, which has arms and legs and can move, grasp and handle items in a similar fashion to a human. A union said Amazon had “been treating their workers like robots for years”. “Amazon’s automation is [a] head-first race to job losses. We’ve already seen hundreds of jobs disappear to it in fulfilment centres,” said Stuart Richards, an organiser at UK trade union GMB. As the announcement was made, Amazon said its robotics systemsContinue Reading

Nestle will close down a baby formula factory in Ireland due to a falling birth rate in China, placing 560 jobs at risk. The factory, in Askeaton County Limerick, makes products nearly entirely for the Chinese market and is set to close in 2026. It is understood that the company is looking to transfer the production from Askeaton to two existing factories in China and Switzerland, the BBC reported. The Irish minister for enterprise, trade and employment, Simon Coveney, described the move as “hugely disappointing”. “It is hugely disappointing news as this facility has provided fantastic employment in Limerick and made a huge contribution to Ireland’s economy,” he said. Last year, China reported its lowest birth rate on record ofContinue Reading

New research has found that 70% mid-market firms are currently planning, implementing, or have already implemented a sustainability strategy. More strikingly, as many as 9 in 10 are planning to invest at the same or an increased rate to put their sustainability efforts into practice, driven by the belief that strong ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance enhances their attractiveness as a business to potential investors, acquirers and partners. But a lack of resource and funding is challenging these ambitions. The study surveyed listed, private and private equity backed mid-market companies on their attitude and actions towards sustainability. It found that the businesses surveyed consider ESG as a gateway to strategic growth opportunities, access to funds and investment: 63% agreedContinue Reading

Amazon will relaunch its delivery drones in the UK next year, the shopping giant has confirmed. The company said it will begin using the unmanned, airborne vehicles for distributing goods from some of its same-day delivery sites – one of which will be in the UK. No location has yet been revealed. It’s part of the expansion of the drones within the retail side of the business, which will also be rolled out in Italy and a third state in the US, on top of California and Texas, where the drones already operate. The company previously trialled an early version of the Prime Air delivery system in Cambridgeshire in 2016. However, Amazon said it will no longer be using theContinue Reading

In a rapidly-evolving digital landscape, Artificial Intelligence is transforming the landscape of business events, offering businesses a powerful toolset to enhance efficiency and drive engagement with their brand. But it also raises questions over security, accuracy, and reliability. Hire Space, a tech-driven venue marketplace, which supports businesses planning corporate events, has been monitoring the impact of AI on business events through industry surveys and research into its usages. Here, the company shares some of the practical applications of AI to shed light on how it might affect business events. AI’s Practical Applications in Business Event Planning Corporate events, with their myriad of components and stakeholders, require meticulous planning and execution. AI is revolutionising the way many events are conceptualised, organised, andContinue Reading

Britain’s biggest police force is using facial recognition technology to tackle London’s worst shoplifters by matching CCTV stills to mugshots. The Metropolitan Police said 149 suspects were identified within days after asking the capital’s 12 leading retailers last month for images of their 30 most prolific unidentified offenders. Some of the suspects have links to serious crime, while all of them have previously been arrested for crimes including drug dealing, sexual offences, burglary, violence and possession of firearms. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called the results “game-changing” as his force tries to crack down on shoplifting, with its rise blamed on the cost of living crisis and organised crime. The government has come under increasing pressure from retailers to getContinue Reading

The home entertainment sector is currently thriving, with the United Kingdom positioned as one of its largest global markets. Leading home technology installer, Robert Taussig, reports that the United Kingdom will see the integration of 15.1 million smart homes by 2027. In essence, this means that more than half of households in the UK will feature smart home entertainment systems by 2027. UK Smart Home Adoption Set to Grow by 30% in 2023 In 2023, the number of smart homes in the United Kingdom is poised to increase from 4.4 million in 2022 to 5.7 million, reflecting an annual growth rate of 30%. These statistics are derived from the Market Insights report by data firm Statista, encompassing multi-room music devices,Continue Reading

Inflation-linked business rates could rise by up to £2 billion next year, which would be the “final nail in the coffin” for many struggling retail and hospitality firms. Business rates are due to be recalculated in April using the government’s multiplier, which is typically pegged to September’s rate of consumer price inflation (CPI). With CPI confirmed yesterday at 6.7 per cent, analysts at Colliers International forecast that the tax will rise from £26 billion in 2023-24 to £27.7 billion in the next financial year. Altus Group, the property intelligence firm, put the increase slightly higher at £1.95 billion. John Webber, head of business rates at Colliers, said: “All sectors are suffering from increased costs, whether from increased wage bills, materialsContinue Reading

Countries around the globe are turning to state-of-the-art tactical drones to strengthen border security and surveillance These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are proving to be a game-changing asset for monitoring remote terrain, detecting threats, and guiding interventions. When combined with artificial intelligence and cutting-edge cameras, today’s military-grade tactical drones are becoming indispensable for tighter border control. How Do Tactical Drones Enhance Border Security Ops? There are many ways advanced UAVs are improving the operational capabilities of security forces along borders: – Conducting aerial surveillance of prohibited border crossings, smuggling activity, or violence for faster response times. – Tracking suspicious vehicles or persons of interest across rugged terrain that is difficult to patrol by ground. – Identifying and monitoring locations ofContinue Reading