Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved ComputerWeekly’s best articles of the day https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Tue, 19 May 2026 12:51:35 GMT https://www.computerweekly.com editor@computerweekly.com <p>The Gulf has spent the past several years building its reputation as one of the world’s most ambitious destinations for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud infrastructure and hyperscale datacentre investments.</p> <p>Abundant energy resources, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641798/Dubai-rolls-out-AI-training-for-50000-government-staff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government-backed digital agendas,</a> sovereign investment power and fast-track policy frameworks have helped countries across the region attract billions of dollars in AI and cloud commitments.</p> <p>But as geopolitical tensions rise and concerns grow about the resilience of critical infrastructure, industry leaders are beginning to ask a difficult question: what happens to the Gulf’s AI momentum if instability persists? The threat landscape has expanded to include physical infrastructure, energy systems, subsea connectivity and large-scale compute facilities that increasingly underpin national economies.</p> <p>“Data, cloud and AI have emerged as new critical resources, and thus datacentres have become targets,” said Mehdi Paryavi, CEO and founder of the International Data Center Authority (IDCA). “We used to advise organisations not to build datacentres near military installations; now we are reaching a point where we should advise military installations not to be near datacentres.”</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why datacentres have become strategic assets"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why datacentres have become strategic assets</h2> <p>Historically, critical infrastructure protection in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) focused on energy assets. Today, AI factories, hyperscale facilities and cloud campuses are becoming equally strategic, and modern datacentres do far more than host enterprise applications – they support sovereign workloads, AI model training, cloud platforms, financial services and government systems.</p> <p>“The datacentres, their energy backbone and connectivity are paramount to the digital economy,” Paryavi said. This evolution means threat models are shifting beyond ransomware and cyber attacks towards hybrid scenarios involving physical disruption, regional conflict, supply chain instability and infrastructure targeting.</p> <p>Subsea cables, power distribution systems and concentrated compute hubs are increasingly viewed as strategic assets whose disruption could affect entire digital ecosystems.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Could instability increase the cost of Gulf AI?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Could instability increase the cost of Gulf AI?</h2> <p>Hyperscalers and cloud providers have committed billions to new facilities across the GCC as demand for AI compute accelerates. However, sustained instability could introduce new cost pressures.</p> <p>Cloud providers may be forced to reassess redundancy strategies, capacity planning and risk allocation models. “Risk is the deadly enemy of progress,” said Paryavi. “Enhanced risk boosts the costs of data production and insurance requirements.”</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> All datacentre operators must increase the number of availability zones to distribute their risk. A single location is a single point of failure </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Mehdi Paryavi, International Data Center Authority</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>The Gulf’s success as an AI destination has been built on a combination of low-cost energy, available land, regulatory agility and perceptions of stability.</p> <p>“When you offer cheap energy, cheap land, relaxed government policies in a region of absolute safety, the results are nothing short of ideal,” he said.</p> <p>Industry observers believe the immediate effect may not be a withdrawal of investments, but a recalibration of risk models and a new premium on Gulf infrastructure projects.</p> <p>According to Paryavi, the next phase of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639621/Resilience-under-pressure-How-regional-conflict-is-reshaping-the-Middle-East-tech-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resilience</a> will require geographical diversification. “All datacentre operators must increase the number of availability zones to distribute their risk by multiplying their locations instead of purely multiplying physical components within single nodes,” he said. “At the end of the day, a single location is a single point of failure.”</p> <p>In a region historically associated with stability and openness, many facilities openly promoted their locations and infrastructure scale. “The conflict proved why it is important that the location of mission-critical assets should remain as confidential as possible,” Paryavi said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Physical protection is also expected to evolve"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Physical protection is also expected to evolve</h2> <p>Military-grade security models, combined with cyber-physical defence strategies and long-term operational investment plans, may become standard requirements for large AI campuses and hyperscale environments.</p> <p>Will instability accelerate sovereign AI? Geopolitical pressure is creating another trend already visible globally: sovereign AI. According to Paryavi, instability could both accelerate and slow this movement simultaneously. “Yes, governments will try to become more independent and develop sovereign computing infrastructure,” he said. “But higher risks typically slow investment flow in AI and digital infrastructure.”</p> <p>Investors typically evaluate opportunities regionally rather than country by country, meaning instability affecting one area could influence confidence across broader investment portfolios. Can the Gulf maintain its AI trajectory?</p> <p>The Middle East remains one of the most capital-rich regions globally, with significant sovereign investment power supporting technology initiatives.</p> <p>“AI investments require an ecosystem of trust and confidence,” said Paryavi. “The perception of uncertainty always outlives the fact that stability has been restored.”</p> <p>In the medium term, experts expect infrastructure costs to rise, investors to seek stronger guarantees and project economics to absorb additional risk premiums. “There will be a new premium on investments in the region,” Paryavi added.</p> <p>Still, the Gulf’s long-term ambitions remain intact. The region continues positioning itself as an alternative digital hub at a time when global technology supply chains are increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition between major powers.</p> <p>For that vision to materialise, however, digital infrastructure may need to be treated with the same strategic importance once reserved exclusively for oil and energy assets. Because in the AI era, economic security is increasingly built not only on natural resources, but also on computing power, connectivity and resilient data infrastructure.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in the Middle East</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li>Ertug Ayik, managing director for Middle East and Africa at HP Inc,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639078/HP-bets-on-edge-AI-and-regional-investment-to-power-Middle-East-enterprise-transformation">outlines how on-device AI, embedded security and a partner-first model</a>&nbsp;are positioning the company.</li> <li>Organisations shift from AI pilots to operational deployment as governments <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366638816/Why-sovereign-and-agentic-AI-will-define-next-phase-of-Middle-Easts-digital-transformation">prioritise digital sovereignty and infrastructure control</a>.</li> <li>Obrela’s Mark Morland says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Why-the-Middle-East-needs-hybrid-human-led-cyber-security-in-the-age-of-AI">AI is accelerating detection, but regional context and human expertise remain essential</a>&nbsp;as threats across the Gulf become more sophisticated and specific to sectors.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Rising tensions are forcing hyperscalers, governments and investors to reassess risk, resilience and infrastructure strategies as the Gulf positions itself as a global AI powerhouse https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/Dubai-city-sunset-desert-camels-UAE-adrian-ilie825-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643123/How-geopolitical-instability-could-reshape-Gulf-datacentre-investments-and-sovereign-AI-strategies Mon, 18 May 2026 07:04:00 GMT <p>A British company is using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered English lessons to fix education gaps around the world.</p> <p>Education First (EF) launched its AI spin-off, Efekta Education Group, in 2022, working with the Brazilian government to bring English lessons to state schools. Since then, they’ve expanded to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Rwanda. In 2026, <a target="_blank" href="https://thepienews.com/efekta-launches-one-year-english-language-program-in-africa/" rel="noopener">Efekta started a one-year AI language learning programme</a> with Somaliland, Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda.</p> <p>Nick Clegg, former deputy prime minister of the UK and Meta’s former president of global affairs, joined the advisory board this year.</p> <p>Currently, Efekta is live in Brazil, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Rwanda, with pilots in 15 other countries. It sells its product at the “cost of a textbook” – $5 per student annually.</p> <p>“We never built this technology with an intent to sell it,” said CEO Stephen Hodges at a media roundtable event in London.</p> <p>Initially, the AI agent was built for EF schools, but when it was approached by the Brazilian government to help fix the teacher shortage, it created Efekta.</p> <p>According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.britishcouncil.org.br/sites/default/files/learning_english_in_brazil.pdf" rel="noopener">a report</a> from the British Council, 95% of Brazilians don’t speak English. Once the software was released, Efekta said the average student did “25 to 30% better” on state tests.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Running without internet"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Running without internet</h2> <p>The full product requires good internet access, which led to Efekta building a model that could run without internet, and update when connected in Rwanda and rural Brazilian schools.</p> <p>Clegg applauded Efekta for appealing to emerging markets, calling the classes a “dramatic democratisation of high-quality education”.</p> <p>Hodges said that AI in education will be pioneered by emerging markets because they have “the most to gain” and “very few options”.</p> <p>The benefit of these emerging markets is also their scale. “The more data you’ve got, the more you can optimise your education,” the CEO explained.</p> <p>“You can’t pretend it isn’t a data-driven technology,” said Clegg. “That is what it is. Otherwise, it just doesn’t work. Data is its fuel.”</p> <p>Beyond English language lessons, Efekta hopes to expand to teaching STEM subjects.</p> <p>“If you can immerse kids in a subject, it’s much easier to teach them about it than it is staring at a dry textbook,” said Clegg.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="‘Dry textbook’"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>‘Dry textbook’</h2> <p>However, some countries are trying to bring back the “dry textbook”.</p> <p>Sweden – once the world leader in educational technology – is now pushing technology out of the classroom. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly0vk77vdko" rel="noopener">BBC report</a> found that the government was mandating textbook-based learning from 2028. The policy change comes after almost a quarter of Swedish students aged 15-16 failed to reach a basic standard of reading comprehension in 2022.</p> <p>As to guardrails surrounding political risks, “those conversations have not come up”, said Hodges. Instead, Efekta promised it would follow each country’s national guidelines for curriculums, and operate in line with General Data Protection Regulation principles.</p> <p>“Student privacy and safety are fundamental to how we’ve built the platform,” he said. “The data we do collect is strictly limited to learning outcomes. We look at whether a student is progressing – for example, if they are completing their tasks, how they are performing, and where they may need additional support.”</p> <p>Outside of student welfare exceptions “such as indications of self-harm or distress” – where issues may be elevated to teachers – conversations between pupils and the AI chatbot are not recorded.</p> <p>“All the classes will have a human teacher at the heart of it, and the teacher remains in control,” said Hodges.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in education</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Scotland published <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642510/Scottish-government-publishes-AI-guidance-for-schools">AI guidance for schools</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641842/UK-government-seeks-collaborators-for-AI-tutoring-tools-for-schools">Britain seeks collaborators for AI tutoring tools</a>.</li> <li>How students <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366630564/Students-an-increasing-source-of-cyber-threat-in-UK-schools">became a cyber threat</a> at UK schools.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Backed by former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, Efekta is rolling out AI language lessons to state schools around the world https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/computer-gamer-gaming-teens-adobe.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643090/Nick-Clegg-backed-company-using-AI-to-fill-global-education-gaps Mon, 18 May 2026 04:45:00 GMT <p>The mention of artificial intelligence (AI) can instil both fear and excitement in the hearts of tech executives and jobseekers alike, as the latest wave of technology looks set to change the very way we work and live.</p> <p>For Shannon Duffy, chief marketing officer at identity management firm Okta, AI brings only optimism, as long as it’s approached in the right way.</p> <p>“[AI] impacts us at the company level. It impacts me as a marketer, impacts me as a leader. I’ve pretty much done B2B tech marketing my entire career, and people say this, but it is the biggest shift we have seen. Forget about the internet, forget about the cloud. This is fundamentally going to change humanity, the labour force, everything,” she says.</p> <p>“I think, as with most things in life, there’s fear in that, but there’s also optimism in what it unlocks as a marketer, as a marketing leader, and as a company leader. That’s really a focus for me – trying to shepherd my team and the company through this next phase and what it means for our jobs, and what we do, and how we tell the story.”</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Approaching AI with optimism"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Approaching AI with optimism</h2> <p>Okta offers <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635665/Strategic-shift-pays-off-as-Okta-bids-to-ease-agentic-AI-risk">identity services, either for human users or AI agents</a>, to allow secure access to systems.</p> <p>In her role, Duffy looks after both marketing and communications, roles in which AI has great potential to streamline productivity.</p> <p>Duffy’s teams are responsible for everything from product marketing and demand generation to PR and events – essentially everything that contributes to the brand’s narrative and how it is represented to its clients and their customers.</p> <p>Labelling the introduction of AI as “unprecedented”, Duffy says her teams and Okta “lean on the side of optimism versus fear” when it comes to AI’s introduction, both to the company internally and in the services it offers.</p> <blockquote> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/computerweekly/Shannon-Duffy-Okta-140x180px.jpg" alt="Photo of Shannon Duffy, chief marketing officer at Okta"> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span style="color: #34495e;">“[AI] impacts us at the company level. It impacts me as a marketer, impacts me as a leader. It is the biggest shift we have seen. Forget about the internet, forget about the cloud. This is fundamentally going to change humanity, the labour force, everything”</span></strong></span></p> <p><em><span style="color: #34495e;">Shannon Duffy, Okta</span></em></p> </blockquote> <p>But for many, there is <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639590/Harvey-Nash-docuseries-addresses-AI-skills-paradox">fear surrounding AI</a>. Either employees are scared their roles will become obsolete <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642756/Tech-sector-job-losses-show-AI-replacement-in-action">because AI will replace them</a>, or they are given new tools to navigate with varying levels of guidance.</p> <p>Duffy says the thoughts going through the heads of many employees are, “I don’t know how” or “Is this going to mean I go away?”</p> <p>Research has found mixed approaches when it comes to training staff to use AI tools. Last year, The Adaptavist Group found that <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627982/AIs-uneven-distribution-widening-diversity-divide">20% of women have had less than an hour of AI training</a>, with 10% of men saying the same.</p> <p>Duffy says the introduction of AI tools is no good without the appropriate skills to use them, claiming many simply use large language models (LLMs) as a “glorified search engine” when they have the potential to be so much more.</p> <p>“Just pushing tools down and being like, ‘Use the tools, don’t worry, it’ll be fine,’ is an inauthentic way to lead through this technology shift,” she says.</p> <p>“This is an unprecedented time. All of us are figuring it out. Going back to the optimism component, this is something that we, this generation of marketers, have an opportunity to figure out.”</p> <p>Creating schedules, videos and imagery are just some of the things Duffy says AI could do from a marketing and PR perspective, but not without appropriate internal training.</p> <p>While the increased productivity AI promises won’t necessarily threaten the jobs of people now using it, Duffy says it’s likely to mean a reduction in annual headcount budgets – there just won’t be the need to hire as many people.</p> <p>“One of the big things is people thinking that their job’s going to be replaced, and that’s just not the case,” she says. “Some jobs will be, but what do we replace them with? Marketing is a perfect example; there’s a lot of manual work in marketing. What if we took those people and reskilled them in how to prompt AI to create personalised templates at scale? It’s the same human, but what they’re doing is different.”</p> <p>People are still an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/AI-augmented-teams-Training-for-human-machine-collaboration">important part of the process</a>. Marketing content created solely with AI is often “inauthentic” and filled with errors and hallucinations, states Duffy.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="AI for the career ladder"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>AI for the career ladder</h2> <p>There is a concern that the use of AI to automate mundane tasks might <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Will-AI-wipe-out-entry-level-jobs">remove entry-level jobs</a>, making it more difficult for young people or those pursuing a new career to get their foot on the ladder.</p> <p>But candidates like these could prove to be even more valuable than those with formal education, as long as they have the right skills, says Duffy.</p> <p>“I am optimistic about what [AI] means for humanity, for technology and for marketers. But there’s also the immediate concern of what this means for these entry-level jobs. If someone came to me and said, ‘I have no marketing experience, but I really know how to prompt these tools to do marketing-like things’, I’d be like, ‘Let’s talk about a job’. They don’t need to have a traditional background.”</p> <p>In fact, Duffy, who has university-aged children, says learning how to use AI properly could be a huge benefit in job applications. Many free resources are available to help people understand how AI can increase productivity and drive innovation. By mastering prompt engineering and discovering how to extract maximum value from these systems, it is possible to unlock their full potential and stand out in competitive job markets.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> [AI is presenting] a humanity shift that, from a leadership perspective, we’re going to have to help our companies, our employees – in my case, my children – navigate for the future </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Shannon Duffy, Okta</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Unfortunately, not enough universities and schools across the globe will be teaching young people how AI will affect their future lives and jobs, putting the onus on the students to gain the knowledge they need themselves.</p> <p>But Duffy claims, in some cases, LLMs themselves can be used to learn how to better utilise them, and she sees these technologies as a potential “equaliser”.</p> <p>“If you don’t have the resources or the background and cannot go to a traditional university, you can go to the LLMs. They will teach you how to use LLMs, and now you have a marketable skill.”</p> <p>Duffy has “only ever wanted to do marketing” and admits AI has been one of the biggest shifts in her career.</p> <p>“I’m doing what I thought I wanted to do, but what I was not prepared for is leading through this, not just a technology shift, this humanity shift,” she says.</p> <p>“And that’s not to be fear mongering, but it is a humanity shift that, from a leadership perspective, we’re going to have to help our companies, our employees – in my case, my children – navigate for the future.”</p> <p>But what drew her to her role and career still exists, regardless of the tools made to navigate it.</p> <p>Duffy surmises: “We are the storytellers, we are the pixie dust that makes it magical and helps you understand how technology can go from being something cold and straightforward to something that businesses can use to really drive the relationship with their customers in a meaningful way and make their businesses grow and a day in the life of their employees easier.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI and skills</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Artificial intelligence is <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/podcast/AI-skills-for-IT-pros-A-Computer-Weekly-Downtime-Upload-podcast">changing the way IT professionals work</a>. We speak to Matt Stava, CEO of Spinnaker Support, about reskilling.</li> <li>Research from IBM states that employees will need <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637953/Skills-key-to-successful-AI-adoption-says-IBM">AI skills in the near future</a> for organisations to benefit from the technology.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> With the appropriate training, artificial intelligence could stand to be a productivity booster and job search equaliser, according to Okta’s chief marketing officer, Shannon Duffy https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/AI-robot-man-job-interview-stokkete-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643006/Interview-AI-optimism-and-upskilling-for-a-shifting-job-market Thu, 14 May 2026 10:07:00 GMT <p>The use of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/opinion/End-users-can-code-with-AI-but-IT-must-be-wary">artificial intelligence (AI) in coding</a> is shifting the role of software development, but measuring lines of code is no longer a valid measure of developer productivity, a survey by AI software delivery platform Harness has found.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.harness.io/state-of-modernization-2026">poll of 700 software developers</a> and managers across the US, the UK, India, France and Germany found that although 89% believe productivity metrics have improved, 81% said they are now spending more time reviewing AI-generated source code.</p> <p>The survey found that when AI generates code, metrics that measure software development output improve and software development cycle times shorten. The developers surveyed said they feel more productive because AI means they can write more code, are able to tackle more complex problems and can to move faster through familiar work. &nbsp;However, the survey also revealed that one of the major drawbacks in using AI is that developer time spent on code review has increased dramatically.</p> <p>The current state of AI-based tools means that people are often kept in the loop to avoid mishaps, and the need for having a human in the loop is happening in software development.</p> <p>On average, the survey reported that 31% of a developer’s day is now consumed by AI-related invisible work that is not being measured. When we asked them where AI creates the most friction, 53% put reviewing AI-generated code as causing the most friction in their work. Over half (52%) said that the most friction was being caused by having to fix subtle bugs in AI code, while 48% said that having to explain the AI-generated code to teammates was causing them the most friction.</p> <p>However, organisations tend to measure gross output in terms of the amount of code generated. According to Harness, they are not measuring where the productivity gains are being spent.</p> <p>When asked whether they are worried about the use of AI tools to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/news/366631712/Google-DORA-Software-delivery-caught-up-to-AI-coding-tools">measure their performance</a>, 96% of the developers polled said they are worried. Most developers who took part in the survey (94%) said <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/tip/Guidelines-for-AI-driven-legacy-code-modernization">tech debt,</a> validation time and developer burnout are missing from their current metric. Over half (54%) expressed concerns over individual performance evaluations based on AI data.</p> <p>Harness urges IT managers to track AI review time, debugging overhead and the cost of productivity lost due to developers having to switch between different environments. For instance, Harness recommended investigating a reported 20% gain alongside an unmeasured 31% overhead before planning the next investment cycle.</p> <p>It also recommended that software development organisations within businesses understand fully the volume of code that is being completed, merged and deployed. While AI increases code volume, as Harness points out, it does not automatically increase code delivery.</p> <p>“AI coding is the first technology shift in modern software that has changed not just what developers build, but how they spend their hours,” said Trevor Stuart, senior vice-president and general manager at Harness. “AI is reshaping the developer’s job entirely, and the measurement frameworks that the industry has relied on for the past decade weren’t built for this new unit of work.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more AI in coding stories</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>How <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639364/How-AI-code-generation-is-pushing-DevSecOps-to-machine-speed">AI code generation</a> is pushing DevSecOps to machine speed: Organisations should adopt shared platforms and automated governance to keep pace with the growing use of generative AI tools that are helping developers produce code at unprecedented volumes.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/news/366632374/Market-research-AI-coding-tools-push-production-problems">AI coding</a> tools push production problems: Recent reports show that AI-generated code adds instability and vulnerabilities in production, but auto-remediation tools face persistent organisational friction.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Using artificial intelligence to generate code is not necessarily a productivity boost, with programmers spending far more time reviewing AI-generated code https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/software-code-keyboard-adobe.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643082/Software-developers-shift-to-AI-code-reviewers Thu, 14 May 2026 06:26:00 GMT <p>The long-awaited reform of Britain’s outdated <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/18/contents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Computer Misuse Act of 1990</a> – which has hamstrung the work of the nation’s cyber security professionals and researchers for years – is to be included in a new National Security Bill.</p> <p>Announced today by King Charles III in his speech at the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-kings-speech-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State Opening of Parliament</a>, the National Security Bill is chiefly designed to make the UK a harder target for hostile foreign states and other dangerous groups to attack.</p> <p>It comes partly in response to the 2024 Southport terror attack, and more recent incidents targeting Britain’s Jewish community, and will create offences around creating and disseminating harmful material online, and according to Westminster will close gaps within the nation’s state threats legislation and align it more closely with anti-terror laws.</p> <p>Ultimately, the stated goal is to enhance the UK’s ability to counter the full spectrum of threats ranged against the UK by enhancing the powers available to law enforcement and the security services.</p> <p>The government said that by reforming the legal cyber landscape within this, cyber cops will gain updated powers and capabilities to “remain effective in the digital age”.</p> <p>It intends to create a Cyber Crime Risk Order that can be applied to control the behaviour of cyber criminals, and new abilities to search people believed to be concealing evidence on behalf of suspected offenders.</p> <p>“It will also unlock the power of cyber security professionals to better enable them to secure computer systems. It will also seek to tackle the pervasive threat to the UK economy and businesses, posed by ruthless cyber criminals,” <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a046665c0cc74b4523e4d3b/The_King_s_Speech_2026_-_background_briefing_notes.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said the government</a>.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Bona fide professionals"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Bona fide professionals</h2> <p>The CMA was passed 35 years ago in response to a high-profile hacking incident involving no less than the King’s father, the late Duke of Edinburgh.</p> <p>It defined the offence of unauthorised access to a computer – which has been used successfully in countless cyber crime prosecutions over the years.</p> <p>However, as the cyber security landscape has developed into its current form, this language has become increasingly vague and for some years now, a growing number of bona fide security professionals have been arguing that it potentially criminalises their work because from time to time, they may need to gain covert access to IT systems in the course of legitimate research.</p> <p>Speaking to Computer Weekly in 2025, Belfast-based security consultant Simon Whittaker described how the police showed up at his front door after his research was erroneously implicated in <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623789/Why-we-must-reform-the-Computer-Misuse-Act-A-cyber-pro-speaks-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the infamous WannaCry incident of 2017</a>.</p> <p>At the time, Whittaker said: “It [CMA reform] would allow us to be more secure in our research. I’d love to be able to just look at things in more detail and help people secure themselves. It would allow us to focus on our jobs instead of being worried that we’re going to breach something or that something else is going to go wrong.”</p> <p>Besides making life easier for security teams, <a href="https://www.cyberupcampaign.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the CyberUp Campaign</a>, which has been pushing for reform for years, estimates that merely by reforming the CMA to give legitimate security professionals a statutory defence in law, Britain’s cyber sector – which employs almost 70,000 people generating £11.9bn in revenues – could unlock up to 20% growth right off the bat.</p> <p>A campaign spokesperson said: “Today marks a genuine turning point for cyber security in the UK. For years, the CMA has left legitimate cyber security professionals and researchers operating under unnecessary legal risk, while hostile actors move faster and with fewer constraints.</p> <p>“By including CMA reform in the National Security Bill, the Government has recognised a basic reality: cyber professionals cannot be expected to defend the country with one hand tied behind their backs.</p> <p>“The test now is whether the legislation delivers a clear, workable statutory defence for good-faith cyber security activity, including vulnerability research and threat intelligence. We stand ready to work with ministers and Parliament to turn this commitment into a lasting upgrade to the UK’s cyber resilience,” they said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="AI adds urgency to reform chatter"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>AI adds urgency to reform chatter</h2> <p>Sabeen Malik, vice-president for global government affairs and public policy at <a href="https://www.rapid7.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rapid7</a>, added: “As AI-driven vulnerability discovery scales, defenders need to run automated scanning, agentic red-teaming, and large-scale vuln research at machine speed – activities the 1990 Computer Misuse Act’s broad unauthorised-access provisions were never designed to accommodate, leaving UK researchers exposed to criminal risk for work their adversaries face no equivalent friction performing.</p> <p>“Hostile actors are already weaponising AI to find and exploit zero-days faster than human teams can triage them, so any legal regime that chills good-faith use of the same capabilities by UK defenders directly widens the offence-defence gap the National Cyber Strategy is meant to close.</p> <p>“A statutory public-interest defence – the test the CyberUp Campaign has now set for the bill – is the minimum needed to give industry, CERTs and threat-intel teams the legal certainty to deploy AI-enabled defensive tooling at the scale the threat environment now demands,” said Malik.​​​​​​​​​​​</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Timeline: Computer Misuse Act reform</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><strong>January 2020:</strong>&nbsp;A group of campaigners says the Computer Misuse Act 1990 risks criminalising cyber security professionals and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252477141/Computer-Misuse-Act-crying-out-for-reform">needs reforming</a>.</li> <li><strong>June 2020:</strong>&nbsp;The CyberUp coalition writes to Boris Johnson to urge him to reform&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252485276/Out-of-date-security-laws-leave-UK-plc-at-risk-during-pandemic">the UK’s 30-year-old cyber crime laws</a>.</li> <li><strong>November 2020:</strong>&nbsp;CyberUp, a group of campaigners who want to reform the Computer Misuse Act, finds 80% of security professionals are concerned that they may be prosecuted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252492416/Security-pros-fear-prosecution-under-outdated-UK-laws">just for doing their jobs</a>.</li> <li><strong>May 2021:</strong>&nbsp;Home secretary Priti Patel announces plans to explore reforming the Computer Misuse Act as calls mount for the 31-year-old law to be updated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252500572/Government-to-reform-Computer-Misuse-Act">to reflect the changed online world</a>.</li> <li><strong>June 2022:</strong>&nbsp;A cross-party group in the House of Lords has proposed an amendment to the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill that would address concerns about security researchers or ethical hackers being prosecuted&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252521716/Lords-move-to-protect-cyber-researchers-from-prosecution">in the course of their work</a>.</li> <li><strong>August 2022:</strong>&nbsp;A study produced by the CyberUp Campaign reveals broad alignment among security professionals on questions around the Computer Misuse Act, which it hopes will give confidence to policymakers&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252523826/Report-reveals-consensus-around-Computer-Misuse-Act-reform">as they explore its reform</a>.</li> <li><strong>September 2022:</strong>&nbsp;The CyberUp coalition, a campaign to reform the Computer Misuse Act, has called on Liz Truss to push ahead with needed changes to protect cyber professionals&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252524622/Campaigners-call-on-Truss-to-change-UKs-archaic-hacking-laws">from potential prosecution</a>.</li> <li><strong>January 2023:</strong>&nbsp;Cyber accreditation association Crest International lends its support to the CyberUp Campaign for&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252529245/Crest-throws-support-behind-CyberUp-CMA-reform-campaign">reform to the Computer Misuse Act 1990</a>.</li> <li><strong>February 2023:</strong>&nbsp;Westminster opens a consultation on proposed reforms to the Computer Misuse Act 1990, but campaigners who want the law changed to protect cyber professionals&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/365530632/Campaigners-lament-lack-of-movement-on-Computer-Misuse-Act-reform">have been left disappointed</a>.</li> <li><strong>March 2023:</strong>&nbsp;The deadline for submissions to the government’s consultation on reform of the Computer Misuse Act is fast approaching, and cyber professionals need to make their voices heard,&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/365533941/Ethical-hackers-urged-to-respond-to-Computer-Misuse-Act-reform-proposals">say Bugcrowd’s ethical hackers</a>.</li> <li><strong>November 2023:</strong>&nbsp;A group of activists who want to reform the UK’s computer misuse laws to protect bona fide cyber professionals from prosecution have been left&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366558652/Kings-Speech-misses-the-mark-on-cyber-law-reform-says-campaign">frustrated by a lack of legislative progress</a>.</li> <li>J<strong>uly 2024:</strong>&nbsp;In the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill introduced in the King’s Speech, the UK’s new government pledges to give regulators more teeth to ensure compliance with security best practice&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366595211/UK-Cyber-Bill-teases-mandatory-ransomware-reporting">and to mandate incident reporting</a>.</li> <li>J<strong>uly 2024:</strong>&nbsp;The CyberUp Campaign for reform of the 1990 Computer Misuse Act launches an industry survey inviting cyber experts to share their views on how the outdated law&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366595211/UK-Cyber-Bill-teases-mandatory-ransomware-reporting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hinders legitimate work</a>.</li> <li><strong>December 2024:</strong>&nbsp;An amendment to the proposed Data (Access and Use) Bill that will right a 35-year-old wrong and protect security professionals from criminalisation&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366617262/Computer-Misuse-Act-reform-gains-traction-in-Parliament">is to be debated at Westminster</a>.</li> <li><strong>December 2024:</strong>&nbsp;Amendments to the Data Bill that would have given the UK cyber industry a boost by updating restrictive elements of the Computer Misuse Act have failed to progress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366617109/Latest-attempt-to-override-UKs-outdated-hacking-law-stalls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyond a Lords committee</a>.</li> <li><strong>January 2025:</strong>&nbsp;Science minister Patrick Vallance rejects proposed amendments to the Computer Misuse Act, arguing that they could create&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366618521/Vallance-rejects-latest-charge-to-reform-UK-hacking-laws">a loophole for cyber criminals to exploit</a>.</li> <li><strong>May 2025:&nbsp;</strong>Britain’s outdated hacking laws are leaving the UK’s cyber practitioners hamstrung and afraid. Security professional Simon Whittaker reveals how he nearly ran afoul of the Computer Misuse Act,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623789/Why-we-must-reform-the-Computer-Misuse-Act-A-cyber-pro-speaks-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and why he’s speaking out for reform</a>.</li> <li><strong>December 2025:&nbsp;</strong>Campaigners celebrate as security minister Dan Jarvis commits to amending the outdated Computer Misuse Act&nbsp;<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366635624/UK-government-pledges-to-rewrite-Computer-Misuse-Act">to protect security professionals from prosecution</a>.</li> <li><strong>April 2026: </strong>Ahead of the NCSC’s CyberUK conference, the CyberUp Campaign for reform of the UK’s hacking laws urges the government to keep focus and proposes a four-pillar framework <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641875/CYBERUK-26-UK-lagging-on-legal-protections-for-cyber-pros" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that would protect cyber professionals from prosecution</a>.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Reform of the Computer Misuse Act is to be folded into a wider National Security Bill granting more powers for law enforcement to protect the UK against a wider spectrum of threats https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/security-password-hacker-phishing-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642884/Computer-Misuse-Act-reform-to-move-forward-in-National-Security-Bill Wed, 13 May 2026 12:10:00 GMT <p>Datacentre capacity has reached 67.7GW globally, with five countries accounting for 69% of that total, and the US alone accounting for 43%, according to the <a href="https://www.idc-a.org/">International Datacentre Authority’s (IDCA)</a> <em>Datacentre report 2026</em>.</p> <p>The study based its research on data from organisations such as the International Energy Agency, World Bank, United Nations and International Telecommunications Union, as well as governments, datacentre developers and operators.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>It discovered that where datacentres account for 5% or more of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634715/Datacentre-energy-demands-set-to-soar-by-2030-as-AI-growth-accelerates-predicts-Gartner">electricity grid usage</a>, there seemed to be a threshold at which public opposition rises significantly and governments move from incentives to regulation.</p> <p>And while there was huge growth in <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Data-Centre">the datacentre industry</a>, whether a nation or region can profit optimally depended on using its resources wisely and attaining tech sector skills among 2.5% of the workforce, it found.</p> <p>The US was the site for the most datacentre capacity, with 29.2GW of a global total 67.7GW. US datacentres accounted for 6% of the country’s electricity supply. Behind the US are: China, 8.5GW and 0.8% of electricity use; Germany, 5.5GW (9.5%), UK, 2GW (5.8%), and Japan, 1.7GW (1.5%). Those five states accounted for 69% of global datacentre capacity.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the US, however, the IDCA research estimated that 13% of datacentre consumption – around 3GW – was unused but still live capacity.</p> <p>China emerged as the “sleeping giant”, according to the report, because less than 1% of electricity production was devoted to datacentres, despite producing almost twice the amount of electricity as the US.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="International haves and have-nots"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>International haves and have-nots</h2> <p>The report concluded that 5% of electricity grid usage going to datacentres was the threshold at which public concern, government regulation and grid supply can be seen to increase. It pointed to the US, which has seen <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639449/UK-to-see-weekend-protests-against-dirty-datacentres">community pushback</a> and connection difficulties in the Midwest, Texas and California, with multi-year delays in the ability to provision power new facilities.</p> <p>Meanwhile, in Europe, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland have exceeded the 9% consumption level, while that’s also the case for Singapore.&nbsp;</p> <p>Also in Europe, the report found that countries with electricity grids driven by nuclear power – such as France, Slovakia and Slovenia – may relieve these constraints.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the other end of the scale, it discovered that more than 70 countries devoted less than 0.1% of their power to datacentres, and for more than 30 countries that figure was less than 0.01%.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Datacentre energy use league table"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Datacentre energy use league table</h2> <p>Singapore used the highest proportion of its electricity to power datacentres at 19.5% of the total generated. Next in the IDCA report was Lithuania (11.1%), the Netherlands (9.7%), Denmark (8.4%), Ireland (8.2%), Estonia (6.9%), Luxembourg (6.3%), Germany (6.1%), Hong Kong (6%) and the US (6%). Further down the rankings are Australia (5.1%), the UK (3.6%), South Korea (2%), Japan (1.2%), and India and China (both 0.8%).</p> <p>IDCA built what it described as an optimised national model of ideal consumption levels for each nation, noting that construction of new datacentres was contingent on stronger electricity grids and robust fibre-optic networks.</p> <p>For developed nations, IDCA said 6.25% of national electricity consumption was an effective cap on datacentre growth – i.e., it was the point at which the correlation was very strong between datacentre consumption and political actions and community pushback that result in projects being cancelled or slowed.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Meanwhile, IDCA ranked countries by the headroom they possess to build datacentres without significantly needing to develop new electricity generation. Here, IDCA ranked countries by headroom measured in GW. China led the way with 58.9GW of headroom, followed by India (12.7GW), Russia (6.7GW), Japan (5.5GW), Brazil (4.5GW), Canada (3.6GW), South Korea (3.2GW), Saudi Arabia (2.6GW), Iran (2.4GW) and Mexico (2.4GW).</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The water stress scale"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The water stress scale</h2> <p>IDCA pointed out that modern AI datacentres require <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-to-keep-datacentres-cool">liquid cooling</a> but that a lot of pushback around perceived worries over water use are misguided. That’s because the latest direct-to-chip cooling systems are closed systems that recycle water somewhat similar to a car radiator.</p> <p>Having said that, the IDCA report stated: “The vast majority of existing traditional cloud and enterprise facilities rely on older, less efficient cooling architectures like water-cooled chillers or evaporative cooling towers. In these legacy designs, water is evaporated to remove the latent heat of vaporisation from the air, and that evaporated water is never recovered.”</p> <p>The IDCA report ranked countries on a “water stress” scale of 0-100, where those with deserts are unsurprisingly high on the scale and mountainous and riverine states at the low end. Most at risk are Bahrain (100), Belize (86), Libya (80), Kuwait (80) and South Sudan (73). The least at risk are Norway (0), New Zealand (0), Iceland (1), Canada (2) and Bhutan (3).</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Servers per head differential of 100,000x"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Servers per head differential of 100,000x</h2> <p>The IDCA report said there was a difference of 100,000x in the number of servers per head of population between the most and least dense in this respect.&nbsp; Providing connectivity alongside this, IDCA said there was an estimated 1.3 to 1.5 million km of subsea cables, in around 550 systems, with about 1,200 landing stations.&nbsp;</p> <p>Out of these, there are around 70 landing stations in the US, 50 in the UK and more than 12 in countries that include the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and some Middle Eastern countries. Meanwhile, there are around 14 million km of terrestrial cables in main networks.&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="IT jobs deficit"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>IT jobs deficit</h2> <p>IDCA found that IT jobs worldwide account for between 0.1% and 4% of populations. According to IDCA, 2.5% of the workforce employed in tech was optimum to “to ensure a thorough, successful digital economy creation and management”, though this varied based on local conditions and expectations.&nbsp;</p> <p>Overall, the IDCA found that there was a deficit of 100 million IT-related jobs worldwide, with developing nations accounting for 80% of that.</p> <p>Ranking countries with the most deficit, top of the list was India, with a shortfall of 28.8 million in the IT workforce, followed by China (17.5 million), Pakistan (5.8 million), Nigeria (5.8 million), and Indonesia (5.3 million).&nbsp;</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Gamma, Sigma and Goldilocks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Gamma, Sigma and Goldilocks</h2> <p>The report covered a number of other areas in connection with datacentres that include datacentre security, standards, design, investment and community pushback. It also provided three indexes: Gamma, Sigma and Goldilocks, with countries ranked 0-100.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Gamma index looked at technological and social factors in digital readiness. Top of the list was: Finland at 85 (with Scandinavia collectively ranking 83), the Netherlands (83), Estonia (80), New Zealand (79) and Switzerland (79). Bottom of the list was: Equatorial Guinea (4), South Sudan (12), Turkmenistan (17), Haiti (17), and Democratic Republic of Congo (19). The UK ranked 14th, with a score of 74.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Sigma index integrated the Gamma index, with adjustments for stress on water and electricity grids, such as the amount of headroom they possess, for example. The Sigma index was topped by Finland (99), followed by Sweden (97), Norway (97), New Zealand (94) and Iceland (94). The UK was ranked 15th (84).</p> <p>“The Sigma Index is useful in determining a nation’s overall suitability for rapid datacentre growth and the digital infrastructure that would accompany it,” the report said.</p> <p>Finally, the IDCA report provided a Goldilocks index, which technological factors are separated from the rest then comparing those to the cost of living and income. That way, it hoped to provide an idea of countries for whom rapid development would not be disruptive and would hit “just right”. Top of the Goldilocks index was Colombia with a score of 5.2, followed by North Macedonia, China, South Africa and Montenegro, all on 5.2 except the last of these (5.1).&nbsp;</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about datacentre development</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640935/Data-dive-Government-2030-datacentre-capacity-targets-look-shaky">Data dive: UK government’s 2030 datacentre capacity targets look shaky</a>. We look at UK datacentre capacity – current and projected – and find DSIT’s 2030 target for 6GW of AI-capable capacity is currently out of reach, unless operators get a move on</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640447/Hit-the-north-UK-datacentre-focus-shifts-to-M62-and-points-north">Hit the north! UK datacentre focus shifts to M62 and points north</a>. Barbour ABI data shows 8GW of total datacentre pipeline with most big projects in the north and Scotland, while London and the M4 corridor are about 25% of projected capacity.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> International Data Center Authority report shows capacity concentrated in a few developed nations, while ‘Goldilocks index’ shows which states can benefit from rapid development https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/bear-wild-threat-Lubos-Chlubny-adove.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642726/IDCA-datacentres-report-Global-concentration-and-the-Goldilocks-zone Tue, 12 May 2026 19:01:00 GMT <p>“AI [artificial intelligence] can create a 30-page research paper for you out of thin air based on fake science,” warns Jill Luber, chief technology officer at Elsevier. As a publisher of scientific and medical journals and papers, she says: “We’ve seen a major increase in “<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/opinion/Will-2026-be-the-year-deepfakes-go-mainstream">fabricated science</a>” and it is our job to protect the publishing world from that.”</p> <p>It is a topic Luber recently spoke about at the London Book Fair. “It is very worrying, and we’ve seen a major increase in fabricated science,” she says.</p> <p>“Creating and publishing science that’s not real clearly has implications because there’s a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642597/Closing-the-AI-trust-gap-in-MENA-Why-visibility-governance-and-data-quality-matter-more-than-hype">level of trust</a> with what you read in scientific journals, and if we start to erode that trust, I think that’s when we’re in real trouble.”</p> <p>Elsevier is around 145 years old, and over that time, it has experienced three major technological disrupters: the printing press, digital content via the internet, and now AI.&nbsp;</p> <p>Putting the fake science warning to one side, Luber believes AI has a significant role to play in supporting researchers to make sense of vast volumes of information contained in academic research papers. For Luber, among the major benefits of using AI tools to support research is that it is able to look through all the text in the literature Elsevier holds.</p> <p>“AI can bubble up concepts and link together different articles,” she says.</p> <p>Without AI’s help, this would normally take a human hours and hours, and may even be impossible for someone to do.</p> <div class="podcastdownload alignCenter"> <audio id="podcastPlayer" src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/podcasts/Jill%20Luber%20podcast_mixdown.mp3" type="audio/mp3" controls="controls"></audio> <p><a type="audio/mpeg" href="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/podcasts/Jill%20Luber%20podcast_mixdown.mp3">Download this podcast</a></p> </div> <p>And with regards to fake science, she says: “AI can help us find and stop fake publications and fake articles before they get into our journals.”</p> <p>AI gives researchers the ability to dig through the content, understanding information it contains, finding connections and surfacing existing concepts. Just as significantly, Luber says, it also reveals what she calls “white space”, the information that is not covered in the research papers.&nbsp;</p> <p>Before AI, researchers used keyword searches to surface relevant pieces of research, as Luber explains: “Within the digital world, we did have very strong search algorithms that we could index entire sets of data. You would type in keywords for concepts you’re looking for and the search engine would look across all of the literature based on those keywords, and then surface up the information as a list of hits.”&nbsp;</p> <p>AI provides researchers with the ability to move beyond keyword searches and instead search whole concepts and neighbouring concepts – not just keywords.&nbsp;</p> <p>This helps researchers identify the veracity of any research articles surfaced by the AI engine. “What’s really important in science is reproducibility,” she says. “We have the ability now to look through all our content and find the research that has been reproduced.”</p> <p>There is a higher level of trust associated with those articles where the research is reproducible, versus the research that no one has been able to reproduce.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI guardrails</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637344/AI-governance-provides-guardrails-for-faster-innovation">AI governance provides guardrails</a> for faster innovation: Dataiku’s field chief data officer for Asia-Pacific and Japan discusses how implementing AI governance can accelerate innovation while mitigating the risks of shadow AI.</li> <li>Why OpenClaw agents are the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640697/Why-OpenClaw-agents-are-the-next-big-enterprise-challenge">next big enterprise challenge</a>: As users flock to deploy OpenClaw agents for everything from gig work to shopping, IT leaders warn that bringing these autonomous systems into the enterprise will require strict guardrails and a mix of AI models.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>While there are clearly plenty of benefits of using AI to support research, Luber notes that there is a big risk that a large language model (LLM) can hallucinate and provide erroneous information. There is also the ever-present danger of bias. These have a direct impact on the quality and integrity of the research that can be done using AI tools. In fact, there is also a very real risk that researchers may trust the output produced by the AI tool, rather than investigate further into the insights that can now be so easily presented to them.</p> <p>When researchers are using AI tools to analyse legitimate research: “If you’re using the model just to ask the question, there is a real risk of hallucinations. But we are seeing some models trained on specific science and health domains and they are getting better at answering domain-specific questions.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Like many people working in AI, Luber recognises the importance of human oversight. This is analogous to the peer review human oversight that is well-established in academic publishing.</p> <p>Elsevier’s primary AI tool is LeapSpace, using human evaluation, where different domain experts test the quality and accuracy of the outputs the models generate based on the questions asked. Luber says the evaluation looks at whether the correct information is being captured and, significantly, if the output is actually harmful. “We use human evaluation to continue to help us tweak the LLMs and the products that use them,” she adds.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Vibe coding"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Vibe coding</h2> <p>Within the technology function at Elsevier, Luber says AI is used in software development. However, before any code is released into production, there is a human review.&nbsp;</p> <p>Discussing how Elsevier is using AI to support software development, she says: “It does make it easier, but I’m also finding new needs for my technology team. There’s this new concept of AI engineer emerging.”</p> <p>She says the business is encouraging vibe coding, enabling people with no technical background to create dashboards, web pages and applications.&nbsp;</p> <p>However, the software development team has an important role to play in vibe coding. “What we’re finding is you can only get so far, then you’re going to need the intervention of the technology team to harden some of the processes and dashboard,” says Luber.</p> <p>As an example, she says the finance team creates lots of reports on an ongoing basis. “With AI tools, they can build a new automated agentic workflow themselves that can create these reports. However, these AI agents need to be more productionised: <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Vibe-coding-security-risks-and-how-to-mitigate-them">it’s safe; it's secure</a>; it has the right access, it’s up and running and we understand the cost. That’s when you really need an engineer to intervene and help bring it up to production-level quality.”</p> <p>As a result, Elsevier now has software engineers dedicated to the finance function.</p> <p>“This is a new need for my team to support some of the areas of the business that are taking advantage of AI to make their jobs better,” adds Luber. “But they still need our support to do that.”</p> <p>While vibe coding does change the number of software developers needed, Luber feels that software engineers are used in places the businesses previously did not require their expertise.</p> <p>“Vibe coding is actually really cool and it helps me do my job better,” she says. “Even if you don’t know how to write the code, you can still create the processes to use it.”</p> </section> We speak to Jill Luber, chief technology officer at academic publisher Elsevier, about how large language models can support researchers https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/chemistry-science-medicine-research-adobe.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643005/Executive-interview-Pros-and-cons-of-AI-in-academic-research Tue, 12 May 2026 05:15:00 GMT <p>The <a href="https://english.rekenkamer.nl/">Netherlands Court of Audit</a> recently published a blunt assessment of the Dutch central government’s readiness for quantum technology. The verdict was uncomfortable reading for a country that presents itself as a European frontrunner in the field.</p> <p>While the Netherlands has built a thriving quantum research ecosystem and secured an academic leading position, the majority of government organisations have yet to take a single concrete step towards protecting their systems against the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640684/Shrinking-PQC-timeline-highlights-immediate-risk-to-data-security">cryptographic threat that quantum computers</a> will eventually pose.</p> <p>The report, <a href="https://english.rekenkamer.nl/documents/2026/02/04/focus-on-quantum-technology-in-central-government"><em>Focus on quantum technology in central government</em></a>, surveyed 63 government organisations. It found that 71% had not begun preparations to defend against <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/opinion/Is-post-quantum-cryptography-the-next-Y2K">the quantum threat</a>. Only four organisations (6%) had incorporated the quantum threat into their risk management frameworks. Just 15 had opened any dialogue with their suppliers about quantum-safe products. No designated executives are responsible for the issue at most institutions.</p> <p>The timing matters. The Dutch intelligence service AIVD <a href="https://www.aivd.nl/actueel/nieuws/2024/12/03/aivd-cwi-en-tno-publiceren-vernieuwd-handboek-voor-quantumveilige-cryptografie">has warned</a> that Q-Day, the point at which a sufficiently powerful <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/Attention-CISOs-Quantum-computing-security-risks-are-here">quantum computer could crack current asymmetric encryption</a>, could arrive as early as 2030. That leaves fewer than four years for organisations to complete what experts describe as a complex, organisation-wide migration.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The threat is real"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The threat is real</h2> <p>To understand why the Court of Audit is concerned, it helps to understand what the Dutch government uses encryption for. The list is not short – protecting confidential information held on citizens and businesses, controlling access to vital infrastructure such as flood defences and bridges, authenticating logins via <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366638606/US-bid-for-Dutch-ID-infrastructure-raises-sovereignty-concerns">DigiD</a> (the national digital identity system used by millions), and verifying the integrity of passports and official documents.</p> <p>If quantum computers render current encryption obsolete, all of these applications are at risk. The consequences range from identity fraud and disrupted benefit payments to compromised infrastructure and exposed state secrets.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Because the precise timing of Q-Day remains uncertain, many institutions have simply not prioritised the issue </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>There is a further complication that makes the 2030 timeline more urgent than it might first appear. Security researchers and the Court of Audit itself have flagged the risk of so-called <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640684/Shrinking-PQC-timeline-highlights-immediate-risk-to-data-security">“harvest now, decrypt later” attacks</a>, in which malicious actors, including state-level adversaries, are already intercepting and stockpiling encrypted data. They cannot read it today, but they are betting they will be able to once quantum computing matures. That means sensitive Dutch government data being transmitted now may already be at risk of future exposure. The threat is not waiting for Q-Day to begin.</p> <p>The Court of Audit identifies three main obstacles to progress: a lack of technical capacity, a shortage of expertise, and, perhaps most critically, an absence of urgency within organisations. Because the precise timing of Q-Day remains uncertain, many institutions have simply not prioritised the issue.</p> <p>That reasoning has a flaw. Migrating to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366543419/Handbook-helps-Dutch-organisations-migrate-to-quantum-safe-communication">post-quantum cryptography (PQC)</a> is not a quick fix. It requires organisations to first audit where cryptography is embedded across their systems, negotiate with suppliers, update infrastructure and retrain staff. The Court of Audit warns that organisations risk not starting in time.</p> <p>Even the adoption of a government‑wide cryptography framework has not yet translated into concrete action in most organisations. In March 2025, the Dutch CIO Council formally adopted the <a href="https://www.nldigitalgovernment.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/02/Framework-Cryptography-Policy-Central-Government.pdf">Framework cryptography policy for the Central Government</a>, which makes a cryptography policy mandatory for all central government bodies, but the Court of Audit finds that many organisations have not yet aligned their own policies with this framework.</p> <p>The governance picture compounds the problem. Most organisations have not designated an executive responsible for quantum readiness. Without clear ownership, the migration tends to remain an unassigned task – acknowledged in principle, actioned by no one.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Legal frameworks lag behind"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Legal frameworks lag behind</h2> <p>The security gap has a legal dimension that adds further complexity. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victordepous/">Victor de Pous</a>, an Amsterdam-based ICT lawyer who has tracked Dutch digital policy for decades, points to a structural paradox in how information security law is currently constructed.</p> <p>Existing legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation, the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act, is deliberately written to be technology-neutral. The intention is that organisations should be able to identify and apply appropriate security measures themselves, following what regulators describe as “the state of the art”.</p> <p>“At the regulation of post‑quantum cryptography, a paradox arises,” De Pous wrote in his <em>Newsware</em> newsletter, noting that information security legislation is designed to be technology‑neutral, yet the quantum threat is so profound and complex that organisations “apparently cannot independently keep up with the ‘state of the art’ in this area”.</p> <p>In practice, de Pous argued, this approach is not working. His conclusion that further regulation is all but inevitable does not rest on the claim that it is the only conceivable solution. It rests, rather, on a historical lesson from information security law: open norms and self-regulation have repeatedly proved insufficient to deliver timely and adequately high levels of security.</p> <p>The evolution from NIS1 to NIS2 illustrates how legislators gradually give such open norms more concrete shape, not only through judicial interpretation, but through additional legislation, guidance and implementing rules. The quantum threat, in his view, will follow the same pattern.</p> <p>De Pous pointed to several recent examples, including the modernisation of the 1995 Archives Act, the adaptation of competition law for government open source releases, and the transposition of the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/What-does-the-EUs-NIS-2-cyber-directive-cover">NIS2 Directive</a>, as “telling examples of digital-domain legislative processes with long delays”, reinforcing his view that this is a structural feature of the Dutch regulatory landscape rather than an exception. He sees no reason to assume quantum-specific regulation will move faster.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Investment without implementation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Investment without implementation</h2> <p>The contrast with the investment side of the quantum picture is stark. Since 2021, the Netherlands has channelled €615m from its National Growth Fund into <a href="https://quantumdelta.nl/">Quantum Delta NL</a>, a public-private programme designed to develop the country’s quantum ecosystem across five regional hubs in Delft, Eindhoven, Leiden, Twente and Amsterdam. The programme has delivered tangible results: a quantum network connecting The Hague and Delft, three operational quantum sensor test facilities, and a fund for quantum startups. The National Growth Fund’s advisory committee has praised the programme’s progress.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The Court of Audit’s findings place the Dutch government in an uncomfortable position. Having invested heavily in quantum technology and positioned itself as a European leader, the gap between its ambitions and its internal security preparations is unusually visible </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Quantum Delta NL projects that quantum technology could create between 8,000 and 18,000 jobs in the Netherlands by 2040, with the Quantum Delta programme alone potentially generating between €1.5bn and €2.5bn in economic value. Quantum technology has been designated as one of 10 priority technology areas in the country’s National Technology Strategy, and in March 2026, the Netherlands and Germany jointly launched the <a href="https://quantumzeitgeist.com/rvo-germany-quantum-rd-call-2/">TechBridge initiative</a> – a collaborative research and development programme targeting quantum applications in the aerospace sector, developed in partnership with Quantum Delta NL and Airbus Tech Hub Netherlands.</p> <p>The investment in the opportunity side of quantum is real, sustained and internationally recognised. The readiness for the threat side is not.</p> <p>In its formal response to the Court of Audit, the government described the migration to post‑quantum cryptography as “not optional, but necessary”, while noting that the migration is complex given the range of dependencies involved.</p> <p>A government-wide Quantum Strategy is currently being developed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in collaboration with other ministries. It was expected to be presented to parliament in the second quarter of 2026. At the time of writing, neither its concrete targets nor its budget had been made public.</p> <p>That timing is not coincidental. The European Commission is expected to publish its proposed <a href="https://www.european-quantum-act.com/">Quantum Act</a> in the same period, which will set binding requirements and investment frameworks across member states. The Netherlands has stated it welcomes the European strategy, while seeking to preserve room for national choices and ecosystems. How those two timelines interact, and whether Dutch policy will be shaped proactively or reactively by the EU framework, remains to be seen.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="EU-wide challenge"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>EU-wide challenge</h2> <p>The Netherlands is not alone in facing this challenge. No European Union member state has fully completed the transition to post-quantum cryptography, and the European Commission has acknowledged that migrations will be difficult and time-consuming across the board.</p> <p>But the Court of Audit’s findings place the Dutch government in an uncomfortable position. As a country that has invested heavily in quantum technology and positioned itself as a European leader, the gap between its ambitions and its internal security preparations is unusually visible.</p> <p>The 71% figure carries weight precisely because it comes not from a commercial supplier or a lobbying body, but from the independent institution tasked with auditing the Dutch state’s financial management and policy effectiveness. When the Court of Audit says most government organisations have not started, that assessment has not been publicly contested.</p> <p>The government has acknowledged the scale of the problem and the need to accelerate preparations for post‑quantum cryptography, but it has not yet presented a funded, time‑bound plan to fix it. For organisations now weighing up their own PQC migration, and for any entity that exchanges sensitive data with Dutch government systems, that gap is the most important number in the report.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about post-quantum security</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Quantum computers <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/video/An-explanation-of-quantum-cryptography">threaten to break today’s encryption protocols.</a> Post-quantum cryptography aims to develop new algorithms resistant to quantum attacks before it’s too late.</li> <li>Google sets out a timeline for its <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640650/Google-targets-2029-for-post-quantum-cyber-readiness">migration to post-quantum cryptography</a>, saying it will complete its migration before the end of the 2020s</li> <li>The promise of quantum processors solving complex problems at extraordinary speeds offers numerous business opportunities. But <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/Attention-CISOs-Quantum-computing-security-risks-are-here">what risks does this new technology present?</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> The Dutch government has invested €615m to build a world-class quantum technology ecosystem, but many institutions have not started any quantum-specific preparations to protect themselves against the security threat https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/LeMagIT/hero_article/quantum-quantique-AdobeStock_429545226-hero.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642917/The-Netherlands-leads-in-quantum-technology-but-lags-on-quantum-security Mon, 11 May 2026 07:09:00 GMT <p>Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure provider <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637443/G42-introduces-Digital-Embassies-framework-for-sovereign-AI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Core42</a> has announced a strategic partnership with Solutions+ to accelerate the deployment of sovereign AI infrastructure across the Mubadala Investment Company (MIC) Group and government entities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).</p> <p>The agreement establishes a framework for delivering secure cloud, data and AI infrastructure services designed to support <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640646/The-UAE-CIO-From-technology-operator-to-digital-value-architect">enterprise-scale AI adoption</a> while ensuring compliance with local data sovereignty requirements.</p> <p>Under the partnership, Core42 will serve as the foundational infrastructure provider, supplying sovereign cloud and AI compute capabilities to Mubadala Group companies and public sector organisations. Solutions+, an AI-driven shared services company within the Mubadala ecosystem, will serve as the lead implementation and data services partner.</p> <p>The collaboration reflects growing demand across the Gulf region for <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Data-residency-becomes-the-GCCs-next-AI-battleground">sovereign AI infrastructure</a> that enables organisations to deploy large language models (LLMs) and AI applications while keeping sensitive data and workloads within national borders.</p> <p>The partnership expands collaboration around enterprise cloud services. Solutions+ will become the lead partner for Oracle Fusion and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services across a defined portfolio of enterprise accounts agreed with Core42.</p> <p>Nasir Al Nabhani, managing director at Solutions+, said the partnership combines Solutions+’s implementation capabilities with Core42’s AI infrastructure to create an end-to-end AI deployment model.</p> <p>“Combining Solutions+’s implementation expertise and Weave AI platform with Core42’s compute infrastructure creates an end-to-end capability for AI adoption across the Mubadala Investment Company Group portfolio companies and government entity clients,” he said. “This is a partnership grounded in shared priorities: a sovereign-first approach, a focus on delivery, and a commitment to long-term impact.”</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/L-R-Talal-M-Al-Kaissi-Ismail-Ali-Abdulla-Nasir-Al-Nabhani-800px.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/L-R-Talal-M-Al-Kaissi-Ismail-Ali-Abdulla-Nasir-Al-Nabhani-800px_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/L-R-Talal-M-Al-Kaissi-Ismail-Ali-Abdulla-Nasir-Al-Nabhani-800px_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.computerweekly.com/rms/computerweekly/L-R-Talal-M-Al-Kaissi-Ismail-Ali-Abdulla-Nasir-Al-Nabhani-800px.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo of Talal M. Al Kaissi, CEO, Core42; Ismail Ali Abdulla, executive director, UAE Clusters - UAE Investments Platform, Mubadala Investment Company; Nasir Al Nabhani, managing director, Solutions+" height="234" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Left to right: Talal M. Al Kaissi, CEO, Core42; Ismail Ali Abdulla, executive director, UAE Clusters - UAE Investments Platform, Mubadala Investment Company; Nasir Al Nabhani, managing director, Solutions+ </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>The agreement formalises an existing working relationship between the two companies. It broadens the scope of collaboration beyond Mubadala Group entities to include future engagements with government and private sector organisations in the UAE and the wider region.</p> <p>Talal M. Al Kaissi, chief executive officer at Core42, said the deal highlights the company’s growing role in supporting AI deployment at scale. “This partnership underscores Core42’s role in enabling AI at scale with secure, resilient, sovereign-ready infrastructure built for production,” he said.</p> <p>“Together with Solutions+, we’re creating a structured delivery model that unites compute and implementation, accelerating outcomes for large, complex organisations.”</p> <p>Core42, part of Abu Dhabi technology group G42, has become one of the region’s key players in sovereign cloud, AI infrastructure and high-performance computing. The company operates AI-ready datacentre infrastructure in the UAE and provides <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641828/Middle-East-CIOs-move-from-cloud-first-to-sovereign-first-in-a-high-risk-digital-era">sovereign cloud services</a> designed to support governments and regulated industries seeking greater control over data residency, security and AI workloads.</p> <p>The company has been central to the UAE’s broader ambition to position itself as a regional AI hub, supporting initiatives across government, healthcare, energy, financial services and industrial sectors. Through partnerships with both public and private sector organisations, Core42 is focused on building local AI capabilities while reducing reliance on overseas hyperscale infrastructure for sensitive workloads.</p> <p>The announcement at <a href="https://www.miite.ae/en">Make it in the Emirates</a> also highlights the increasing alignment between the UAE’s industrial strategy and its AI ambitions, with sovereign infrastructure now viewed as a critical component of long-term digital transformation and economic resilience.</p> <p>G42 and Mubadala Investment Company, alongside portfolio companies including Solutions+, are exhibiting at the event to showcase initiatives aimed at strengthening the UAE’s national technology and industrial capabilities.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about the AI in the UAE</h3> <ul style="list-style-type: square;" class="default-list"> <li><a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366632644/Interview-Shaping-the-future-of-AI-in-the-UAE">Shaping the future of AI in the UAE</a>: At Gitex 2025 in Dubai, the largest tech show in the Middle East, Chiara Marcati, chief AI advisory and business officer at AI71, discusses the UAE’s ambition to become a global leader in artificial intelligence.</li> <li><a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636844/UAE-launches-AI-ecosystem-to-boost-climate-resilient-agriculture-worldwide">UAE launches AI ecosystem to boost climate-resilient agriculture worldwide</a>: In partnership with the Gates Foundation, Abu Dhabi unveils a multi-institution AI platform designed to accelerate agricultural innovation, strengthen food security and support millions of smallholder farmers facing climate volatility.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Agreement announced at Make it in the Emirates will see Core42 provide sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure while Solutions+ delivers implementation services and enterprise AI applications across Mubadala portfolio companies and government entities https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/Dubai-skyline-desert-UAE-WaitforLight-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642883/Core42-partners-with-Solutions-on-Mubadala-sovereign-AI Mon, 11 May 2026 06:12:00 GMT <p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is being woven into everyday working life. It is also becoming a gateway to economic participation. But for nearly eight million people in the UK who <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640721/UK-government-boosts-digital-access-for-more-than-a-million-people">lack basic digital skills</a> - that gateway has become a barrier.</p> <p>Consider a capable candidate applying for a job. The role suits their experience, but the digital process is layered with logins, verification steps and AI-driven prompts that feel opaque. In an era of scams and deepfakes, requests for personal information can trigger hesitation rather than reassurance. The system may be designed for efficiency, but for some users it can feel risky or overwhelming.</p> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Diversity-Think-Tank-Inclusion-matters-heres-why-you-should-care">Digital exclusion</a> can be quiet. It shows up as abandoned forms, unfinished applications and services avoided. With around 90% of jobs now advertised online and essential services increasingly digital-first, hesitation translates directly into reduced participation in the labour market.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="AI at the front end of business services"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>AI at the front end of business services</h2> <p>As advanced AI moves from experimentation to infrastructure, it now sits at the front end of many core business services - hiring funnels, learning platforms, customer service journeys and financial verification processes. These are no longer back-office systems. They serve as digital gateways to jobs and essential services. If complexity is hard-wired into these journeys, and now with AI layered onto fragmented processes, organisations will spend the next decade trying to retrofit inclusion at far greater cost.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="More than a skills issue"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>More than a skills issue</h2> <p>It is tempting to frame Britain’s challenge as a straightforward <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366544238/FutureDotNow-debuts-roadmap-to-guide-UK-through-closing-digital-skills-gap">digital skills gap</a>. But the latest research and work with communities show that what holds many people back is not a lack of ability, but a lack of confidence.</p> <p>Fear of fraud and impersonation, cognitive overload from cluttered interfaces, and processes that strip away autonomy by forcing reliance on others all play a role.</p> <p>For business leaders focused on growth, this means a narrower recruitment pool, higher drop-off rates in applications and rising demand for assisted services. Facing these constraints in a tight labour market because your digital front door feels intimidating is not a social issue. It is a commercial one.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> AI has the potential to deliver a double-digit uplift in productivity across the UK economy - but these gains depend on whether people have the skills and confidence to participate in an AI-shaped economy </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Dal Channa, Accenture</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Yet many organisations treat AI deployment as a technical roll-out, measuring success through adoption rates, chatbot usage or efficiencies. Far less attention is paid to whether people can complete tasks independently, feel in control of the interaction, or know how to recover when something goes wrong - or to tracking reductions in assisted interactions, rather than adoption alone.</p> <p>Through our work, alongside our charity partners, Good Things Foundation and Generation UK<i>,</i> we have seen <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366619507/Government-launches-Digital-Inclusion-Action-Plan">how digital inclusion can work</a>.</p> <p>Short, supported sessions allow people to experiment with AI tools in safe environments where mistakes are recoverable. They help people to overcome hesitancy and feel more eager to use the technology. Systems that are simplified before automation is layered in prove far easier to navigate. Tools delivered through trusted institutions -employers, banks and public services - generate far greater willingness to engage than platforms alone.</p> <p>Those who are most likely to hesitate often expose design flaws faster than any internal test lab. Building for them improves the system for everyone.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Participation is the point"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Participation is the point</h2> <p>Digital inclusion matters because the prize is real. Generative AI has the potential to deliver a <a href="https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-3/Accenture-Accelerating-The-UKs-Generative-AI-Reinvention.pdf#zoom=40">double-digit uplift in productivity</a> across the UK economy. But those gains are not automatic. They depend on whether people have the skills and confidence to participate in an AI-shaped economy.</p> <p>That is why building AI literacy matters just as much as investment in the technology itself. Through Accenture’s <a href="https://newsroom.accenture.co.uk/english-uk/news/2024/accenture-to-help-tackle-the-digital-inclusion-gap-in-disadvantaged-areas-across-the-uk">Regenerative AI</a> initiative, which aims to empower over one million people in the UK with digital access, skills and AI literacy, we are seeing how small, human-centred interventions can unlock meaningful gains in participation and independence.</p> <p>For AI’s potential to be realised, humans need to remain in the lead. That means ensuring people have access to the support they need to build confidence. The digital world should not feel locked behind complexity. It should be secure and accessible so people can engage independently.</p> <p><i>Dal Channa is Accenture’s corporate citizenship lead in the UK &amp; Ireland.</i></p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about digital inclusion</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Diversity-Think-Tank-Divesting-from-inclusion-is-a-tech-business-mistake">Divesting from inclusion is a tech business mistake</a> - Even without recent news in the US, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives were dialled back in UK businesses last year due to tight budgets and economic uncertainty.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/The-future-is-inclusive-How-technology-can-democratise-access-to-opportunity">The future is inclusive: How technology can democratise access to opportunity</a> - IT leaders need to play their part in using technology to create a more inclusive future for businesses - the benefits for all will be significant.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366611263/UN-body-urges-globally-inclusive-and-distributed-AI-governance">UN body urges ‘globally inclusive and distributed’ AI governance</a> - A United Nations body set up to investigate the international governance of AI says the nature of how the technology currently operates requires a global approach to regulation that prioritises equity and inclusion.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> AI is increasingly being woven into every aspect of our lives - but the technology's full potential cannot be delivered without addressing shortcomings in digital inclusion https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/diversity-inclusion-Fokussiert-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Realising-Britains-AI-ambitions-rests-on-digital-confidence-and-inclusion Thu, 07 May 2026 07:46:00 GMT <p>Amid sky-high levels of fraud and financial crime, and the as-yet unknown real-world impacts <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/news/366642478/Claude-Mythos-Preview-and-the-new-rules-of-cybersecurity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos</a>, the inaugural UK Financial Services Security Hackathon has brought together representatives of UK banks, fintechs, software and technology companies, and regulators for a security competition testing incident readiness, decision-making under fire, and skill at defending financial infrastructure against cyber attack.</p> <p>A total of 33 two-strong teams representing 16 organisations took part in the competition, hosted by <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lloyds Banking Group</a>, <a href="https://cloud.google.com/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Cloud Security</a>, and penetration testing and vulnerability discovery experts <a href="https://www.hackthebox.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hack The Box</a>.</p> <p>“This event demonstrated how simulated real-life exercises help organisations strengthen defensive capabilities, improve readiness under pressure, and build stronger collaboration across the wider financial services ecosystem,” said Lloyds Banking Group chief security officer Matt Rowe. “In a highly connected sector, resilience depends not only on individual organisations, but on how effectively we prepare and respond together.”</p> <p>Hack The Box chief operating officer Nikos Fountas added: “Cyber security is not just about what teams know, it is about what they can do when it matters most. Exercises like this move organisations from static training to proving real-world readiness. They prepare security professionals, test judgement under pressure, and benchmark performance against peers across the industry.”</p> <p>The contest itself saw participants tackle challenges in areas such as web vulnerability exploitation, digital forensics, OSINT investigations, cryptography and payment systems security, and vulnerability discovery.</p> <p>The organisers said the hackathon also highlighted how important measurable cyber readiness is in the financial sector, where highly interconnected systems, ever-evolving threats, and rapid incident escalation mean that how cyber pros perform in the earliest stages of a cyber incident can be critical.</p> <p>And reflecting <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641763/Bank-cyber-teams-on-red-alert-as-Anthropic-promises-them-Mythos-next-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the advent of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos frontier AI model</a>, which may yet be a game changer in terms of vulnerability discovery and exploitation, and its <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641830/More-finance-firms-join-FCAs-AI-testing-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential impact on the financial services sector</a>, the challenges reflected the role of AI in both offensive and defensive capacities, with teams combining their own technical cyber expertise with emerging capabilities.</p> <p>The AI question, and more specifically the value of human expertise in security, was underscored by the eventual winners of the contest, Nine Lives With Zero Days – comprising a machine learning expert and a senior pen tester.</p> <p>Although AI can clearly speed-up repetitive, or well-defined and scoped tasks, real-world cyber defence work cannot be bound by such simplistic definitions, said the organisers. It relies instead on factors such as context, judgment, adaptability and the ability to navigate many possible pathways. Moreover, hands-on security experience is vital to build the instincts and decision-making abilities that AI will never truly have.</p> <p>Fountas said: “As AI becomes more capable, the human element is still critical. It is much like chess. Although machines can outperform humans, people continue to study and play because the value lies in the thinking process – the pattern recognition, creativity and decision-making. In cyber security, it is these instincts and the ability to make the right decisions under pressure that ultimately strengthen resilience.”</p> <p>The winning team said they were both “shocked and thrilled” to win at the end of a challenging two days.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about fintech</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>As AI drives deeper personalisation in financial services, CIOs are under pressure to deliver growth while ensuring models remain <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Safe-by-design-AI-personalization-in-fintech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explainable, secure and compliant</a>.</li> <li>UK government announces open banking strategies during London Fintech Week, including regulation <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642036/UK-government-beats-drum-for-fintech-industry-at-London-Fintech-Week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and £1m investment</a>.</li> <li>Standard Chartered’s technology and security chief, Alvaro Garrido, says AI will transform finance, but the industry’s biggest vulnerabilities <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641549/In-the-AI-race-a-global-bank-bets-on-the-human-touch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lie outside its own walls</a>.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Teams of security pros from UK financial services organisations came together at the end of April to participate in a hackathon exercise https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/ethical-hacker-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642669/UK-financial-security-experts-participate-in-sector-wide-hackathon Wed, 06 May 2026 15:52:00 GMT <p>Microsoft is the latest tech provider to prioritise tech investment over people. Its so-called workforce optimisation plan is focused on building high-performing teams and investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure. According to Bloomberg, this will mean a 7% reduction in the Microsoft workforce.</p> <p>During <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642583/Microsoft-explains-value-of-E7-usage-based-pricing">Microsoft’s latest earnings call</a>, chief financial officer Amy Hood said: “We continue to evolve how we operate to increase our pace and agility, and therefore, we expect headcount will decrease year-over-year. Operating expense growth will be in the mid to high single digits, reflecting ongoing investments in R&amp;D, inclusive of AI investment in compute, data and talent, to accelerate product innovation.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, Reuters has reported that Meta is expected to cut 10% of its workforce later this month. Like Microsoft, Meta said the job cuts are part of its strategy to improve operational efficiency and offset substantial investments in infrastructure and AI.</p> <p>During Meta’s <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642489/Meta-ramps-up-AI-spend-as-it-pushes-advanced-models">latest quarterly earnings call</a>, chief financial officer Susan Li said: “We remain committed to operating efficiently, and we recently shared internally that we plan to reduce the size of our employee base in May. We believe a leaner operating model will allow us to move more quickly while also helping to offset the substantial investments we’re making.”</p> <p>It has also been reported that an estimated 30,000 employees are losing their jobs at Oracle. This comes at a time when the company claims to have $533bn in orders to fulfil.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> We continue to evolve how we operate to increase our pace and agility, and therefore, we expect headcount will decrease year-over-year </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Amy Hood, Microsoft</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>In <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641177/Whats-driving-Oracles-latest-job-cuts">March, Oracle co-CEO Mike Sicilia</a> spoke about AI helping the company to deliver software more quickly. “The use of AI coding tools inside Oracle is enabling smaller engineering teams to deliver more complete solutions to our customers more quickly,” he said during the company’s third quarter 2026 earnings call.</p> <p>In January, <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-layoffs-corporate-jan-2026">Beth Galetti</a>, senior vice-president of people experience and technology at Amazon, said the company would be reducing headcount by 16,000 – a decision, she said, that would strengthen the organisation by reducing layers, increasing ownership and removing bureaucracy.</p> <p>Amazon’s latest quarterly earnings call shows that the company will continue to invest heavily in AI, which it sees as a major business opportunity.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="AI investment over people investment"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>AI investment over people investment</h2> <p>It is not just the tech giants that are trying to use AI and automation to drive up efficiency and reduce headcount. Research from analyst Gartner, based on a survey of 350 executives, found that CEOs are under pressure to show returns on AI investments (ROI). The analyst firm found that layoffs dominate early thinking. The poll found that over a third (39%) of CEOs view AI agents as employees.</p> <p>Among organisations piloting or deploying autonomous business capabilities, Gartner’s survey found that roughly 80% report workforce reductions. For most, those reductions fall in the 1% to 15% range. The Gartner survey also found that all autonomous business practices lead to reported workforce reductions. Augmented management and autonomous operations resulted in an average workforce reduction of 14%, according to Gartner.</p> <p>Despite business leaders’ appetite to reduce their workforce as AI takes on roles traditionally done by people, Gartner warned that organisations risk overinvesting in autonomy as a labour replacement and underinvesting in the people needed to make autonomous business a success.</p> <p>In its <em>AI layoffs aren’t paying off; People amplification is</em> report, Gartner noted a scalability problem that occurs because AI can scale fast, but organisations are unable to keep pace. “Without the skills, the roles and the governance that allow autonomy to take hold, even advanced AI plateaus quickly, creating a widening gap between technical capability and real business impact,” the report authors warned.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Many CEOs turn to layoffs to demonstrate quick AI returns; however, this disposition is misplaced. Workforce reductions may create budget room, but they do not create return </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Helen Poitevin, Gartner</strong> </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Many CEOs turn to layoffs to demonstrate quick AI returns; however, this disposition is misplaced,” said Helen Poitevin, distinguished vice-president analyst at Gartner. “Workforce reductions may create budget room, but they do not create return.”</p> <p>Organisations that improve ROI are not those that eliminate the need for people, but those that amplify them by aggressively investing more in skills, roles and operating models that allow humans to guide and scale autonomous systems.”</p> <p>While the survey data shows that there are indeed job losses arising from greater use of AI and automation, Gartner believes that autonomous business will be a net-positive job creator by 2028 to 2029, driven by new forms of work that AI cannot absorb.</p> <p>“Long term, autonomous business will create more work for humans, not less. Lasting structural factors such as demographic decline and high-stakes, trust-dependent consumer moments will ensure human talent remains central to running, governing and scaling autonomous business,” said Poitevin.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in the workplace</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/news/366620894/AI-in-the-workplace-Businesses-brace-for-new-rules">AI in the workplace</a> – businesses brace for new rules: States are tightening rules on AI in the workplace, while the federal government pushes for deregulation, setting up a battle over hiring and bias laws.</li> <li>How organisations should handle <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/How-organizations-should-handle-AI-in-the-workplace">AI in the workplace</a>: When implementing AI in the workplace, organisations must build a comprehensive strategy aligned with business values. Failing to do so could lead to the emergence of shadow AI.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> Tech leaders are making big changes to their labour force as artificial intelligence advances. Business leaders are following this trend. But are their businesses ready? https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/HR-employer-job-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642756/Tech-sector-job-losses-show-AI-replacement-in-action Tue, 05 May 2026 08:45:00 GMT <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366619039/Google-drops-pledge-not-to-develop-AI-weapons">Google AI workers</a> in the UK have launched a pioneering unionisation bid to end use of their technology by Israel and the US military.</p> <p>The British-based Google DeepMind employees – who aim to become the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Artificial-intelligence-automation-and-robotics">first frontier artificial intelligence (AI) lab</a> worldwide to unionise – sent a letter to management this week to request recognition of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite the Union as their official representatives. In a vote of CWU members at DeepMind, 98% backed the move.</p> <p>John Chadfield, CWU national officer for tech workers, said: “This is a really important moment where tech workers at Google’s frontier AI lab are connecting with some of the most oppressed people in communities around the world in meaningful ways, based on foundational values of solidarity and trade unionism.</p> <p>“By exercising their rights to collectivise they are in a strong position to demand their employer stop circling the ethical drain of military-industrial contracts, echoing the sentiment of many working people in the UK and elsewhere.”</p> <p>The workers are part of a wider campaign, with <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636163/Google-DeepMind-partners-with-UK-government-to-deliver-AI">DeepMind</a> staff globally considering in-person protests and “research strikes” – where they abstain from work expected to significantly improve core products such as the Gemini AI assistant.</p> <p>Google employees have previously protested the ethics of contracts such as Project Nimbus, a joint programme with Amazon to make cloud computing and <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366626968/Tech-firms-complicit-in-economy-of-genocide-says-UN-rapporteur">AI tools available to Israel</a> during its campaign in Gaza, which saw upwards of 70,000 dead. Meanwhile, Maven, a US government project from which Google withdrew in 2019 after staff protests, has reportedly been used in targeting in the Iran war.</p> <p>The unionising DeepMind workers are seeking an end to use of Google AI by Israel and the US military. Their demands also include restoring a scrapped commitment not to make AI weapons or surveillance tools, the creation of an independent ethics oversight body, and the individual right to refuse to contribute to projects on moral grounds.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about worker and community protests</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252524426/Google-workers-oppose-cloud-contract-with-Israeli-government">Google workers oppose cloud contract with Israeli government</a>: Google workers and Palestinian rights activists call on company to divest from involvement in cloud and artificial intelligence contract with Israeli government and military, following allegations the tech giant has retaliated against an employee for being publicly critical of the deal.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639449/UK-to-see-weekend-protests-against-dirty-datacentres">UK to see weekend protests against ‘dirty datacentres’</a>: Environmental charity Global Action Plan UK is coordinating a campaign effort to bring attention to wider concerns about datacentre electricity demand, water use and environmental impacts.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>A DeepMind employee said: “We don’t want our AI models complicit in violations of international law, but they already are aiding Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. Even if our work is only used for administrative purposes, as leadership has repeatedly told us, it is still helping make genocide cheaper, faster and more efficient. That must end immediately, as must harm to Iranians and human lives anywhere.”</p> <p>Google recently agreed to let the US Department of Defense use its AI models for classified work, a move opposed by over 600 employees. Google staff worry how the technology will be used given the deal could reportedly open the door to autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of US citizens, red-line issues that previously saw the Pentagon impose restrictions on competitor Anthropic.</p> <p>The unionisation bid aims to gain representation for at least 1,000 staff tied to Google DeepMind’s London office. The employees’ letter gave management 10 working days to voluntarily recognise the CWU and Unite, or take other steps such as agreeing to mediated negotiations, before a formal legal process is launched to force recognition. Google DeepMind is headquartered in London, but has about a dozen offices across North America and Europe.</p> <p>“I hope that recourse to the statutory procedure will not prove necessary,” CWU official Chadfield wrote in the letter. “We look forward to working with you in a spirit of co-operation on behalf of the workforce.”</p> <p>The CWU branch for DeepMind staff is United Tech and Allied Workers.</p> Unions send letter to management requesting recognition for Google DeepMind employees, in particular over the company’s involvement in hi-tech systems used in Gaza and Iran wars https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/revolution-protest-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642677/Google-AI-workers-vote-to-unionise-over-IDF-and-US-military-tech Tue, 05 May 2026 06:30:00 GMT <p>Tech workers feel the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636968/What-will-the-DEI-landscape-of-the-tech-sector-look-like-in-2026">sector has seen a decrease in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)</a> focus over the past two years, according to research from Harvey Nash.</p> <p>The technology recruitment firm found that a large number of tech workers (84%) believe their workplace is doing enough to support a diverse workforce, but 10% believe investment in Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has been slipping, with more women than men believing the sector needs to do more.</p> <p>A quarter of women working in tech in the UK said the technology sector is not working hard enough to encourage and support women to join and stay in tech roles, compared with 14% of their male counterparts.</p> <p>Simon Crichton, global CEO of Harvey Nash, claimed this is down to a “tougher economic environment” including “geopolitical tensions, tariffs and wars”, as well as a shifting attitude towards DEI trickling into the UK.</p> <p>He said: “In those conditions, leadership inevitably narrows what they’re thinking and focuses on performance, cost control and delivery, and the worry is that important subjects like DEI can slip down the agenda as a result.</p> <p>“I find it disappointing. It’s taken a long time for the industry to reach a point where inclusion and progression are being treated as important leadership issues, not side conversations. To see that momentum stall is frustrating.”</p> <p>When assessing the “push and pull” factors influencing whether individuals plan to stay in their current tech role, Harvey Nash’s <i>Tech talent report</i> found that more woman than men are <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642319/Almost-90-of-women-leave-tech-industry-within-10-years">unhappy in their current role</a>. Crichton pointed to the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627877/Thousands-of-women-in-tech-leave-their-roles-each-year">recently published <i>Lovelace report</i></a> as reflecting similar findings, whereby women are leaving the technology sector entirely due factors such as a lack of career progression and pay inequality.</p> <p>Harvey Nash’s own report found that 22% of women in tech are currently either very unhappy or unhappy in their current role, compared to 19% of men.</p> <p>It was also clear than men and women have different priorities when it comes to considering leaving their tech roles, with women more concerned with a lack of career opportunities as opposed to men, who are on the lookout for more money. Almost 60% of men said pay was their top reason for considering leaving their current role, while 51% of women said their defining reason was around career opportunities.</p> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366553274/Care-responsibilities-excluding-women-from-tech-says-TTC">Personal circumstances</a> appeared as the fifth most likely reason women are considering leaving their tech role, whereas this did not appear in the top five reasons men gave for considering moving on.</p> <p>Despite women claiming they plan to leave their current technology role due to a lack of career progression, women are more likely than men to have seen an increase in their workload over the past year – 60% of the women asked said their workload had increased, compared with 56% of men.</p> <p>When it comes to pay for men and women, there is a pay gap in the technology sector, with women not only <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/365535482/Techs-gender-pay-gap-begins-to-return-to-pre-pandemic-levels">making approximately 8.2% less</a> than their male counterparts, but also more frequently being expected to <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366546314/Splunk-conf23-The-dangers-of-party-planning-as-a-woman-in-tech">take on side-of-the-desk tasks</a> such as party planning.</p> <p>When it comes to considering a new tech role, men and woman in the UK have very similar objectives – 76% of tech workers will choose their next role because of an increase in pay, and 41% want to be able to work from anywhere.</p> <p>More than half of tech workers won’t even consider a role if they were not able to work in a hybrid fashion, and 39% would settle for less money if it meant they could work from home more often.</p> <p>Hybrid working was considered a way to improve wellbeing for tech workers, with 84% saying it helps to reduce commute and therefore allow more personal time, as well as increased productivity, and 81% said it contributes towards better work-life balance.</p> <p>But there are some differences between men and women when it comes to hybrid and flexible working – a higher percentage of women than men were willing to take a lower salary for the ability to work from home more often, and 51% of women want flexible working hours compared with 41% of men.</p> <p>Crichton said: “The desire for hybrid working from our <i>Tech talent and salary report</i> is very similar between the two genders. I thought that was interesting because I recognised that, as a leader and within my own experience, giving that flexibility for hours doesn’t harm anyone. I see great value in getting people into the office, but I also would be one of those that might not consider a role that didn’t have hybrid working as an option.”</p> <p>Opportunities for career progression and strong organisational culture and leadership are also slightly more important to women, whereas the purpose and values of an organisation, as well as opportunities for training and skills development, are slightly more important to men.</p> <p>In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), a focus on training is important, and 76% of tech workers said they had been given access to AI tools, though only 36% said they were given dedicated time to experiment with and learn how to use them.</p> <p>For around 20% of tech workers, their organisations expect them to figure out the best use of these tools by themselves, and a quarter are still waiting for their companies to provide training.</p> <p>Some 32% of firms are actively investing in providing AI skills to tech workers. A “sandbox” environment for staff to safely experiment with AI could be beneficial, said Crichton, who said there is benefit to a combination of formal training and allowing workers to figure things out for themselves, though the number of workers claiming to have access to AI versus those given formal training is a “huge gap between access and enablement”.</p> <p>He added: “The problem here is that AI is very new and organisations are rushing to keep up. People are going and trying and experimenting and are coming up with things that might not have come up in structured training.</p> <p>“What we’re trying to promote is developing judgement, creativity and confidence to use AI effectively in the real world and in their workplace. It’s about leadership in a new environment, creating an environment where experimentation can turn into capability.”</p> <p>Tech workers want their leaders to have a firm understanding of technology, with 44% saying it’s important for their leaders to be “techie”, with 18% saying a lack of deep understanding around tech from a leader can stand in the way of the team achieving their goals. More than half also said a good leader will cultivate a positive culture within a team and have good communication.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about tech talent</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Achieving <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/ehandbook/Removing-barriers-to-tech-careers">diversity and inclusion in the technology</a> sector requires active participation from everyone, as complacency perpetuates existing disparities.</li> <li>Tech leaders understand the importance of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639128/Gap-between-upskilling-intent-and-execution-in-business-says-Pluralsight">providing their employees with training</a>, but there are too many challenges in the way of doing so.</li> </ul> </div> </div> The tech diversity push in the UK is dropping, despite workers claiming good workplace efforts https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/work-from-home-laptop-cat-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642351/Tech-industry-slowly-dropping-DEI-efforts-finds-Harvey-Nash-survey Tue, 05 May 2026 06:21:00 GMT <p>A survey, commissioned and published by SolarWinds, reveals 71% of IT workers say artificial intelligence (AI) is making their jobs more demanding, leading to a worrying pattern of increased mental fatigue.</p> <p>Back in February, Francesco Bonacci – the CEO of AI agent-building company Cua – posted <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/francedot/status/2017858253439345092" rel="noopener">an essay on X</a> about the effect of AI on his mental fatigue. “I end each day exhausted – not from the work itself, but from the managing of the work,” he wrote. “It’s not burnout in the traditional sense. It’s something weirder – a kind of cognitive overload masked as productivity.”</p> <p>In March 2026, the <a target="_blank" href="https://hbr.org/2026/03/when-using-ai-leads-to-brain-fry" rel="noopener"><em>Harvard Business Review</em></a> found a word for the workflow phenomenon: “AI brain-fry”. The study defined it as “mental fatigue from excessive use or oversight of AI tools beyond one’s cognitive capacity”.</p> <p>This brain-fry was made worse when employees had to directly monitor AI, and indicated a higher risk of quitting.</p> <p>Between added responsibility, trust issues and oversight, the study shows how AI brain-fry impacts IT workers. More than a thousand IT professionals across the UK, US and India answered <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252507279/The-Security-Interviews-How-SolarWinds-came-through-its-darkest-hour">SolarWinds</a>’ IT trends survey, <em>The human side of autonomous IT</em>.</p> <p>While two-thirds of respondents claim AI led to less manual work, such as figuring out root causes faster, only 19% said AI reduced their cognitive load.</p> <p>Instead, introducing AI into companies is creating more work for professionals.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about the human and social impact of AI</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>How AI is <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/AI-drives-software-productivity-and-challenges-for-Motorway">increasing productivity – and challenges – for Motorway</a>.</li> <li>The UK government is <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641842/UK-government-seeks-collaborators-for-AI-tutoring-tools-for-schools">seeking collaborators to bring AI into schools</a>.</li> <li>Why <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Why-IT-leaders-need-to-consider-AIs-energy-footprint">IT leaders need to consider AI’s energy footprint</a>.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>As many as seven out of 10 IT staffers still have to check AI’s work, while four in 10 claim data privacy and security anxiety stops them from using tools effectively. Trust issues are prevalent in the field, with about half of those surveyed also concerned about a lack of “clear ownership or guardrails”.</p> <p>Alongside these challenges, IT professionals are being tasked with keeping updated on AI progress and educating co-workers on the tools.</p> <p>In Britain, only 17% of respondents hadn’t seen added friction or stress to their jobs because of AI, with two-fifths claiming their cognitive load increased.</p> <p>Over the past six years, IT teams have had to spend more time strategising, analysing their system data and performance, preventing issues, managing tools and platforms, coordinating across teams and responding to unplanned issues. Even those who believe IT will become primarily or mostly automated in the next few years still expect challenges in accuracy, employee training and higher work expectations without increased resources.</p> <p>The risks associated with AI are unevenly distributed within companies. Nearly half of C-suite executives say their IT teams are prepared for AI, but only 13% of technical contributors agree.</p> <p>“While the wider workforce is embracing a growing number of AI tools, IT is left to manage and secure them, as well as extract value from data that often lacks context,” said Cullen Childress, chief product officer at SolarWinds.</p> <p>He highlighted the “additional cognitive load” faced by IT workers. “Without proper planning, AI can introduce more risk through gaps in security and governance, while adding more fragmentation, reviews and sanity checks for teams that don’t have the capacity to absorb it,” said Childress.</p> As workflows adapt to a shifting technological landscape, IT professionals risk being overwhelmed by ‘AI brain-fry’ https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/IT-failure-downtime-error-stress-1-adobe.jpeg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642578/IT-workers-say-AI-is-making-their-jobs-more-demanding Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:30:00 GMT <p>If you ask any technology leader, they will tell you that cyber security has become a higher priority than ever, with sophisticated cyber attacks causing high-profile incidents around the world. According to data from the World Economic Forum, the global cost of cyber crime is forecast to reach $12.2tn by 2031, placing the scale of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637198/Business-leaders-see-AI-risks-and-fraud-outpacing-ransomware-says-WEF">cyber criminal operations</a> on a par with some of the world's largest economies.</p> <p>But are tech leaders risking a cyber resourcing crisis by not sufficiently rewarding their security teams?</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cyber professionals showing signs of discontent"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Cyber professionals showing signs of discontent</h2> <p>New research in Harvey Nash’s <em><a href="https://www.harveynash.co.uk/tech-talent-and-salary-report-2026">Tech talent &amp; salary report 2026</a></em>, taking in the views of over 3,600 tech professionals from around the world, should be a wake-up call. A rundown of the findings in relation to cyber security makes sobering reading:&nbsp;</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Cyber security professionals are the least likely in the whole tech workforce to have received a pay rise in the last year – only 29% have done so, only around half the proportion of those working in DevOps (56%) and product management (51%)</li> <li>Cyber security professionals are among the unhappiest in the tech workforce – just behind those working in QA/testing and infrastructure/support</li> <li>Those working in cyber are less confident than the average that they will get a pay rise in the coming year – only 40% expecting this compared to 44%</li> <li>Almost half (49%) of cyber security professionals are looking to move jobs in the next 12 months, well above the global average across roles (39%) and the fourth highest among all job roles</li> </ul> <p>All of this is despite the fact that <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/What-lies-in-store-for-cyber-security-skills-in-2026">cyber skills</a> are the third most in-demand tech skillset across the world. Leaders know that cyber security is crucial but appear to be running a gauntlet of losing disillusioned team members looking to transition into other roles.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The risks of under-reward"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The risks of under-reward</h2> <p>What seems clear from these findings is that businesses are frequently asking cyber security teams to stand on the front line of business risk, yet too often they are not matching that responsibility with the reward, progression and operating environment that keeps people in the profession. When pay lags the market, workload keeps rising and the role is seen as a blocker rather than an enabler, it’s no surprise that attrition starts to look like the path of least resistance.</p> <p>A useful way to frame this challenge is through the lens of “risk debt”. Like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/The-hidden-costs-of-technical-debt-in-infrastructure">technical debt</a>, it accumulates quietly over time when organisations underinvest in people, capability and tooling, even as the threat surface expands. Under‑rewarded teams, persistent vacancies, rising alert volumes and outdated operating models all defer risk rather than remove it. The balance sheet looks fine in the short term, but the liability compounds beneath the surface.</p> <p>When an incident eventually occurs, the cost is rarely limited to remediation alone; it shows up in slower response times, greater operational disruption, regulatory scrutiny and reputational damage. Cyber risk debt is therefore not an abstract concept – it is the delayed cost of treating security as an overhead rather than a strategic investment.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Investing in cyber teams"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Investing in cyber teams</h2> <p>What solutions are there to this problem? Compensation matters of course – particularly for scarce skills – so evidently tech leaders need to ensure that cyber teams are being appropriately rewarded as far as it’s in their remit (and budget) to do so.</p> <p>But pay is rarely the only lever. CIOs, CISOs and other leaders need to ensure they are investing in sustainable cyber operating models: clear career pathways from analyst to engineer to architect, funded time for training and certification, and modern tooling and automation that reduce burnout and let teams focus on high-value work.</p> <p>Just as importantly, security has to be embedded into product and engineering ways of working, so teams spend less time firefighting late-stage issues and more time shaping secure-by-design outcomes.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Opportunities created by AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Opportunities created by AI</h2> <p>At the same time, the situation is not all negative: in fact, the greenfield of AI is opening up significant opportunities for cyber professionals. AI and the agentic approach are strategically key to businesses across sectors now – and who better than cyber professionals to take a lead role in responsible AI and governance? Ensuring that there are robust controls and guardrails in place so that agents don’t "go rogue" is both operationally and reputationally critical.</p> <p>Traditionally, technology teams are split into two halves: operational technology (including cyber) on one side and IT (doing the more "creative" and value adding work like engineering and development) on the other. But in my view, AI is beginning to narrow the gap between OT and IT. Certainly, I believe that it should do: OT needs to be right at the table when assessing the potential threats (and solutions) created by AI. In this way, AI can open up new career paths. Cyber professionals can take advantage of this and in doing so increase their job satisfaction and reward.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Keeping cyber in the boardroom"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Keeping cyber in the boardroom</h2> <p>Ultimately, cyber resourcing is a resilience question. If organisations want to reduce exposure and respond faster when incidents happen, they need to treat cyber talent as a strategic capability: valued, visible and supported by leadership. There is also an onus on CISOs (and CIOs) to make sure that they are fully communicating the value of the work being done by the cyber team to the board – expressing this in business language the board understands rather than just technical terms.</p> <p>It is one of the challenges of working in a domain like cyber that much of the value delivered goes unseen: all of the threats blocked and the risks mitigated may not be fully appreciated in the boardroom for the very reason that they have been successfully headed off. Communicating this value will build the business case for appropriate reward and recognition.</p> <p>The organisations that get this right won’t just retain their best people – they’ll build trust with customers, regulators and their own boards. Cyber security is too important to be taken for granted, especially when the threats are rapidly escalating due to new AI-based attack tools. Let’s not leave it to chance: the industry needs to properly value its cyber professionals and ensure that security remains a rewarding and fulfilling technology career path.</p> </section> Tech leaders may be building up problems for the future by not sufficiently rewarding their security team https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/cyber-security-skills-staff-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Are-tech-leaders-risking-a-cyber-resourcing-crisis Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT <p>Almost 90% of women choose to leave their tech career within 10 years of starting it, according to research from Akamai.</p> <p>The tech services provider found that more than half of women leave their tech roles within the first five years of their career, and almost 90% within 10, making the average career length for a woman in tech in the UK six years. But the research also found that women would be willing to return to their tech career under the right circumstances.</p> <p>Natalie Billingham, EMEA managing director at Akamai, said: “These insights illustrate that the UK tech industry has a window of opportunity to impact the choices of women in tech – from the past and present, and in the future.</p> <p>“By providing opportunities for progression, flexible work and appropriate remuneration, tech leaders on the precipice of technological innovation have the chance to create impactful change on the tech workforce, fostering longer-lasting tenures, diverse leadership and an environment where women can thrive.”</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636453/Number-of-women-in-tech-roles-up-by-1-says-BCS">stagnant number of women in the UK’s technology sector</a> is nothing new, with previous research finding multiple reasons why the tech industry <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636968/What-will-the-DEI-landscape-of-the-tech-sector-look-like-in-2026">cannot retain women workers even when it has succeeded</a> in the equally difficult task of attracting them.</p> <p>As well as a <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366633544/Documentary-to-show-womens-journey-to-becoming-role-models">lack of visible and accessible role models</a>, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366622514/Work-life-balance-biggest-barrier-for-women-in-tech-says-survey">poor opportunities for career progression and lack of flexibility</a> are reasons women often cite for opting out of the tech industry. &nbsp;The top reason women gave for quitting their tech roles was a lack of inclusive culture.</p> <p>More than 50% said they left because they didn’t feel as though they belonged, 40% said it was because of a lack of gender diversity in leadership positions, and 10% said gender bias played a role in their exit from the technology sector.</p> <p>Nearly three-quarters of women cited a lack of career progression as playing a part in their decision to leave the sector, while 19% stated it was their definitive reason for moving away from tech.</p> <p><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627016/Bias-and-lack-of-flexibility-hindering-diversity-finds-DSIT">Flexible working has been an ongoing challenge</a> for women in the technology sector, who often leave because they cannot balance working in an inflexible workplace when they often carry a disproportionate amount of the care burden at home.</p> <p>More than half of women who have left the sector said they did so because of stringent working hours, with 15% outlining that there was no ability to work flexibly and more than 40% stated there was a lack of work-life balance. This could tie in with the 19% of women who said their main reason for leaving tech was due to burnout and a negative impact on their mental health.</p> <p>Out of the large number of women who have left the technology sector, 15% are currently not working, while 13% moved into finance, 13% moved into teaching, and 12% chose to work in healthcare.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">The cyber talent leak</h3> <p>According to Akamai, the cyber security sector is particularly at risk from women leaving, as it is an area that desperately needs diverse talent.</p> <p>Its research found that 75% of women in the sector were drawn to cyber security because they gained a lot of job satisfaction from taking part in “meaningful” projects, but many dropped out because the nature of the work didn’t match their career needs.</p> <p>Almost 40% said the nature of cyber security work presented too much pressure for them, while a quarter said it had a negative impact. A further 40% said they left their roles because of a lack of work-life balance, which is further exacerbated by a job in cyber, and 28% felt isolated in the male-dominated work environment.</p> </div> </div> <p>Just over 30% said they left the technology industry of their own volition and prefer their new employment situation, while many said they had no plans to return to tech.</p> <p>But almost 40% claimed they would be willing to come back to their technology career under the right circumstances, of which pay, career progression and better flexibility were key factors. Just under 20% said better opportunities for career progression could entice them back to tech, while 48% said a higher salary would be the defining factor in their decision to return, and 38% would come back for better flexibility.</p> <p>Out of those who have come back to the sector after having left, more than half did so because of an increase in pay, and 43% did so because of renewed opportunities for career progression.</p> <p>Over 40% also claimed they returned to their tech career because they were given better work-life balance, and 37% of women who have left tech said they would consider returning to the industry if they were able to work flexibly, such as working part-time, job sharing or hybrid working. Those who have returned 90% said they’re likely to stay at least two more years if not more.</p> <p>Hazel Little, CEO of Career Returners, said: “The findings provide a valuable picture of what mid‑career women are looking for to return to tech, and it’s encouraging to see that the majority could be persuaded to come back under the right conditions.</p> <p>“Progression pathways are crucial for retaining talent, but equally important is ensuring that women who want to return have clear, supported ways to re-enter the sector in the first place. When employers build both return pathways and progression pathways, they create an environment where women can come back, grow and stay.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about women in tech</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The UK government aims to add billions of pounds to the economy through <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639850/UK-Government-announces-package-to-get-more-women-in-tech">getting more women into the tech sector</a>.</li> <li>To help increase the number of women in technology, and prevent those already in the industry from leaving, the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636398/UK-government-launches-Women-in-Tech-Taskforce">UK government has launched a Women in Tech Taskforce</a>.</li> </ul> </div> </div> Women aren’t staying in the tech sector for longer than 10 years, but may come back after leaving if the circumstances are right for their return https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Women-business-diversity-2-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642319/Almost-90-of-women-leave-tech-industry-within-10-years Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:41:00 GMT <p>For decades, engineering teams treated code like a vintage Ferrari – expensive to build, painstakingly maintained and too precious to ever throw away. Every line represented a significant investment of human capital and time, and has led to a culture where code was cherished and its longevity was a marker of success.</p> <p>But at the AWS Summit in London this week, Ryan Cormack, principal engineer at online used car marketplace Motorway, consigned that philosophy to the scrapyard. In the age of <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Software-development-tools">agentic artificial intelligence (AI-)driven software development</a>, he says, engineering teams can become more productive and are able to build, revise and maintain code at speeds previously unthinkable.</p> <p>In this article, we look at Motorway’s radical shift from manual coding to an AI-first development pipeline powered by AWS Kiro. Cormack talks about how the company achieved a 4x increase in engineering output, <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640859/Advancing-to-the-next-frontier-of-AI">the challenges that come</a> with the ability to produce more code, why the future of software development lies in treating code as disposable, and the core benefits of codifying organisational culture into AI steering files.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The mindset shift: Disposability vs polish"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The mindset shift: Disposability vs polish</h2> <p>The most profound change at Motorway is speed of delivery but also a psychological break from the past. Historically, writing code was a “time-expensive process”, Cormack says, adding: “We wanted to have code that was so good that we could cherish it for years to come, because we had invested so much time into making it.”</p> <p>But since starting to use Kiro – <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/CW-Developer-Network/AWS-launches-Kiro-IDE-for-real-agentic-development-at-scale">AWS’s agentic AI-capable IDE</a> – that mindset became a bottleneck. “We shifted away from, ‘We need the most well-polished code for every line we write, all the time’, because we can rewrite it again tomorrow at a speed that’s never been possible before,” says Cormack.</p> <p>This has led to a strategy of “evaluation over production”. Motorway now generates vast amounts of code – a million lines a month – much of which may never reach a customer, says Cormack. Instead, it is used to test and evaluate multiple different ways to solve a problem before committing to it.&nbsp;</p> <p>The lesson for other organisations is clear. Don’t aim for a perfect first pass. Use AI to cycle through iterations, then use human expertise to refine exactly what you want from the options the AI helps provide.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Managing the ‘volume crisis’: Rigour over speed"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Managing the ‘volume crisis’: Rigour over speed</h2> <p>While <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/CW-Developer-Network/When-AI-workflows-generate-vulnerabilities-too-fast-for-developers">a 4x increase in output</a> sounds like an engineering dream, it creates a real “review bottleneck”. If you write 400% more code but maintain 100% manual review processes, the system collapses. To combat this, Motorway hollowed out the “manual middle” of the development process and moved human energy to the ends of the process – namely, the spec and the review.</p> <p>“We find ourselves spending more time planning code and the whole process up front, and a little bit more time reviewing what comes out,” Cormack says. “But we lose all this time in the middle where we previously had to manually write all the code.”</p> <p>To ensure AI doesn’t just produce any code but “Motorway code”, the team utilises “steering files”. These files augment the AI’s system prompts with the company’s specific DNA. They are specific to Kiro and are markdown documents that contain instructions, standards and preferences to guide the AI behaviour and coding style.&nbsp;</p> <p>They include, for example, naming conventions that standardise how application programming interfaces (APIs) are labelled across Motorway’s 7,500-dealer network, and design patterns that enforce specific software architectures.</p> <p>By injecting these rules via the AI, generated code looks and feels like it was written by a veteran Motorway engineer.&nbsp;</p> <p>And AI isn’t just used for the build; it’s used for the full lifecycle. “We need to use AI to help us debug, analyse, understand, and evaluate systems as they run,” Cormack adds, noting that agents now monitor logs and metrics to help humans manage a massive fleet of services.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The ‘Kiro’ engine and model agnosticism"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The ‘Kiro’ engine and model agnosticism</h2> <p>A critical component of Motorway’s success is that Kiro acts as an agentic loop rather than just a simple “autocomplete” tool.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Kiro knows how our CI pipelines work,” says Cormack. “It knows how our infrastructure is code-driven and it knows how our internal applications work together. It’s able to help guide us every step of the way.</p> <p>“We’re using Kiro across our full software development lifecycle. Our product and UX teams can ship real prototypes into our customers’ hands quicker than we’ve ever been able to before. What would take weeks now takes hours.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Motorway’s top tips for AI integration</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Don’t automate in isolation: If your code volume increases 4x, your testing and monitoring must scale at the same rate, or you are simply building a larger pile of bugs.</li> <li>Codify your culture: Use steering files to ensure AI follows your specific organisational standards.</li> <li>Align the roadmap: AI speed means UX and product teams must be in lock-step. “What would take weeks now takes hours,” Cormack says, citing how UX teams now ship car-profiling prototypes directly into customers’ hands almost instantly.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>His team can leverage its model agnosticism too. Cormack explained they aren’t locked into a single LLM: “We use Kiro with Claude’s latest Opus 4.7 model, we use it with some of the open weight models, things like Meta’s Llama models ... we’re able to selectively pick the LLM that we know is going to be able to best perform the specific task.”</p> <p>This flexibility helps to mitigate the risk of hallucinations. Motorway relies on a spec-driven approach where the AI must think through the problem and generate a technical design before writing a single line.</p> <p>“It will help us write automated tests that are able to prove that each of these points has been accurately done,” Cormack says. This means the AI provides its own proof of work before a human ever touches it.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Legacy transition from Heroku to AWS"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Legacy transition from Heroku to AWS</h2> <p>Motorway wasn’t always this agile. The company was “born in the cloud”, on Heroku, which Cormack acknowledges was “great for scaling and getting going”. But as the company grew, it hit friction points.</p> <p>The transition to AWS was driven by a need for “flexibility, adaptability, and scalability”, says Cormack, who views their Kiro-enabled AI-first pipeline as the ultimate tool for such transitions.&nbsp;</p> <p>If he were to do things all over again, Cormack says he would “adopt this model of thinking much earlier on”. The ability to use AI to map migration logic and service dependencies would have saved months of manual effort during the move off their legacy platform, he believes.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Lessons for the boardroom"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Lessons for the boardroom</h2> <p>For organisations that want to replicate Motorway’s 250% increase in deployment frequency, Cormack warns against automating the grind of coding without also automating the rigour of testing.</p> <p>“If you try to build just by writing code faster, it doesn’t solve the problems,” he says. “I don’t think our customers necessarily want code; they want features and functionality.”</p> <p>The winners of the AI era won’t be the ones who write the most code, but the ones who build the most rigorous frameworks to manage its disposability.&nbsp;</p> <p>As Cormack says: “Kiro’s now writing over a million lines of code for us every single month. So, before we start any new piece of work, our engineering team chooses Kiro to help understand exactly what it is that we want to build.</p> <p>“The rigour at the start of this process helps enable the precision we want in our engineering at the end. So, every piece of work that we do starts with a spec, understanding the intent of what it is that we’re building and why.”</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI and software development</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366638839/Half-of-Googles-software-development-now-AI-generated">Half of Google’s software development now AI-generated</a>: In a bid to free up budget to spend on artificial intelligence infrastructure, Google parent Alphabet is using AI to improve operational efficiency.</li> <li><a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366639364/How-AI-code-generation-is-pushing-DevSecOps-to-machine-speed">How AI code generation is pushing DevSecOps to machine speed</a>: Organisations should adopt shared platforms and automated governance to keep pace with the growing use of generative AI tools that are helping developers produce code at unprecedented volumes.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> We talk to Ryan Cormack of used car marketplace Motorway about how AI-driven development increases the speed and productivity of engineering and the challenges it brings https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Fotolia-cars.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/AI-drives-software-productivity-and-challenges-for-Motorway Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:56:00 GMT <p>Almost one in three people (31%) expect their job either to be <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/AI-job-losses-Transformation-expected-not-mass-layoffs">unrecognisable or to disappear</a> completely by the end of the decade, twice the share who held that view just 18 months ago.</p> <p>This is among the findings of a YouGov poll of 1,891 employees for Accenture. The survey, which is published in Accenture’s <em>Generating impact</em> report, found that over three-quarters (79%) of workers expect they will need to reskill and over half (55%) say they are likely to change occupations.</p> <p>According to Accenture, there is a risk that organisations are not yet providing enough clarity or support to facilitate this transition at scale. Just 26% have conducted a skills audit to assess artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) impact on roles. Meanwhile, 27% do not provide AI-related training at scale, and only 30% are investing in reskilling and redeployment pathways for at-risk roles.</p> <p>In 2024, only one-third of executives believed AI would <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366640379/Nordea-to-slash-1500-jobs-as-AI-impact-grows">shrink the national workforce</a>, but now almost half of business leaders (49%) expect AI will reduce national employment over the next decade.</p> <p>As the authors of the Accenture report note, if business leaders assume displacement is inevitable, the incentive to invest in workforce transition weakens. They warned that translating AI-driven efficiency into inclusive growth through reskilling, job creation and new forms of work remains a key challenge.</p> <p>Accenture reported that in 2024, 40% of executives expected AI to increase demand for entry-level roles. This has now collapsed to 15%. The share expecting reduced demand has risen from 22% to 37%, which, according to Accenture, shows that business leaders are likely to deploy AI instead of hiring new people to fulfil entry-level and junior roles, which constricts the skills pipeline where people are hired and provided with training.</p> <p>Beyond the reduction in junior positions that could occur as AI gains traction, more than half of UK workers (54%) have the appetite to reskill in response to AI. However, only 7% of executives say their workforce is fully <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366634367/Two-thirds-of-finance-firms-use-suppliers-for-AI-agent-development">prepared for agentic AI</a>.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about reskilling and AI</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>How organisations can <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/How-organizations-can-reskill-and-upskill-employees-in-AI">reskill and upskill</a> employees in AI: Creating a current, comprehensive view of workforce capabilities is vital, including noting capabilities and gaps. Learn what other steps to follow for reskilling employees in AI.</li> <li>The <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Data-Matters/The-human-foundations-of-AI-rethinking-skills-structure-and-strategy">human foundations of AI</a>: Digitate Despite the promise of AI, most enterprises are struggling to move from pilot to production at scale.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <p>Accenture also reported that AI is taking place outside formal company systems, with 24% of workers sourcing tools themselves. The survey found that employees are adopting AI at the level of individual tasks, but organisations have not yet redesigned the systems and workflows around them.</p> <p>Only around a quarter of employees say a major process in their team has been redesigned around AI in the past year. The authors of the report stated that without that redesign, productivity gains remain localised and fail to translate into enterprise performance. They warned that siloed implementation of AI leads to a two-speed organisation, where some functions operate with AI-enabled productivity, while others work as they always have.</p> <p>Matt Prebble, head of Accenture in the UK and Ireland, said: “AI’s productivity impact now sits at the heart of the UK’s economic resilience, not just business performance. While AI has officially joined the workforce, people are moving faster than their organisations.</p> <p>“Personal productivity gains are visible, but unless workflows and operations are reinvented to scale AI, they can’t be translated at an organisational level,” he added. “Turning AI adoption into economic value now depends on rethinking how work gets done.”</p> Research from Accenture has found that while workers feel their jobs will change, employers are less likely to invest in workforce transition https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/LeMagIT/hero_article/IA_AI_robots_jobs_automation_idee_adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641771/Business-leaders-marked-down-on-AI-workforce-strategy Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:45:00 GMT <p>The UK government is looking for education tech (EdTech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies to help with its push to create AI tutoring tools for use in schools.</p> <p>Up to eight companies will be chosen to work alongside teachers to develop these tutoring tools aimed at helping students from underrepresented backgrounds to have a more level playing field in the classroom.</p> <p>Minister for digital government Ian Murray said: “The best educational support outside school has too often been the privilege of those who can afford it. AI gives us a genuine opportunity to change that – to put the kind of personalised, one-to-one tutoring into the hands of all pupils, regardless of their background, and giving teachers the best technology to complement their work.</p> <p>“That is why I’m calling on edtech companies and AI labs to help us design safe and evidence-based tutoring tools that will deliver real educational improvements.”</p> <p>As it stands, AI skills are not even widespread among tech workers, and access to AI and the ability to use it depends on many factors including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627982/AIs-uneven-distribution-widening-diversity-divide">gender and socioeconomic background</a>.</p> <p>The AI divide is not the only barrier many children face when it comes to effectively accessing education, with many children&nbsp;<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Overcoming-tech-career-barriers-faced-by-underrepresented-groups">not having access to technology at home</a> and families being unable to afford private tutoring.</p> <p>This call for assistance from Edtech and AI firms to help develop tools comes as part of the <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637833/UK-government-to-develop-AI-tutoring-tools">government’s plans to use AI tutoring to bridge this educational divide</a>, with the goal of reaching up to 450,000 pupils by the end of 2026.</p> <p>AI labs and Edtech companies will be bidding to become part of the Pioneer Group, each of which will receive £300,000 for design and testing.</p> <p>The tools must be developed with the national curriculum in mind, be useable in a classroom environment and clearly show how will be benefit students from less advantaged backgrounds, proving they are accessible, inclusive and usable. Aimed at students in Year 9 and Year 10, the tools will cover English, maths, science and modern foreign languages.</p> <p>Personalisation is also an important aspect of the proposed tools – the AI tutors will need to adapt to the needs of individual pupils, highlighting what parts of their study require more focus.</p> <p>Bid-winning companies will test their proposed solutions in classrooms over the summer with help from teachers, and will be scaled nationally in 2027 once tested in schools this year. Teacher involvement is a pivotal part of the initiative, particularly in ensuring the tools are fit for purpose and will enable teachers to provide extra support to students where it would not otherwise be available.</p> <p>The government is developing national benchmarks for AI tools to ensure their safety, and will be giving access to its AI Content Store so tech companies can look at educational resources to support their own development of AI services.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">Read more about AI in schools</h3> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Speaking at the Bett Show 2025, the UK’s education secretary outlined the ways in which <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366618494/Teachers-to-use-AI-for-lesson-planning-and-marking">teachers will be using technologies such as AI</a> in the future, including planning lessons and marking work.</li> <li>When looking into how some <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366627673/Schools-using-AI-to-personalise-learning-finds-Ofsted">education providers in the UK are using AI</a>, Ofsted found many have hit the ground running.</li> </ul> </div> </div> To build on plans to introduce AI tutoring tools in schools, the UK government is searching for companies to develop educational resources https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/online-learning-training-school-1-adobe.jpg https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366641842/UK-government-seeks-collaborators-for-AI-tutoring-tools-for-schools Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:53:00 GMT 60 editor@computerweekly.com