Matthew is one of the founders of the World Futures Forum (WFF) and will be one of our highly anticipated speakers at WFF on 24th September 2019. The inaugural 2019 World Futures Forum Summit, being held in London this September is your opportunity to discover and discuss the exponential technologies and megatrends that are shaping our world, and driving the new global economy. It's where business, culture, and technology converge, to give you access to some of the most innovative companies and people in the world.

Financial services providers that slack on regulatory compliance and fail to safeguard their operations against money laundering, terrorist financing and other criminal activities may face damaged reputations and significant fines. Compliance failures are prevalent worldwide: Approximately $26 billion worth of fines were levied against banks for AML, KYC and sanctions noncompliance between 2008 and 2018. A report found that the U.S. imposed a full $23.52 billion -- 91 percent -- of those penalties, while European regulators demanded $1.7 billion and the Middle East levied $9.5 million. FinTechs could face these same financial pains as regulators increasingly demand that they follow the compliance rules to which FIs must adhere. The People's Bank of China announced in March that it plans to create rules for regulating and securing the FinTech sector, for example.

Financial services providers that slack on regulatory compliance and fail to safeguard their operations against money laundering, terrorist financing and other criminal activities may face damaged reputations and significant fines. Compliance failures are prevalent worldwide: Approximately $26 billion worth of fines were levied against banks for AML, KYC and sanctions noncompliance between 2008 and 2018. A report found that the U.S. imposed a full $23.52 billion -- 91 percent -- of those penalties, while European regulators demanded $1.7 billion and the Middle East levied $9.5 million. FinTechs could face these same financial pains as regulators increasingly demand that they follow the compliance rules to which FIs must adhere. The People's Bank of China announced in March that it plans to create rules for regulating and securing the FinTech sector, for example.

Artificial intelligence is making its way into the classroom -- but don't expect to see teachers replaced by robots any time soon (although their teaching assistants might be). While still in its infancy, AI is starting to influence the way teachers teach and the way learners learn. While the concept of adaptive learning isn't new -- where course content is adapted to the needs of the learner -- AI will make this much more personalized. "The traditional textbook business model is pretty much dead," says Michael Bliemel, dean of the Faculty of Business and Information Technology at Ontario Tech University. To remain relevant, publishers are investing in adaptive learning and, in some cases, incorporating AI.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe representing its 47 members states has decided to set up an intergovernmental committee of experts to examine the feasibility of a legal framework for the development, design, and application of artificial intelligence (AI). To carry out its work, the Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI) will take into account the standards of the Council of Europe in the fields of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law and carry out broad multi-stakeholder consultations. Meeting in Helsinki on 17 May 2019, the Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe member states had agreed that the fast development of artificial intelligence made it necessary for the organization to explore the feasibility and potential content of a legal framework addressing the challenges it creates for human rights, the rule of law, and democracy.

PANAJI: Students and teachers from six schools in Ponda were introduced to the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) by professors of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Goa, as part of the institute's initiative to reach out to the community and get youngsters interested in pursuing higher education in the field. IIT Goa director, professor B K Mishra said that IIT Goa hopes to contribute to the advancement of the education system in Goa through these interactions. "IIT Goa is keen to reach out to local students, schools and colleges to share latest developments in science and technology," Mishra said. From explaining the basics of AI to hands-on sessions, forty Class XI students and six teachers from six different schools were made aware about how AI works. They were invited to the IIT campus for the workshop'artificial intelligence for all', conducted last month by faculty members Sharad Sinha and Clint P George from the computer science and engineering departments at IIT.

Outdated systems are preventing one in four Asia Pacific banks from investing in disruptive technologies, says Greg Watson, citing a recent Fenergo survey. New financial technologies are completely transforming the finance industry, shaking up traditional ways of thinking and reshaping financial services as we know it. As banks begin to explore the benefits of new technologies such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) they will soon reap the rewards of increased efficiencies and improvements to client life cycle management (CLM). However, not all banks across APAC are getting on board. A recent survey showed that legacy infrastructure is preventing almost one in four (24%) banks in APAC from investing in new, disruptive technologies.

American tech major Intel Corp has recently disclosed its plans to unveil a range new technology products at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, including AI-driven 3D tracking of athletes to enhance the broadcasts of events. The brand stated that the 3D tracking system apparently use mobile cameras to capture video of Olympic games that will used to design visual overlays and analysis. The announcement supposedly comes as the once-dominant chipmaker now looks for new opportunities amidst a forecast of substantial business growth in the coming years as its market share for PC chips fall. Intel's artificial intelligence products have been earning quite a reputation worldwide. Rick Echevarria, GM of Intel's Olympic Program, said that it is a golden opportunity for Intel to showcase the microprocessor technologies the team has been developing, along with innovations in software and algorithms to enhance broadcast experience.

On 9 September 2019, the UN Human Rights Council begins its 42nd Session in Geneva (HRC42). Over 3 weeks, major human rights issues will be debated and acted on, with significant implications for the protection of freedom of expression and right to information globally. The UN Human Rights Council, with its 47 Member States, is an essential forum for the protection of freedom of expression, in particular for the rights of journalists, human rights defenders, and minorities and groups facing discrimination. As stakeholders prepare for HRC42, the UN's Human Rights Chief, Michelle Bachelet, has set out a series of thematic priorities for States to act upon, including to reverse shrinking civic space for protesters and dissenters, to push back against heavy censorship of the Internet and attacks on digital rights, and to end killings of human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists. As attacks on the multilateral system intensify, with autocrats even resorting to thuggish and personal jibes at Bachelet herself, it is crucial that rights-respecting States demonstrate that the Council can still deliver strong outcomes for freedom of expression.

The Fukushima Prefectural Government is leading a collaborative effort involving companies from different industries and a robotics testing field to invent a flying car. In early August, the research center at the test field began accepting applications for four additional companies. The prefecture is focusing on efforts to attract companies to the site, which remains the only facility in the country where development and testing can all be done at the same site. The prefecture hopes to create synergies among various businesses and local parts suppliers and eventually build one of the country's largest industrial centers in Fukushima. Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori introduced the concept in Tokyo during a conference on flying car development organized by the industry ministry on Aug. 2. The central government is in the process of putting together a plan to build a working flying car by 2023.