Web3, Blockchain, and Crypto are gradually making inroads into our lives. Financial institutions, government agencies and private organizations have either adopted or are preparing to integrate blockchain technologies in multiple aspects of their operations. Crypto assets have seen much wider adoption among retail and institutional users globally. The shift from Web2 to Web3 has started, and the complete transition will happen with time.   While these emerging technologies and concepts are embraced for the tremendous economic and social value they offer; unfortunately, they are often viewed in silos. The fact is that Web3, blockchain technology and cryptos are inextricably intertwined. In this context, it becomes essential to understand that crypto assets play an integral role in the blockchain and Web3 ecosystems and, therefore, must be seen as a 'transformative force' in our innovation economy. Cryptos are much more than a new asset class and have an intrinsic value. Web3 is the latest and third generation of the internet built on blockchain technology. Web1, the first version of the internet, started in the late 1980s and was confined to basic features such as static web pages that could display information. The second version, Web2, enabled users to move from 'only read' to 'read and write.' A great emphasis was laid on user-generated content and participation; however, tech giants owning social media networks and cloud-based services gradually evolved into 'data centers' and controlled the content shared by users.
Continue reading: https://www.forbesindia.com/article/brand-connect/the-promise-of-web3-and-blockchain-technology/80915/1

If you don't know where to start, here are the quickest and most direct ways for entrepreneurs to gain exposure to the lucrative world of Web3, DeFi and cryptocurrency.
It's surprising that so few entrepreneurs have caught onto the benefits of cryptocurrency. While there are risks, like all industries, the profit potential is orders of magnitude better than in traditional finance.
It's worth mentioning that the cryptocurrency industry is full of technical jargon, but a lot of the basic concepts are similar to what could be found in traditional finance, just with different labels. You can treat the terms "Web3," "DeFi," "cryptocurrency" and "blockchain" as practically the same thing.
The following are five simple ways to gain exposure to cryptocurrency and make your money work for you in the most efficient possible manner.
1. Direct investment
There's nothing wrong with mixing traditional and modern finance. Investing in a diverse portfolio of crypto assets and simply waiting is a great way to make money, especially if you have experience and a preference for the fixed-income market.
Despite ups and downs, on a yearly basis, the crypto and wider decentralized financial markets have an excellent compound annual growth rate — better than perhaps any other market.
So if you work on three- to five-year time horizons, the returns of a crypto portfolio could be extremely lucrative. You can also invest in a mix of safer cryptocurrencies and higher-risk tokens. There is a lot of room for innovation within cryptocurrency. Investing within this market is referred to as "HODLing" — holding on for dear life — due to the turbulent nature of cryptocurrency.
Continue reading: https://www.entrepreneur.com/money-finance/5-quick-ways-you-can-make-money-with-crypto/436489

While crypto has become much more than just a buzzword, many finance leaders still don’t fully understand the technology and the business advantages it provides. Instead, there are a lot of interpretations and opinions circulating around the meaning and use of crypto: what to do with it, how to regulate it and its potential to transform the world as we know it. 
Regardless of what you might have heard through the grapevine, there are real crypto solutions that are already making a significant impact on business across industries and around the globe. And it’s important to be able to sift through the noise to determine how crypto solutions can deliver real value to your organization. 
As crypto continues to gain momentum by delivering on the promise of better business, Ripple is launching a global “Crypto Means Business” campaign to spread awareness about how crypto solutions can be used by finance professionals to drive a more efficient, transparent and dynamic financial system that better serves their business. We cover a number of tangible, real-life use cases that are already in production today; from streamlining cross-border payments and improving treasury management, to making assets more agile, offering new financial services, and increasing customer engagement. 
What Can Crypto Do for Your Business?
Continue reading: https://ripple.com/insights/how-crypto-solutions-are-driving-real-business-value/

Welcome to the Algorithm! 
It’s never been more important for companies to ensure that their AI systems function safely, especially as new laws to hold them accountable kick in. The responsible AI teams they set up to do that are supposed to be a priority, but investment in it is still lagging behind.
People working in the field suffer as a result, as I found in my latest piece. Organizations place huge pressure on individuals to fix big, systemic problems without proper support, while they often face a near-constant barrage of aggressive criticism online. 
The problem also feels very personal—AI systems often reflect and exacerbate the worst aspects of our societies, such as racism and sexism. The problematic technologies range from facial recognition systems that classify Black people as gorillas to deepfake software used to make porn videos of women who have not consented. Dealing with these issues can be especially taxing to women, people of color, and other marginalized groups, who tend to gravitate toward AI ethics jobs. 
I spoke with a bunch of ethical-AI practitioners about the challenges they face in their work, and one thing was clear: burnout is real, and it’s harming the entire field. Read my story here.
Two of the people I spoke to in the story are pioneers of applied AI ethics: Margaret Mitchell and Rumman Chowdhury, who now work at Hugging Face and Twitter, respectively. Here are their top tips for surviving in the industry. 
1. Be your own advocate. Despite growing mainstream awareness about the risks AI poses, ethicists still find themselves fighting to be recognized by colleagues. Machine-learning culture has historically not been great at acknowledging the needs of people. “No matter how confident or loud the people in the meeting are [who are] talking or speaking against what you’re doing—that doesn’t mean they’re right,” says Mitchell. “You have to be prepared to be your own advocate for your own work.”
Continue reading: https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/01/1062474/how-to-survive-as-an-ai-ethicist/

The adage “With great power comes great responsibility” was first credited to the French writer Voltaire and popularized by Spiderman’s Uncle Ben. The principle is particularly pertinent to the transformational application of artificial intelligence (AI). It applies to many facets of our everyday lives in ways we don’t always think about. Lenders use it to determine a borrower’s credit risk, pharmaceutical companies utilize it to accelerate the development of drugs and social media companies rely on it as a monitoring agent.
What makes AI so powerful is that it can emulate human thought and behavior to achieve objectives faster and more efficiently than any human could. Of course, with this kind of power, we have to consider responsibility.
The Necessity For Responsible AI
Despite the intelligent empowerment that AI brings, it's still derived from human consciousness, and we still haven’t been able to eradicate the cognitive biases that plague our perceptions, judgments and decision-making. Organizations such as the Responsible AI Institute are working to provide guidance concerning data rights, privacy, security, explainability and fairness. The objective is to create a framework that ensures AI is both trustworthy and accountable.
The truth is we have a long way to go in our pursuit of responsible AI. Just 12% of consumers think that "AI can tell the difference between good and evil." This is a real problem because technology must be trusted first for it to be embraced.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/11/01/ethics-in-operation-the-business-case-for-responsible-ai/?sh=599c7dba3e7b

Grow fast or die slow. That's one of the most repeated phrases in the startup world. A McKinsey report by that name found that startups that grow less than 20 percent annually have a 92 percent chance of closing within a few years, leading to the phrase being accepted as true. Now, the phrase has been closely associated with entrepreneurial efforts of all sorts.
Whether you agree with the assertion or not, the truth is that scaling is important for a business to succeed. The faster you scale, the faster your startup will get off the ground. This is where A.I. can help. A.I. tools can automate time- and resource-intensive processes like talent acquisition from start to finish. Using them will allow you to accelerate your company's growth and can aid your human resources, making the process more efficient and cost-effective.
1. A.I. gets you to market faster.
Part of growing fast is getting to market faster. With the startup ecosystem being so competitive, it is not uncommon for two entrepreneurs to have a similar product. In such cases, being the first to launch your product can be the difference between success and failure. No matter if it is a game of chess or a startup, the first-move advantage is real.
The importance of getting out there fast is one reason why entrepreneurs pay so much attention to scalable processes. To achieve scale, most businesses often dismiss financial and quality costs to decrease production time. This is why startups like Uber, WeWork, and MoviePass didn't care much about failing to make a profit for years. While this strategy can pay off in the long run, I've seen how it can also result in disaster.
Continue reading: https://www.inc.com/joel-comm/ai-business-startup-grow-successful.html

We live in an age where instant gratification is now the rule, not the exception. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) like Siri and Alexa, we have answers and information at our fingertips instantaneously. Ankush Singla, senior product manager at DefenseStorm, explores six undeniable ways in which AI is creating transformational change in the finance sector.
Newer generations thrive on instant responses and the ability to complete tasks with the press of a button. As technology makes even the simplest of tasks easier, we want more. Unsurprisingly, the banking sector has followed this trend by providing its customers with the latest technology for easy access and flexible banking. As financial institutions (FI) revolutionize the industry with the newest technology, cybercriminals are poised to exploit new vulnerabilities due to increased use.
So, how can banks and credit unions remain competitive while also providing superior security to their clients? Utilizing AI for cybersecurity provides FIs a way to scale more effectively to find insights in data that would otherwise be impossible. By applying this technology, your financial institution can react quickly to breaches but, more importantly, get ahead of cyberattacks. The use of AI also significantly helps FIs prepare for changes in risk and compliance. 
Six Benefits of AI/ML for Financial Institutions
Consider the six ways AI/ML can help your financial institution efficiently manage its own risk profile, monitor changes to internal key metrics, improve security posture and maintain compliance. 
1. Detect fraud before money leaves the account
In 2021, Javelin Strategy & Research identified identity fraud scam losses of $28 billion, which victimized 27 million U.S. consumers. Financial Institutions must stop fraudsters before they transact because it prevents financial losses and maintains a trusted client relationship. FIs customarily absorb the cost of losses, but in some cases, banks are not liable. Sometimes, customers bear the loss, which weighs on the relationship of trust between FIs and their clients. By implementing AI, especially products built for banking, 
FIs can close the gap in identifying and stopping breaches before they occur. Sifting through millions of cyber events for an average client (and much more for larger institutions) is virtually impossible, even for the most substantial and proficient teams, and AI creates a baseline of transaction patterns and can identify anomalies as a proactive approach.
Continue reading: https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/artificial-intelligence/guest-article/ways-artificial-intelligence-is-transforming-the-financial-industry/

The debate about whether artificial intelligence (AI) might displace human workers in the future has been going on for a long time. Technological progress may be perceived as a threat in the context of a one-sided forecast. According to McKinsey, "In about 60 percent of occupations, at least one-third of the constituent activities could be automated, implying substantial workplace transformations and changes for all workers."
But another aspect of this trend should be kept in mind. By the end of 2025, the technological progress may create 12 million jobs more than will presumably be displaced. Influential personalities pour oil on the flame as well by affecting the perception of AI with their grandiose statements (e.g., Elon Musk argued that the perfection of AI will lead to massive unemployment).
Who is not in danger of unemployment in light of the AI/robotics evolution? And why do we even talk about the unemployment conditions of a global staff shortage?
People tend to be afraid of technology that has the potential to change the future of the labor market.
Having served as the financial director of a corporation and being responsible for 19 factories from 2000 to 2003, I chose to implement automation in specific accounting processes. This caused disappointment among many accountants who were afraid of losing their positions. At that time, everyone was sure that the accounting profession would soon disappear since the whole job would be carried out by computers.
Twenty years later, what do we see? The number of accountants is projected to increase. In the U.S., the employment growth rate from 2021 to 2031 is expected to be 6%. Today, it’s not about displacing a person from this profession, but it is way easier to automate it. Accountants have received a tool that helps make accounting more accurate and simpler. Fifty-six percent of industry professionals agree that technology increases their productivity.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/10/31/ai-will-impact-the-labor-market-but-workers-should-embrace-the-technology-not-fear-it/?sh=688b1da469ce

The Fourth Industrial Revolution held the promise of increased productivity through automation of manual tasks. It envisioned a world of unleashing human creativity and unlocking technological potential. While the jury is still out on whether it will meet its promise, what is alarmingly obvious is the disastrous impact it has had on climate change and sustainability. The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s “for-profit” paradigm has caused excessive depletion of natural resources, climate change, and biodiversity loss. The need for a paradigm change from for-profit to for-benefit is pertinent. 
Sustainability is an integrative, holistic, and long-term approach that advocates a balance between economic, social, and ecological dimensions. Businesses of today cannot just look at profit maximization as the only metric of success. Building relevant businesses needs an intrinsic connection between sustainability and profitability. Sustainability in the new age tech can be driven through disruptive innovation buttressed by societal transformations toward a more sustainable and equitable world. Blockchain is one powerful way of doing this. 
Blockchain is a digitally distributed, decentralized ledger that helps to verify and trace multi-step transactions. A blockchain is fundamentally a new form of computing architecture that brings transformational new capabilities, much like the internet in the 90s or the smartphone in the late 2000s.
Most notable among the features that blockchain technology has brought are its distributed and immutable ledger and advanced cryptography, which bring trust to large-scale computer networks.
Continue reading: https://www.financialexpress.com/blockchain/blockchain-and-the-importance-of-sustainability-in-new-age-tech/2754690/

Whenever the word blockchain is used, cryptocurrency automatically comes to mind, and it’s true the other way as well. Many people believe that the two are synonymous and, thus, are often used interchangeably, but it couldn’t be more wrong. Cryptocurrencies are a type of money that use blockchain technology to operate.
In this detailed guide, you will learn about blockchain technology, how it works, and how cryptocurrency relates to it.
What Is a Blockchain?
Blockchain was first introduced with the debut of Bitcoin. Bitcoin was a cryptocurrency, and from then on, myths spread that blockchain and cryptocurrencies are the same.
Blockchain is a decentralized ledger that keeps the records of transactions, and these ledgers cannot be altered. So, once a transaction has been approved and included in a block, it becomes permanent. Now it will always exist in the blockchain. What makes blockchain technology different is that it is completely decentralized means there is no central authority that owns it or manages it. It is for consumers and belongs to them.
The data is saved on blocks. Each block is made up of a certain number of transactions. When a block is completed, the network approves it, and it is added to the blockchain, making it unchangeable.
What Is Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is made up of two words- crypto and currency. While the meaning of currency is clear that it is money, crypto means encrypted or written in codes. So, the meaning of a cryptocurrency is that it is a digital asset that has a value like money. It is created to foster easy exchange, and that’s where blockchain comes into the picture. All the crypto transactions that take place are recorded using blockchain technology.
The first ever cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, which became synonymous with blockchain. Since then, thousands of cryptocurrencies have entered the market.
Continue reading: https://readwrite.com/relationship-between-blockchain-and-cryptocurrency/

Bitcoin has hit six-week highs and held onto its gains since — is it the start of a trend change?
After passing $21,000 twice over the past week, BTC/USD is still lingering near the top of its multimonth trading range.
The coming week promises to provide a fresh dose of volatility thanks to the United States Federal Reserve commenting on interest rates and the economic outlook.
The key date is Nov. 2, which will see:

• Decision on key rate hikes
• Comments and economic projections
• Speech from Fed Chair Jerome Powell

While opinions are mixed as to whether Bitcoin can stand the heat, the market has been caught in disbelief — liquidations in recent days made records for 2022.
Should further upside ensue, traders may have to reassess their take on Bitcoin’s weakness in what many thought would be the quarter in which BTC/USD sees a capitulation to new macro lows.
The overall crypto market cap has already passed the $1 trillion mark once again, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Hours from the monthly close, “Uptober” may at least still live up to its name.
Cointelegraph takes a look at three major factors influencing crypto market strength in the current environment.
The Fed could change its tune on rate hikes
When Cointelegraph reported on why the crypto market saw fresh losses last week, the United States Federal Reserve was first on the list.
Concerns focused on unwavering policy keeping the U.S. dollar strong and rates surging higher for the foreseeable future — the worst-case scenario for risk assets.
Nonetheless, the past week has seen the results of that policy spill over into other economies, notably Japan, which made repeated interventions in its exchange market to prop up the flagging yen.
At the same time, rumors are gathering over the outlook for rate hikes as the Fed runs out of room to maneuver. After next month’s hike, suspicions are that policy will begin to U-turn, making smaller hikes in subsequent months before reversing altogether in 2023.
Continue reading: https://cointelegraph.com/news/why-is-the-crypto-market-up-today

As the next generation of the world wide web comes to fruition, new economic and technological infrastructures are on the horizon. With this new generation, known as Web3, concepts including decentralization, digital currencies, token-based economics, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are making their way into the mainstream economy. As the new technology brings terms and tools foreign to even the highest academically credentialed individuals, this new arena of commerce has created an even playing field for companies of all sizes to leverage.
Experts from across the current economic infrastructure of Web3 and beyond shared their thoughts with CFO on how exactly financial executives can use the economy’s newest and trendiest phenomenon in order to better their businesses. 
Recognize the Potential of Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
Lars Seier Christensen, co-founder of Saxo Bank and founder of Seier Capital, spoke to CFO about how finance without a middleman can be done. Christensen believes objective ledgers powered by blockchain technology can provide unprecedented secure transactions at instantaneous speeds.
“[In DeFi], the data is completely secure and cannot be manipulated or rolled back,” said Christensen. “A lot of infrastructures will, in the future, be built on blockchain. Keeping up to date with a rapidly developing industry is highly advisable. With a growing younger generation taking an increasing interest in crypto, accepting these as payments and means of transaction can open up significant new business opportunities.”
By removing middlemen from financial transactions, fees and wait times on large-scale transfers of capital can be eliminated. As moving large amounts of money from one account to another involves both time and fees for the sender and receiver in the current financial infrastructure, blockchain technology can disrupt how banking transactions are completed. With the removal of things like Venmo, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal from transactions, Web3 can make moving money easier and cheaper.
Continue reading: https://www.cfo.com/technology/2022/10/blockchain-technology-defi-bitcoin-web-3-nft-ntt-crypto/

To reach mass-scale adoption, it's necessary to spread financial literacy for crypto assets and blockchain education.
In 2022, the cryptocurrency market shuddered literally in all directions. Crypto's market cap fell below $1 trillion, and Bitcoin dropped 65% from an all-time high. But despite these circumstances, a new report from blockchain intelligence firm Chainlaysis has found that crypto adoption has slowed less than expected despite a bearish start of the year for the cryptocurrency market. In fact, it's still above pre-bull market levels from 2019.
Some countries dominating the adoption index have different socioeconomic situations, from lower middle income to above median income and high incomes. Some of the countries include Vietnam, the Philippines, Ukraine, India, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, The United States and The United Kingdom.
Data suggest that people, startups and large companies have stuck with cryptocurrencies and blockchain despite the crypto winter. They continue to pour significant portions of capital into digital assets and their underlying technology. And no surprise: blockchain offers numerous advantages and benefits not only to individuals but also to entrepreneurs and businesses from different industries.
The benefits that crypto and blockchain bring to the table can become an effective solution for some of the pain spots for today's businesses and their customers, but this requires extensive crypto education.
What Is cryptocurrency?
The most popular Google searches about cryptocurrencies are: "what is cryptocurrency," "how to invest in crypto," "how does crypto work," etc. After almost 15 years since being created, there's still a lack of educational content and resources for people and institutions to understand and adopt cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
Continue reading: https://www.entrepreneur.com/money-finance/the-benefits-of-crypto-education-for-your-business/436645

The criminal use of cryptocurrency was amongst the top three internet crimes in 2021. Owing to this, the first half of 2022 wasn’t in favor of crypto. 
So far, we’ve seen the downfall of Terra Luna, loss of $1.4 billion through cross-chain bridges, loss of $615 million from Ronin, and countless more security incidents. Naturally, it shakes our trust in crypto.
Should we hold on? Or should we withdraw investments?
In this post, that’s what we’ll talk about. We’ll be studying:

• Existing crypto security measures
• Current and expected crypto security status

Let’s get to it!
Existing Crypto Security Measures 
Here are some of the crypto security measures companies take today to prevent theft and make recovering lost bitcoin possible:
Wallet/Key Security
Currently, keys are the heart of crypto security. A key or seed is randomly generated with hundreds of digits. You get it in the form of a string of alphanumeric characters.
A wallet holds all your cryptocurrency, and the key provides access to it. Usually, crypto platforms ensure wallet/key safety by generating a unique address for every transaction. However, some companies have leveled up the security through these measures:

• Identity verification and background check
• Requirement of 2 signatures every time you want to spend the amount in the wallet
• Storage of keys with signing authority in unique locations
• Allocating redundant keys to wallets for recovery

All these practices reduce the risks of theft and data breaches by keeping both the crypto amount and wallet holder safe. 
External Assessment
Having the best team of data specialists isn’t enough, and many companies understand this. Sometimes, an external assessment is necessary to identify potential risks that may have been missed by the in-house team. 
This is why organizations often get their system checked by crypto security experts. They don’t only point out the potential risks but also offer custom solutions.
Continue reading: https://www.cryptoninjas.net/2022/10/26/what-is-the-state-of-crypto-security-in-2022/

As the crypto industry is maturing, now is the perfect time to enter the market.
As the crypto market is moving into the early-to-late maturity stage, digital assets are getting embraced by a share of the population (16% of Americans already had first-hand experience with them).
In addition to consumers, large brands like Microsoft, Gucci and Burger King are joining thousands of merchants in accepting digital asset payments. Besides rising institutional adoption, VCs poured $14.67 billion into crypto startups in Q2 2022 alone.
Considering all this, I expect every company to become a crypto business to some extent by 2035.
Now is the perfect time to enter the market. And in this article, I will share a few tips with companies and entrepreneurs seeking to do so successfully.
Tip 1: Don't be afraid; the crypto market is not that complicated
When you first encounter industry jargon and acronyms like DeFi, CeFi and DAO, you might feel that you don't understand a single thing about digital assets. However, a couple of weeks is enough to learn the basics about the market and how the underlying technology works.
While there is tons of content you can use for learning, the crypto market is deeply integrated into the regular economy. That's why it will be a little closer to life for many people.
To sum things up: no matter how new, complex or scary it may look at first, it shouldn't stop you from entering the market. Crypto is not that complicated.
Continue reading: https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/4-tips-for-entering-into-crypto/436639

Web3 may seem too new for usability, but here are five ways it can transform your business.
Technological developments have always had profound effects on the way businesses operate. The proliferation of the internet led to the introduction of digital marketing. The development of artificial intelligence changed how businesses interact with their customers. And now, Web3 is set to revamp how the internet works as a whole.
Web3 is touted as the turning point of the modern internet and is expected to rehaul cyberspace as we know it. What should a business expect from the successor of Web2.0, the internet we have grown accustomed to?
What is Web3?
Before we dive into how Web3 is expected to influence small businesses, let's first talk about what Web3 really is. It is a blockchain-driven internet that offers a decentralized alternative to the web as we know it.
While still in the early stages of development, Web3 solves what seems to be the most difficult problem with the internet today. It offers better data privacy by eliminating central organizations and allowing users to keep their data stored in their personal crypto wallets.
So, while Web3 may not entirely replace today's internet, it may offer a safer alternative and may trigger an exodus of users from the second to the third generation of the internet.
Benefits of Web3
Web3 is still in the making. So all its benefits are currently rooted in theories and the potential of blockchain technology. If the technology develops like Big Techs have assumed it would, these benefits might be realized, leading to a massive shift in business processes.
Continue reading: https://www.entrepreneur.com/science-technology/how-web3-will-transform-small-business/436351

The riddle of blockchain’s full potential is still being answered, but it continues to mature fast with regulators looming in the wings.
That was one aspect of a conversation among stakeholders in the sector at the DC Fintech Week conference, held online and in person last week. Chris Brummer, founder of DC Fintech Week, took on moderator duties again for the “What’s Next for Blockchains (And What Shouldn’t Be)?” session with on-stage panelists Charles Hoskinson, CEO of Input Output Global and co-founder of Ethereum; and Kevin Sekniqi, chief operating officer of Ava Labs; with Stani Kulechov, CEO of Aave, streaming in from Bogota, Colombia.
Blockchain is known largely for its role as the distributed ledger that enables cryptocurrency, but the technology has other potential uses. For example, Kulechov said there are also ways blockchain can open up inclusive opportunities for innovation in finance across a variety of industries and regions. “When the space is very open, it means that anyone can come from any part of the world and actually innovate and create better financial applications and also non-financial applications,” he said.
The further development of blockchain may take the proverbial village to see it through. There are communities emerging in this landscape, Kulechov said, that need to come together to establish rules for self-governance. That would ensure that incentives for using blockchain are aligned between the different communities, and not just for decentralized finance or Web3 space.
Building up blockchain to hold more of a mainstream presence continues to be a work in progress. “There is obviously still a lot of work being done to fundamentally scale these systems,” Sekniqi said. That ongoing work will continue for the next couple of years, he said. Sekniqi believes blockchain has moved out of the early technology phase of its development, which can also bring deeper scrutiny from regulators. “When you become mainstream, it becomes very difficult to be on the fringes,” he said.
Continue reading: https://www.informationweek.com/fintech/where-is-blockchain-headed-

Women have made great strides in business, politics, technology and science. Still, I’ve found that the assertion made by Sigmund Freud back in 1925 that “women oppose change, receive passively, and add nothing of their own” cemented a gender norm that still lingers today.
There are just 44 female CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies. That is a paltry 8.8% of some of the largest corporations in the U.S. I believe many of these women hold something in common, however. Rather than modeling their leadership after their male counterparts, they have broken the mold and harnessed what it means to be a female leader. From my perspective, women leaders engage the power of teams, have a tendency to share the credit and are driven by both a sense of purpose and achieving business results.
As a sixth-generation farmer, I always knew that I would pursue a career in agriculture. In my program in college, I was one of few women and quickly learned that being a woman, especially at that time, means you need to be twice, if not three times, as good. Below are some important lessons in leadership that I have learned along the way that can help you stay true to yourself while working hard.
Share where you came from.
Too often, successful female entrepreneurs and business leaders neglect to share the story of their beginnings. What does it mean to “share your story?” Very few will care about the name of your dog, what you ate for breakfast or your plans to play Pickleball this weekend. They do want to hear, however, about how you got to where you are in your career, what has inspired you, lessons learned and hardships overcame.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/10/28/four-things-every-woman-in-leadership-needs-to-know/?sh=2d6105f25918

Mabel Ochebiri tells Zarina Camal about winning a hackathon, positive changes to bring about equality and giving back to up and coming women in tech. This interview was in support of the Coding Black Females takeover of the BCS Diversity report 2022.




After scouting out a career in teaching or finance, Ochebiri went to university to study math. It was there that she first got excited about the possibilities of tech.
So tell us about your career?
When I left university I took a trainee software engineer role at a software development company, and basically, I fell in love with my role. Every single day was different.
At the time I knew that I had to take a lot more online classes on the side. So, I started exploring online to find further training as cheaply as possible. And that's when I bumped into Code First Girls and Coding Black Females. There were a few free courses, I took them, I then decided to document my journey, just for me.
I was doing the 100 Days Code challenge online and was introduced to a beautiful community of women in the tech space. So, I've been working in tech ever since and it's been amazing.
What obstacles have you faced on your career journey?
At sixth form I was one of only two females choosing STEM subjects. I thought that was the norm, which it shouldn't be. I then thought, okay some people might be pulled away from these roles because there's not enough women. I've noticed that usually with tech companies more women are usually in leadership roles rather than technical core teams.
I was one of two women on the core team where the other woman was my manager. Having a woman as my manager was very, very encouraging. She really made me feel like part of the family even with the smallest things. However, I did notice she was under a lot of stress.
Continue reading: https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/women-in-it-know-your-worth/

Women in technology can play a pivotal role in accelerating their own careers. Sharing strategies for this was the focus of the recent ADP Inclusion Summit 2022 panel discussion "Views from the Top: How Women Can Take the Lead in Tech." Here are the main takeaways shared during the insightful conversation.
For as long as the industry has existed, women in technology have been underrepresented. Although many companies have devoted significant time and energy to address the disparity, even now, only 28.8% of technologists are women, and only a handful of tech companies have women CEOs. Not only have fewer women been entering tech fields and rising to the top in recent years, but they've also been leaving those fields at a rate 45% higher than men.
It will take considerable commitment and constant effort to ensure women have opportunities to enter, progress and thrive in technology jobs. This communal endeavor will have to come from cooperating organizations, communities, governments and society at large. Women in technology can also play a pivotal role in accelerating their own careers.
This was the focus of ADP's recent Inclusion Summit 2022 panel discussion "Views from the Top: How Women Can Take the Lead in Tech," in which four powerful tech leaders shared strategies they used to advance their careers. Lori Warren-Williams, Vice President of Excellence and Compliance at ADP, moderated a group that included Suzanne Harris, VP of Human Resources at NexusTek; Aisha Lawrey, Training and Certification Global Ambassador for Cloud Career Training Programs at AWS; and Karla Rivera, Senior Manager of Strategy, Planning and Operations at Cisco Systems.
Here are the key details and main takeaways shared during the session.
Continue reading: https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2022/10/women-in-technology-4-strategies-for-taking-the-lead.aspx

Up to 20,000 black women are "missing" from the tech industry in the UK, according to a joint report by campaigners and a representative body.
The report says the proportion of black women in IT is two-and-a-half times smaller than that of the UK workforce as a whole.
Campaigning group Coding Black Females said tech "desperately needed" more people from a range of backgrounds.
Industry bodies acknowledge that "more must be done" to support diversity.
Analyzing data from the Office of National Statistics, the authors of the Coding Black Females (CBF) and BCS report found that black women made up 1.8% of the UK workforce but only 0.7% of those working in technology.
An extra 20,000 black women would need to be recruited in addition to the 12,000 already working in IT to fill the gap.
Women are also under-represented in senior leadership roles, it said. In 2021, just 17% of IT directors were female, according to the report.
The report says while ethnic-minority representation in general is higher among IT specialists than in the wider workforce, that is largely due to the high proportion of tech professionals of Indian ethnicity.
Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63402337

Summit North America 2022 featured several incredible sessions, keynotes, and experiences. A highlight was the Women in Tech session, which occurred on Day 2 at the Legends Stage where hundreds of attendees flocked around the stage, filling every seat and the standing room. At the session’s beginning, Gayle Keller presented the keynote, “Sustainable Empowerment: Taking Calculated Risks in Your Career.”
Gayle Keller is the Chief Reinvention Officer of Gayle Keller, LLC. As a previous member of the Microsoft community, Gayle is passionate about advocating for women in technology and filling the gender gap as the host of the Theodora Speaks podcast, a bestselling author, and an executive and corporate advisor. She also has an online curriculum on reinvention and works with corporations and universities to empower women to take calculated risks and reinvent their professional lives.
While Gayle shared many valuable insights, here are some top takeaways from her Women in Tech keynote.
Imposter Syndrome and Closing the Gender Gap
Gayle shared an example acknowledging how women tend to be more risk-averse than men: There’s a job posting on LinkedIn. A woman reviews the job posting and deems herself unqualified, whereas when a man sees the posting, he decides to apply anyway and learn the skills he didn’t already possess. Many Women in Tech attendees shared that the idea of imposter syndrome resonated with them, and that they had personally experienced something similar to this scenario.
Continue reading: https://accelerationeconomy.com/future-office-of-the-cxo/why-women-in-tech-must-take-calculated-risks/

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields in technology, with global spending increasing by 12% - 15% year-over-year. There is also a talent gap in this sector, with an estimated global workforce shortfall of 3.5 million people stunting the growth of this industry.
Women only make up 24% of Cybersecurity professionals. However, they are responsible for some of the most critical work in this field, from founding security companies to setting corporate and government policy, spearheading DEI initiatives, and representing themselves and their companies on Boards and global security organizations.
Celebrating the women making an impact in Cybersecurity can demonstrate to diverse women everywhere that they have a path to leadership and success in this exciting and expanding field. In so doing, we can move towards better equity and inspire even more incredible women like these to excel in the field while empowering Cybersecurity with the diverse talent it needs to succeed.
Impact at a National Level
Mary Ann Davidson, Chief Security Officer at Oracle Corporation
Mary’s career has seen her advising the U.S. government on Cybersecurity issues in several capacities. She was a member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th President and has served on the Defense Science Board. She has also given expert testimony on Cybersecurity to the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology and the US House of Representatives (Energy and Commerce Committee, Armed Services Committee, and Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology).
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alainapercival/2022/10/26/women-to-watch-in-cybersecurity/?sh=b0885730e621

The Dublin city lead for Women in AI Ireland says current measures don’t address all the obstacles to progression faced by women – especially parents.
Women are underrepresented in artificial intelligence and technology in both academia and industry. This is not news. The disparity has been discussed for years now. Yet, surprisingly, little progress has been made.
According to the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI’s 2021 AI Index Report, just 16pc of tenure-track faculty focused on AI are women across the world’s top universities.
We have taken some positive steps in Ireland, especially since the 2016 review of the HEA’s Expert Group on Gender Equality, after which came measures such as the HEA linking research funding eligibility to progress on gender equality. Institutions in turn have established equality, diversity and inclusion units. There has been improvement, although there is still some way to go in relation to the number of female professors in our universities.
As a woman working in the field, I am often asked about these challenges. Many proposed solutions rightly or wrongly focus on women, encouraging them into the sector.
For example, I do a lot of work demystifying my job for students thinking about a career in STEM. I use my position to support and mentor colleagues, buoying people up as much as possible, often reassuring them that it is okay to say no. I accept invitations to speak on panels and to diverse groups in an effort to encourage more women into this area.
Continue reading: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/machines/women-in-ai-diversity-inclusion-ireland

When discussing Artificial Intelligence, many people express concern about AI replacing humans in the workforce. Some jobs will undoubtedly be replaced, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Early on, companies will apply AI to the work that humans either should not, will not, or can not do, making the workplace safer and more efficient than ever before.
Here’s exactly what I mean:
1. Jobs AI can do that humans should not
Industries like logging, oil rig work, metal foundries, electrical line repair, roofing, and chemical factories are the cause of 2.3 million workplace deaths, 160 million illnesses, and 340 million accidents worldwide, according to the International Labor Organization. This comes at a global cost of 2.8 trillion dollars, and an incalculable personal cost to those who lose loved ones.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The most obvious ways that an AI augmented workforce can help involve automation and robotics, like welding, the application of toxic paints and adhesives, lifting, moving, and stacking heavy items, and delivering goods with autonomous vehicles. Artificial intelligence technologies like computer vision and machine learning often enable machines to do these jobs as effectively as humans, without nearly as many safety concerns.
Looking deeper, AI can reduce workplace hazards even when humans execute the labor. Computer vision systems from companies like Intenseye and HGS monitor warehouses, factory floors, and other work environments to identify objects in the path of forklifts, unstable goods stacking, and even dangerous employee behavior like misuse of protective gear or execution of unauthorized work. Meanwhile, machine learning algorithms use data to predict when accidents are most likely to happen based on time of day, hours an employee has been working, age, experience, and a constellation of other factors too sophisticated for human supervisors to parse alone.
AI can even be used in training to proactively reduce accidents. Companies like Taqtile, Atheer, and Ario already use immersive technologies like VR and AR to prepare front line workers for difficult and dangerous roles. Consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton predicts that AI solutions like natural language processing, artificial neural networks, and deep learning will soon be used to accustom workers to random but realistic workplace hazards so that they will be better prepared if such unpredictable events occur on the job in real life.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/glenngow/2022/10/30/the-argument-for-an-ai-augmented-workforce/?sh=64d9dab12f4c