Wanted: Someone brave enough to fill the biggest job in government digital transformation
After being left vacant for two years, one of the biggest jobs in government tech could soon be filled. But candidates face a long list of challenges. In this article, Professor Mark Thompson provides his thoughts and guidance on the UK Government’s digital transformation and priorities for the incoming Chief Digital and Information Officer. (This […]
Trusted Archives of Digital Public Records (ARCHANGEL)
As a partner in the ARCHANGEL project we are delighted that the paper ARCHANGEL: Tamper-proofing Video Archives using Temporal Content Hashes on the Blockchain has just won the Best Blockchain Application Award at the prestigious Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition aka CVPR conference. ARCHANGEL responds to the urgent need of safeguarding archives in a rapidly […]
My Life, My Data
If we think of the current era as a “digital revolution”……and I do….then one of the consequences is a period of uncertainty and instability. Witness the significant backlash occurring on several fronts as many people begin to realize that extent of the digital data gathering, monitoring, and analysis going on today. It is believed that […]
What’s On Your Innovation Bookshelf? Getting Started On Your Corporate Innovation Journey
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working with a corporate innovation team to help breath life into some really interesting internal project ideas. Lots of interesting challenges have to be faced in the corporate world to move from the daily grind and status quo toward a more agile, flexible work environment. Where do you […]
The Digital Revolution is Powered By Software – For Good and Bad
I don’t really hold with conspiracy theories. Much more often than not you’ll find that underneath the surface is a large slice of misinformation, serendipity, and incompetence. So I was not surprised to read this article from Wired on the situation at Huawei: https://www.wired.com/story/huawei-threat-isnt-backdoors-its-bugs/ From my experience of many years working in software development and […]
Getting it right this time: Why the strategy is not about delivery for NHSX
Mark Thompson’s blog for ComputerWeekly.com: The Government needs to move on from the mantras and beliefs that exist around digital and technology – the new NHSX organisation could set an example by transforming healthcare. Read more.
AI and the Shifting Boundaries between Computing and the Humanities
Some time ago I reported on a new $1B investment at MIT to create the new Schwartzman Centre for Computing using a gift of $350M from Blackstone founder Stephen Schwartzman. MIT recently held a celebration and began outlining the main focus for this center (not without some controversy). The main aim of this massive investment […]
How to set up and run your own digital company for less than £50 a year!
I was chatting in the local pub with some friends the other night, and the conversation turned to the question of why we now have so many energetic young entrepreneurs setting up their own companies. Various views on this topic were exchanged (and beers consumed!). When I proudly boasted “ well, one of the obvious […]
Digital Transformation and the Digital Generation
As the parent of teenage boys, I am acutely aware that the millennial generation are growing up very differently to previous generations. Digital technology is not simply another tool they use to access information, it is the primary lens through which they see the world. More and more they see themselves connected and interconnected by […]
This is Not Me….and I Didn’t Say That!
These days I frequently think about the old adage that “life is a journey from certainty to doubt”. It has hit me particularly hard with a combination of different news items this week. We all know that you can’t believe all you read on line. It is also clear that knowing who you are dealing […]
