December 14th 2021 sees the launch of Better Images of AI Image Library, which makes available the first commissioned and curated stock images of artificial intelligence (AI) in response to various research studies which have substantiated concerns about the negative impacts of the existing available imagery.

Betterimagesofai.org is a collaboration between various global academics, artists, diversity advocates, and non-profit organisations. It aims to help create a more representative and realistic visual language for AI systems, themes, applications and impacts. It is now starting to provide free images, guidance and visual inspiration for those communicating on AI technologies.

At present, the available downloadable images on photo libraries, search engines, and content platforms are dominated by a limited range of images, for example those based on science fiction inspired shiny robots, glowing brains and blue backgrounds. These tropes are often used as inspiration even when new artwork is commissioned by media or tech companies.

The first few images to be released on the library showcase different approaches to visually communicating technologies such as computer vision and natural language processing and to communicating themes such as the role of ‘click workers’ who annotate data use in machine learning training and other human input to machine learning.

Better Images of AI is coordinated by We and AI and includes research, development and artistic input from BBC R&D, with academic partners Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. Founding supporters of the initiative include the Ada Lovelace Institute, The Alan Turing Institute, The Institute for Human-Centred AI, Digital Catapult, International Centre for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW), All Tech is Human, and Feminist Internet. These organisations will advise on the creation of images, ensuring that social and technical considerations and expertise underpin the creation and distribution of compelling new images.

Octavia Reeve, Interim Lead, Ada Lovelace Institute said:

“The images that depict AI play a fundamental role in shaping how we perceive it. Those perceptions shape the ways AI is built, designed, used and adopted. To ensure these technologies work for people and society we must develop more representative, inclusive, diverse and realistic images of AI. The Ada Lovelace Institute is delighted to be a Founding Supporter of the Better Images of AI initiative.”

Dr. Kanta Dihal, Senior Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge said:

“Images of white plastic androids, Terminators, and blue brains have been increasingly widely criticized for misinforming people about what AI is, but until now there has been a huge lack of suitable alternative images. I am incredibly excited to see the Better Images of AI project leading the way in providing these alternatives.”

Dr. Charlotte Webb, Co-founder of Feminist Internet said:

"The images we use to describe and represent AI shape not only how it is understood in the public imaginary, but also how we build, interact with and subvert it. Better Images is trying to intervene in the picturing of AI so we can expand beyond the biases and lack of imagination embedded in today's stock imagery." 

Professor Teemu Roos, Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence, University of Helsinki said:

Images are not just decoration – especially in today's fast-paced media environment, headlines and illustrations count at least as much as the actual story. But while it's easy to call out bad stock photos, it's very hard to find good alternatives. I'm extremely happy to see an initiative like the Better Images of AI filling a huge gap in the way we can communicate about AI without perpetuating harmful misconceptions and mystification of AI.

Tania Duarte, Co-Founder of We and AI said:

“We have found that misconceptions about AI make it hard for people to be aware of the impact of AI systems in their lives, and the human agency behind them. Myths about sentient robots are fuelled by the pictures they see, which are overhyped, futuristic, colonial, and distract from the real opportunities and issues. That’s why We and AI are so pleased to have coordinated this project which will build greater public engagement with AI, and support more trustworthy AI.”

The Better Images of AI project has so far been funded by volunteers at We and AI, and BBC R&D, and now invites sponsors, donations in kind and other support in order to grow the repository and ensure that more images from artists from underrepresented groups, and from the global south can be included. 

Better Images of AI invites interest from organisations who wish to know more about the briefs developed as part of the project, and to get involved in working with artists to represent their AI projects. They also wish to make contact with artists and art organisations who are interested in finding out about joining the project.

 In the first quarter of 2021, global electric vehicle sales rose by around 140%, according to the recent “Global EV Outlook 2021”, conducted and published by the International Energy  Agency. This massive surge in demand is driven by more than 500,000 electric vehicles sold in China  alone.1 Building on that demand, Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited issued an ETF via its  thematic investment brand, Global X ETFs, giving investors seamless access to the performance of both  electric vehicle companies and firms involved in the development of autonomous driving. The Global X  Autonomous and Electric Vehicles ETF (stock code: 02849) started trading on December 10th on the Hong  Kong Stock Exchange and tracks the Solactive Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Index, which is the first  index in Hong Kong to utilize Solactive’s proprietary Natural Language Processing Engine ARTIS®. Moreover, it is the third time that Mirae Asset has utilized this index as an underlying for ETFs, after the  inception of two successful ETF listings in the US and Korea. 

The Middle Kingdom serves as one of the main drivers of both global EV production and market, and this trend  could corroborate as governments around the globe incentivize the effort towards reaching climate goals.2 The development of electric vehicles shares plenty of synergies with autonomous driving, which is why Global  X ETFs decided to also include this mobility trend in their thematic ETF. Autonomous driving technology is  categorized into six levels from level 0 containing no driving automation of any kind to full driving automation  requiring no human attention in level 5. It is expected that by 2030, many new cars sold will contain level 4  automation, hinting this development to be a vast growth potential for investors who believe in a mobile and driverless future. The Solactive Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Index seeks to include companies in both  the EV and autonomous driving sectors, giving investors exposure to both streams in the future of automobiles.

Eligible companies must have their primary listing in one of the countries that are part of the Developed  Markets3, South Korea or Taiwan. Furthermore, companies must be active in at least one of the following  industries: Electric Vehicles (“EV”), Electric Vehicle Components (“EVC”), and Autonomous Vehicle Technology  (“AVT”). Solactive’s proprietary Natural Language Processing Engine ARTIS® is utilizing advanced algorithms  to parse high volumes of public documents evaluating companies’ exposure to the Electric Vehicles (“EV”),  Electric Vehicle Components (“EVC”), or Autonomous Vehicle Technologies (“AVT”) segments described above. The sophisticated procedure not only detects potential index constituents considering a firm’s exposure to a  theme but also ranks its importance to the very subject or industry. 

“Automotive technology has come a long way in a short time. I remember my first car – a Smart – which was,  back then, considered very practical and thought-through. Compared to the level of comfort and safety, which  the automobile industry is and will be delivering to its clients in the future, the technology of my first car seems  antique,” commented Timo Pfeiffer, Chief Markets Officer at Solactive. We are very pleased that Mirae Asset  has chosen to collaborate with us again as their business partner for this ETF that cocoons the potential to  deliver added value to investors for years to come.” 

Jung Ho Rhee, Chief Executive Officer at Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, said: “Continued  advancements in autonomous and electric vehicles has enhanced technological competitiveness between key  market players.We are pleased to partnerwith Solactive again to launch the Global X Autonomous and Electric  Vehicles ETF, which offers investors exposure to the entire supply chain from lithium batteries to sensors,  which are transforming the global autonomous and electric vehicle market.”  

JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., and Planet, a global integrated payments leader, announced the expansion of their European partnership.

This new deal ensures Planet will perform as a JCB acquirer across European territories for both face-to-face and ecommerce transactions, including JCB Contactless, with J/Secure(TM) 2.0-enabled ecommerce to be offered online in early 2022.

Planet provides integrated digital payment services on a unique single platform that offers acquiring, processing, digital wallets, VAT refund and currency conversion services to merchants in the retail, hospitality, food and beverage, parking, and financial sectors. As of today, Planet serves over 70 markets, having over 100 bank partners, and over 600,000 merchant partners.

With many of Planet's merchants in the hospitality, food, and beverage industries, JCB's 140 million cardmembers will benefit from being able to enjoy travel-related and everyday spending when travelling to Europe when travel restrictions lift.

JCB and Planet first entered into partnership in 2003 and have since expanded to cover multiple regions including across Europe, Middle East, and Asia.

Nick Fisher, General Manager, Sales and Marketing UK, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said: "As long-standing partners of Planet, we are honoured to be invited to join its new growth journey to strengthen Planet's position as a competitive player in the European market. As Planet looks to grow its merchant base, it's important that we ensure our partnership grows to offer our cardmembers even more opportunities to spend in Europe."

Steve O'Donovan, Chief Payments Officer at Planet, said: "JCB has been a valued partner of ours for many years, connecting us with their 140 million global cardmembers who like to spend with our merchants. This new evolution of our partnership opens up even more opportunities for our merchants to accept payments and encourage spending."

As the council’s newest participating organisation, Phos will contribute to the development of PCI Security Standards

Phos, the fintech behind the leading software-only Point of Sale system (SoftPoS), announced today that it has joined the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) as a new Participating Organization. Phos will work with the PCI SSC to help secure payment data worldwide through the ongoing development and adoption of the PCI Security Standards. 

The PCI SSC leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing flexible, industry-driven and effective data security standards and programs. The keystone is the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which provides an actionable framework for developing a robust payment card data security process and preventing, detecting and mitigating criminal attacks and breaches.

As a Participating Organization, Phos adds its voice to the standards development process and will collaborate with a growing community of more than 800 Participating Organizations to improve payment security worldwide. Phos will also have the opportunity to recommend new initiatives for consideration to the PCI Security Standards Council and share cross-sector experiences and best practices at the annual PCI Community Meetings. 

“In an era of increasingly sophisticated attacks on systems, PCI Security Standards and resources help organizations secure payment data and prevent, detect and mitigate attacks that can lead to costly data breaches,” said Lance Johnson, Executive Director of the PCI Security Standards Council. “By joining as a Participating Organization, Phos demonstrates they are playing an active part in improving payment security globally by helping drive awareness and adoption of PCI Security Standards.” 

Brad Hyett, CEO of Phos said: “We are thrilled to be joining the PCI Security Standards Council to support its efforts to make payments more secure globally. The payments industry has grown exponentially over the last few years. We have seen the rise in contactless payments and the proliferation of mobile payments. As such, now more than ever, it is crucial that we are reinforcing payment data security, to protect consumers from any potential threats.” As the council’s newest participating organisation, Phos will contribute to the development of PCI Security Standards

ION, a global provider of trading, analytics and risk management solutions for capital markets, commodities and treasury management, today announced that leading global agribusiness Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has chosen ION Derivatives Global Trading Platform (GTP) to manage and grow their derivatives execution and hedging operations.

With activities that span the entire value chain across a diverse range of product lines, LDC helps to feed and clothe up to 500 million people every year and is committed to embracing technologies that can unify, simplify and boost efficiency in its global operations.

“We are pleased to work with a renowned company like ION as we seek to further reinforce core business activities with advanced tools and solutions that drive efficiency through process unification and automation,” said Guy-Laurent Arpino, LDC’s Chief Information Officer.

Francesco Margini, ION Markets Cleared Derivatives Chief Product Officer, added, “We’re delighted that LDC has chosen a solution which has earned more than 30 awards and remains the top choice for institutions around the world.”

ION’s award-winning GTP Derivatives Trading Platform delivers comprehensive execution tools and algos, access to global and regional execution venues, global risk tools and a fully integrated middle office.