The Briefing on Disruptive Technology

The latest news, trends and data in disruption

In Data:

Disruptive News in Numbers

54%

The percentage of senior legal counsel that feel their businesses are unprepared for GDPR. The survey, by KMPG, spoke to 448 institutions working with clients across the EU, and also found that just 10% had checked if third-party vendors were compliant

$26.5bn

The amount T-Mobile US is paying to acquire Sprint in order to combine the companies’ technologies with a view to leading in the US rollout of 5G networks. The merger, which is the third attempt, will eliminate future costs associated with upgrading network capabilities

$1.5bn

The amount in debt that Netlix plans to raise in order to continue its development of original content. The company is increasingly relying on such content to attract and maintain subscribers, exceeding Wall Street projections for subscriber growth

251,000

The number of desks now available to members of co-working company WeWork, across 234 locations in over 20 countries. WeWork has seen rapid growth, and is now seeking a further $500m in financing, but has yet to turn a profit

********

58%

The percentage of workers in the tech industry who believe they deserve a pay rise, according to a survey by Purple CV. In the survey of 2,500 people, more tech industry respondents said they felt undervalued than any other industry

$1.9bn

The amount of money invested into Chinese truck-hailing service Manbang. The company, which has attracted investment from the likes of SoftBank and Google, is often referred to as “Uber for trucks”, enabling shippers to connect with truck drivers in the world’s busiest goods transport market

The Key Moments in Disruption This Month

UN: Tech Companies Have Responsibility for Disruption Damage

The United Nations’ chief information technology officer Atti Riazi has said that technology companies have an obligation to tackle the unintended consequences of innovation. Giving the examples of job loss associated with AI advances and cyberattacks made possible by technical design, Riazi said it was not governments’ or the UN’s job to solve the problems.

Source: Bloomberg

Tesla Shareholder Seeks End to Musk’s Chairman Role

Tesla shareholder Jing Zhao has submitted a proposal to replace Elon Musk as chairman with an independent director. Musk currently holds both the chairman and CEO positions at the car firm, but Zhao has argued that this is becoming increasingly untenable as the company grows. However, the board has so far refused to back the proposal.

Sourch: TechCrunch

Starship Technologies Rolls Out Delivery Robots

Starship Technologies has announced that it ready for a full-scale rollout of its fleet of six-wheeled robots. The robots, which are designed to tackle the last mile of delivery, are currently being used to deliver food and stationery at a number of trial locations, including California-based software company Intuit and UK food delivery service JustEat.

Source: Wired

WhatsApp CEO Takes $1bn Hit to Leave Facebook

Jan Koum, CEO of WhatsApp, is set to leave Facebook after clashing with the company over onward strategy, in a move that will see him lose out on around $1bn in stocks. Koum had been expected to remain at the company for some time as there are still three vesting dates remaining from Facebook’s purchase of the messaging platform in 2014.

Source: Bloomberg

Embracing Emerging Technology

The companies bringing innovative technology into their operations

XPO Logistics Announces Voice-Tracking for Deliveries

North America’s largest provider of last-mile deliveries for heavy and oversized goods has unveiled voice-enabled delivery tracking for its customers. The service, which is supported on both the Amazon Echo and Google Home, is thought to be the largest of its kind available to consumers.

Source: Reuters

Major UK Firms Using Automated Job Interviews

Leading London-based graduate schemes, including those operated by Goldman Sachs and Unilever, are now using automated technology to conduct early stage interviews. Videos of graduates answering questions are scanned by algorithms to determine if they should move to the next round.

Source: Telegraph

Google and Jaguar Partner for Self-Driving Product

Google’s self-driving company Waymo and vehicle manufacturer Jaguar have partnered to make the electric car I-Pace autonomous. The move is being seen as a bid to rival Tesla, as the company already has the ability to add autonomous capabilities to the I-Pace rival Model X.

Source: Wired

Japanese Fashion Site Launches 3D Scanning Technology

Japanese online fashion retailer Zozotown has launched a service that allows customers to generate 3D scans of their bodies, which can be used to order clothes that are guaranteed to fit. The offering sees customers don a body-tight suit covered in spots, which they then scan with their phone.

Source: Bloomberg