This interim report assesses Aruba's potential to leverage fintech, distributed ledger technology and artificial intelligence, by examining the current state of digital regulation on the island. It provides an in-depth overview of the fintech regulatory environment in Aruba, assessing key legislative and institutional frameworks that support digital financial services. In particular, it reviews the regulatory frameworks related to telecommunications, banking, finance and competition management, highlighting the impact of these regulations on business sentiment and investment appetite. The results of the analysis underscore gaps in Aruba's existing regulations, particularly in areas such as universal service, digital inclusion and oversight of electronic commerce and privacy protections. The report includes findings from stakeholder consultations held in February 2025 that emphasize the need for a supportive environment to develop trust in digital services. Ultimately, the report calls for a more comprehensive approach to regulatory frameworks, with a focus on enhanced oversight, market incentives and strategic reforms to encourage financial innovation, and suggests that addressing regulatory gaps and fostering competition would create a more conducive environment for fintech expansion and financial sector modernization in Aruba.
Market making serves as a cornerstone function in financial markets by ensuring continuous liquidity through the provision of bid and ask quotes across various asset classes. This scholarly examination traces the evolution of market making from its historical origins to its contemporary algorithmic manifestations, exploring the fundamental principles that govern spread mechanics, inventory management, and regulatory considerations. The analysis evaluates market makers' critical functions in liquidity provision, price discovery, volatility reduction, and transaction cost efficiency. Risk management strategies—encompassing hedging techniques, adverse selection mitigation, operational safeguards, and stress testing protocols—are examined in detail. Technological developments, particularly the rise of high-frequency trading, artificial intelligence applications, and decentralized finance models, have transformed market making practices while introducing new challenges for market resilience. The increasing complexity of market structures, coupled with evolving regulatory frameworks, continues to reshape market making strategies across traditional and emerging financial ecosystems.
This research aims to deeply explore the origin of the metaverse and its impact on the development of corporate strategy, especially in the field of non-fungible token (NFT) artwork design. Through the analysis of the current development status of NFT artworks, an artificial intelligence-based enterprise development strategy and a metaverse NFT artwork design method are proposed. In addition, the generation logic, technical attributes, and technical and legal risks of metaverse NFT artworks under different design methods are also studied. It is expected that this research will provide strong theoretical support and practical guidance for the legal protection of metaverse NFT artwork design.
Digital transformation and technological improvements imply groundbreaking development in the banking industry. Innovative business models that utilize vanguard technologies for the benefit of the client are the foundation of this revolution. To fulfil evolving consumer desires for ease and customization, emerging technologies have transformed the financial services (FS) sector. The Financial Service industry has seen disruption over the past few years because of numerous factors, including demographic and social change as well as technical improvements. It has significantly changed during the last ten years and is still changing. Artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and blockchain are disruptive digital technologies that are revolutionizing the Financial Service industry, ranging from software robot bankers to consumer support chatbots. Most Financial Service companies are transitioning from robotic process automation to intelligent automation, shifting away from traditional rule-based systems toward AI-powered engines for internal and external risk management. Financial institutions believe that new technologies, especially blockchain, can fundamentally transform the way business operates. Many financial organizations are utilizing blockchain to create a range of platforms, with payments and trade finance being two examples, and are starting to interact with well-known cryptocurrencies. Blockchain technology is a revolutionary invention, with various distinct and innovative qualities that set it apart from prior technical achievements. It is unique in that it allows for the creation of autonomous, open safe systems that do not require central authority. Its advances in encryption, consensual methods, smart contract technology, tokenization, and decentralized Financial Services are revolutionizing industries and laying the groundwork for a more equitable and welcoming digital economy. The objectives of this chapter are as follows: To provide insights into the financial sector’s present situation and viewpoints on key concerns. To delve into the various applications of blockchain technology in the financial sector and to examine the challenges that Financial services are facing. The chapter will also throw light on types of disruptive technologies, the prominent application of disruptive technologies, the potential of blockchain in Fintech, the merits and obstacles of emerging technologies in Financial Services, how disruptive technology influence finance, the risks involved in adopting them, and the effect of disruptive technologies on the finance industry. One can easily conclude that disruptive technologies are the important elements of dynamic changes in business in the present scenario.
This paper addresses critical food safety challenges in modern agricultural supply chain management by proposing an AI-driven quality chain system design. The system integrates five key chains—agricultural product quality, capital flow, logistics, and accountability—into a unified accounting information framework through artificial intelligence and multidimensional accounting theories, achieving "five-chain integration". Centered on "quality accountability", the intelligent open, decentralized, and industry-finance integrated agricultural supply chain management system enhances transparency, traceability, precision, and collaboration within the sector. It plays a vital role in establishing fair market competition, guiding industrial cycles, optimizing resource allocation, and building market confidence while reinforcing social responsibility.
Emerging evidence suggests a declining labor share alongside rising markups, profits, and rents in parts of advanced economies, and artificial intelligence (AI) may intensify these dynamics by increasing the importance of capital and intangible assets. This paper examines whether broad employee ownership can help workers share in AI related surplus and mitigate distributional risks. First, it synthesizes competing perspectives on factor share measurement and the roles of technology and market structure, and it reviews evidence on employee ownership and profit sharing for wages, productivity, and firm performance. Second, it develops transparent simulation exercises in which AI adoption shifts surplus toward profits under alternative ownership trajectories. In a stylized high adoption scenario with no institutional change, the combined wage plus capital income accruing to workers falls by roughly 5% points of value added. Under expanded employee ownership, workers receive additional capital income on the order of 5% points, largely offsetting the decline in their overall claim on output. The paper concludes by assessing legal and financial architectures, including tokenization and institutional decentralized finance, that could reduce frictions in scaling employee ownership.
Contemporary Artificial Intelligence ("AI") systems, particularly Large Language Models ("LLMs"), face an imminent shortage of high-quality, humangenerated textual data, a phenomenon often termed "data exhaustion".This article examines the limitations of existing centralized data-annotation frameworks, highlighting critical issues such as bias, high computational overhead, and insufficiently adaptive infrastructures.Current market participants-including Scale AI, Appen, CloudFactory, and others-excel at rapidly scaling annotation services yet struggle with ethical sourcing, privacy compliance, and equitable compensation.In addition, legal and regulatory concerns, exemplified by stringent mandates such as the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), constrain the free flow of data essential for advanced AI research.As a corrective measure, decentralized data production paradigms are proposed, including the adoption of smart contracts, token-based incentives, and participatory governance through Decentralized Autonomous Organizations ("DAOs").While existing decentralized initiatives-SingularityNET, Fetch.ai,Ocean Protocol, Numeraire, and DcentAI-offer incremental innovations in reputation management and stakeholder engagement, they fail to fully address the nuanced requirements of large-scale "Mechanical Turk"-style data creation.In contrast, the author proposes a Weighted Directed Acyclic Graph ("WDAG") governance model which provides a multi-dimensional reputation framework, facilitating real-time validation of data contributions, adaptive ethical and legal compliance, and collaborative oversight by diverse community members.Findings suggest that such WDAGcentric systems can more effectively maintain data quality, ensure ethical alignment, and incentivize broad participation, thereby mitigating the looming data shortage and expanding AI's societal benefits.Ultimately, successful implementation requires coordinated efforts among policymakers, industry practitioners, and civil society actors to sustain both the technological and ethical integrity of AI research.By integrating WDAG-based governance with emerging decentralized solutions, the AI community may realize a more equitable, scalable, and future-ready paradigm for data provisioning.
Open access
2 source records
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
Driven by the present worldwide turbulence, this research investigates the consequences of ambiguity and psychological variables on cryptocurrency valuation and artificial intelligence applications in the cryptocurrency market. Results demonstrate that many factors impact cryptocurrency pricing, and artificial intelligence algorithms have the potential to provide an average level of stability. Nevertheless, the interplay among shareholder opinions displayed on various channels has a considerable negative impact on cryptocurrency investment refunds, as this effect is especially noticeable for coins inside the same environment. Furthermore, there may be a considerable dispersion across currencies within the same network when unpleasant information occurs. Given the significant uninsured deficits many crypto traders face during crypto trade, the findings offer vital insights into how investing professionals might build appropriate placement methods aided by artificial intelligence.
Secure data exchange has become a critical requirement for modern intelligent systems that operate across distributed and heterogeneous environments. As artificial intelligence applications increasingly rely on collaborative data sharing among organizations, devices, and platforms, ensuring trust, integrity, and privacy in the exchanged information becomes a fundamental challenge. Traditional centralized security mechanisms often fail to provide sufficient transparency and tamper resistance, especially when multiple stakeholders with varying trust levels are involved. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized ledger architecture and cryptographic validation mechanisms, offers a promising solution to address these issues. This research proposes a trust-aware intelligent systems framework that leverages blockchain technology to facilitate secure and reliable data exchange across distributed intelligent environments. The framework integrates trust evaluation models with blockchain-based distributed ledgers to ensure that data transactions are verified, immutable, and traceable.
Innovation has profoundly transformed the finance industry, improving efficiency, transparency, and accessibility through technologies like electronic banking, blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This research explores the future of finance, emphasizing the pivotal role of AI and other emerging technologies in redefining financial practices, creating new opportunities, and addressing challenges. The study synthesizes findings from academic journals, industry reports, and case studies, employing a mixed-methods approach that includes quantitative analysis of adoption rates and qualitative interviews with industry experts. Key advancements, such as the rise of algorithmic trading and the introduction of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platforms, highlight the deep intertwining of finance and technology. The anticipated outcomes include identifying key innovations, the potential for AI to enhance efficiency and personalize services, and the strategies needed to address emerging challenges like regulatory hurdles and ethical concerns. The findings are designed to provide valuable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to facilitate informed decision-making and foster innovation while ensuring ethical and regulatory compliance
In the final chapter of this book, and in your best interest, I decided to delve deep into some key, core factors of this industry that are far too often overlooked or brushed upon lightly. Sharing wisdom is the art of transferring knowledge and tips from a more experienced individual to a less experienced individual. Wisdom is one of the most important gifts anyone could wish for, regardless of the sector or role. With such a gift, you save time and energy and get things done right almost immediately in the most efficient of ways, thanks to the knowledge and tips shared with you. Without such backing, you have to learn the tricks of the trade and figure everything out by yourself. This entire book is designed to transfer as much industry wisdom as possible to you without having to leave your living room. One very interesting piece of wisdom here is that of how to conduct yourself in the Web3 space.
The purpose of the article is to conduct a study and determine the importance and benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools for certain areas of the cryptocurrency market, in particular, detecting and preventing fraud in the cryptocurrency market, as well as the possibilities of using AI chatbots in trading and in the formation of investment portfolios. The article covers the analysis of the growth of digital currencies and the increasing number of hacker attacks, defines the role of AI in ensuring security, considers methods of fraud detection and prevention, and analyses development prospects. AI plays a crucial role in identifying suspicious transactions and preventing fraud. The study aims to investigate the benefits and potential risks of AI bots. AI's integration has transformed the market, enabling more informed decision-making, improved investment strategies, and higher returns. The article emphasizes the need for ongoing research into the evolving landscape of AI in cryptocurrency, discussing challenges, and the potential to finance sphere. The integration of AI in fraud detection has proven advantageous, enabling real-time data analysis and pattern recognition, enhancing security for investors. The article also addresses concerns such as algorithmic bias and the displacement of traders and using AI chat bots. While acknowledging the risks, it highlights the positive impact of AI on efficiency, reliability, and security in the cryptocurrency marketThe article presents an algorithmisation of the possibilities and procedures for engaging artificial intelligence in the fight against fraud, as well as recommendations for market participants and regulators. The presented results highlight the existing innovative potential of AI to improve the security and efficiency of the functioning of participants in the cryptocurrency market. Overall, the article suggests that AI's transformative influence in the cryptocurrency market is a game changer, shaping the industry's future and presenting opportunities for growth and innovation.
Open access
Business and Economic Development
Economic, Social, and Public Health Issues in Russia and Globally
eSource on digital trends and Society 5.0! OFS Portal on AS4 and the four corner e-business model. Topl’s permissionless proof-of-stake. Baker Hughes on PIDX adoption. PwC on Upstream G&A. PIDX partners with DocStudio.
Web3, an emerging blockchain-based decentralized network, grants users ownership and enhances the collaboration among devices under monitoring. Benefiting from decentralization and in-memory computing, vehicular edge networks can process tasks such as road object detection distributedly without being attacked. Recently, to provide intelligent service for Web3 users, artificial intelligence applications have been booming, thus generating enormous deep learning models. These models are supposed to be deployed in the edge due to their massive computation. Further-more, edge servers may face overload and intolerable delay for the high concurrency of offloaded deep learning tasks. How to determine an optimal offloading decision in the highly dynamic and heterogeneous edge-cloud environment is still a challenge. To tackle the mentioned challenge, a dynamic offloading strategy based on game theory combined with convolutional neural network (CNN) partition for vehicular edge networks, named GPOV, is proposed. Specifically, CNN partition can utilize resources more efficiently and reduce the delay with parallelism. The game theoretic offloading decision strategy can determine the optimal offloading policy according to the real-time environment. The performance of our strategy is validated in the final part of this article.
Mar 22, 2023·2023 Joint International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology with ECTI Northern Section Conference on Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering (ECTI DAMT & NCON)
The purpose of this study is to create Digital images in the experimental creation with the support from Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is used to assist in the creation of artwork with frameworks newly designed to reduce time of the creation of digital art works without the decrease of quality of the works but will lever the works without destroying the personalities of the artists and the styles of works. Concerning the contents of the works, Thai arts and culture are used as the contents of contemporary works so that people nowadays still recognize applied arts in new forms. Therefore, there is the cooperation between AI and the artist in the new form of Digital Image, which has been publicized in NFT11Non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identify in a blockchain used to certify authenticity and ownership. In this case is digital art image type. [7](Non-fungible Token) art market in order to get feedback which will be applied for further development. From the creation of the work, it has been discovered that AI generated Art is faster and fits standards. However, there still are many arguments in several issues in the art field. Thus, I, as the Artist, have designed the Frameworks to correct such arguments until this work is accepted and auctioned in NFT market eventually.
Generative Adversarial Networks and Image Synthesis
Oil IT Journal editor Neil McNaughton reviews over 20 years of attempts to find a useful application for virtual reality technologies. From the Cave, fancy headsets of the last millennium, through Second Life, Google Glass and into the metaverse. But what exactly is the metaverse? Is it Web3? Is it blockchain? Will it be a closed world managed by Meta/Facebook. Or, as many in the IT universe seem to be hoping, an ‘open’ environment where all the GAFAMs can cash-in?
Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
Interdisciplinary Studies and Sociocultural Dynamics
Galip Savas Ilgi, Devrim Kayalı, Priscilla Olawale, Binnur Demir Erdem · 6 authors
Last two decades enhancements of the communication technologies have been interpreting the daily lives as well as the academia and multidisciplinary research fields. One of these enhancements is the blockchain technology which has become one of the most popular and attractive topics over the last five years. Blockchain technology has attracted more and more attention from academia and industry recently. Blockchain is defined as a list of data blocks as a publicly distributed ledger, which are linked together using cryptography. In this matter, cryptographic security issues have increased. In recent years, new, advanced intrusion detection and authentication/privacy protection techniques have been designed and developed. Diversity of computer security requirements results in introducing of different kinds of security models. In fact, each security model is an abstraction of a security policy. Formal Methods have a mathematical foundation, and thus, employs techniques and tools based on mathematics and mathematical logic that support the modelling, specification and verification of the systems. This paper provides a critical and detailed review of the recent researches published in recent years in formal verification methods for communication security in blockchain with artificial intelligence applications.
The Ph.D research project aims to explore the potential of the Decentralized Autonomous Organization paradigm in conjunction with classic software architectures for Artificial Intelligence applications. The intended goal is to investigate and formalize a possible integration path between Multi-agent System architectures and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. Starting from the Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents standards, we will extend basic primitives to integrate Multi-agent Systems on Distributed Ledger Technology networks. Possible deployment of services and applications in the Internet-of-Things, Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Machine Learning areas will be tested. Application of Data Analysis techniques on datasets built on such a framework will be also addressed.
Springtime always sees plenty of activity in the IFST calendar. This year the AGM was at the end of March, where we take necessary and important decisions that support the governance of the Institute, but also where we have the opportunity of acknowledging the changes to our Board. We say thanks to those members who are outgoing and have done so much for IFST and also confirm the appointment and welcome those who are incoming. We have four new trustees joining the Board this year including President Elect Sterling Crew. Much of our engagement is now ‘remote/electronic’ procedures, which included, for the first time this year, the President-Elect ballot and, indeed, the AGM itself. It is good to see the numbers of members who can engage in such important processes increasing as a result – good democratic governance in action! It was also very gratifying to see the strength of the field putting themselves forward for President Elect and I hope this is a sign of the ambition many members have for IFST. Whilst online engagement has many benefits, by the time this volume of the Journal is in print, many of us will have met in Birmingham for the SC22 Conference Lunch and Lecture. Our Spring Conference (SC22) is a much-welcomed staple of our calendar. We took the difficult decision many months ago that holding SC22 itself in person was probably still not a viable proposition, but the opportunity to have a face to face ‘companion’ event seemed like a good option. We hope that accommodating the needs of everyone is something we can continue to do, whilst adapting to the changing environment. The theme of this issue is ‘Future Foods’. Whilst IFST has a major role to play in ensuring the safety and so much more, of today's food, the opportunities to ‘invent our future’ is what gets many of our members out of bed in the morning! I think it is safe to say, that there will be something for everyone in this edition. In talking to members, we know that this publication is one of most valued benefits of IFST membership. So, as we head into summer I wonder if we might indulge in a little fun! Where do you like to read your Journal? If you would like to share, why not join me in posting on the community pages: community.ifst.org/ IFST has elected Sterling Crew as its new President-Elect. Sterling's election was formally noted during IFST's Annual General Meeting on 31 March 2022. Of his appointment, Sterling said: ‘It is a great pleasure and privilege to be elected to be the next President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, especially as the selection was by my professional peers. The IFST is a fantastic organisation with a marvellous membership at its very heart. I pledge to play my part in adding further value to membership and promoting the organisation's worthy charitable aims. This is an exciting time for IFST as we approach our 60th Diamond Jubilee and with chartership potentially on the horizon. Food science and technology has a major part to play in our country's future in these very challenging times. The food sector has responded by developing innovative solutions and creative products. The role our members play has never been more important.’ Sterling Crew Honorary Fellow and FIFST is an experienced food sector director who currently holds a portfolio of positions including Chair of the Food Authenticity Network. Find out more about Sterling here: ifst.org/president-elect22 Sterling will serve as President- Elect for one year before being automatically elected as President and Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2023 for a term of three years. Meet our Board of Trustees here: ifst.org/meet-board IFST has reviewed its Code of Professional Conduct and its accompanying Disciplinary Procedures that apply to all its members. The Code of Professional Conduct – which members are bound by – remains unchanged but IFST's Board approved minor changes to the Disciplinary Procedures to clarify the use of electronic communications, confidentiality requirements and ensure any member against whom a complaint was upheld had adequate time to lodge an appeal. The updated procedures which came into force on 7 April 2022 are available on our website: ifst.org/about-ifst/professional-conduct In March 2022, IFST was invited to attend and exhibit at IFE Manufacturing at ExCeL London. We were given a stand in the ‘Ask the expert’ zone. IFE Manufacturing is a gigantic exhibition, it's an international food and drink event, which brought together ingredients, packaging, processing and food technology companies to showcase their solutions to manufacturers from all over the UK. The event was an opportunity for the food and drink manufacturing industry to discover, learn and source the latest products from the best suppliers in the market. At IFST we're always looking at new ways to expand our membership and provide a benefit to the whole of the food sector, no matter how big or small the business. We went to IFE to meet new food businesses and to introduce IFST to a new audience who may have not heard of us before. IFE provided IFST with a great opportunity to reconnect with current members, meet potential new industry-based members and understand some of the challenges facing the food sector through the thought-provoking presentations and seminars provided throughout the show. The geographical coverage, category span and quality of the exhibitors was impressive and provided interesting (and tasty!) insights into where food products are heading next. Each day, three or four members of the IFST executive team represented IFST at our stand, including Deborah Kendale, Andrew Gardner, Delia Mertoiu, Sarah Drumm, Mariam Zaki, Daiane Cazuza, Patricia Florit and Robin Leaper. Despite being at the back of the expo, we received a good number of visitors who all had interesting questions for us and lots of enquiries about IFST membership and what it comprises. We were also approached by a lot of new product developers and new businesses looking for support for their endeavours. It was interesting to see the breadth of producers and the strong focus on sustainability, using waste products, innovation and current trends in the food sector. We were delighted to meet our current members at the expo, who came over to our stand each day. The geographical coverage, category span and quality of the exhibitors was impressive and provided interesting (and tasty!) insights into where food products are heading next. I was delighted to be invited by IFE Manufacturing to chair one of the NPD sessions titled From kitchen table to factory floor. This took place on the Innovation Platform on the opening day. It was the first of two back to back sessions examining the NPD process and how to get products from the idea and concept stage through to a fully manufactured product. This session focused on the early development process and highlighted some of the common roadblocks and key considerations that need to be addressed during the initial stages of a development project. Andrew Gardner and Patricia Florit at the IFST stand We drew a large audience (including more IFST members), with every seat in the auditorium taken. There were some great questions from the audience – and we kept going even when the set behind us collapsed mid-session! The panel gave some sound advice about how to get started and how to protect your ideas. We discussed how to make sure products are legal and safe, how to find partners for co-manufacturing and signposted the audience to other resources available to help at this early stage of development. It was a great pleasure to chair this session, and to work with such an experienced and knowledgeable panel of IFST Fellows. One of the many great benefits of being a member of IFST is having access to a wide network of food industry experts. Thank you to IFE Manufacturing for inviting me to take part and for a great show. It was great to finally meet people face to face after two years! There was certainly a buzz about the place. Three big trends were very evident throughout the show: vegan, environment and health. Without a doubt vegan products and meat alternatives are starting to move into mainstream, with new products using mainstream flavours and targeting everyday eating occasions. Many of the companies were keen to talk about their environmental credentials. I saw a cereal carton made from agricultural waste rather than wood pulp, that had the same look and feel as carton. There were also a number of businesses advertising that they use no plastic bags for their snack products. From a hero ingredient perspective, I noticed that seaweed is entering the savoury snack market, highlighting its health benefits. Also, there were a lot of dried fruit snacks as alternatives to more traditional snack products. The panel discussion on The National Food Strategy between the Food Foundation, Compass Group, Guy's and St Thomas’ Foundation and Mission Ventures was notable. Apart from reiterating the importance of and need to take action, the panellists shared the fact that Tesco and JS have agreed to report on how much of the food they sell is ‘healthier’ products. If you missed the panel discussion From kitchen table to factory floor, there is a recording available on the IFE website to watch on demand: web ifemanufacturing.co.uk/seminar-programme Join IFST ifst.org/membership Prof Robin May delivering the SC22 lecture On 25 April, at University College Birmingham, Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Food Standards Agency, pictured above, gave his talk to a group of members, speakers and friends of IFST at our preconference lunch and lecture. He opened by stating that eating is one of the few universal human behaviours and that trust in food is critical and is underpinned by science. However, science is becoming more complicated and harder to explain, and becomes increasingly challenging especially around foods that are not yet on the market, but will be, in the future. For context, May indicated that food shopping is habitual and purchasing takes on average six to nine seconds. Reading a product label fully would take many minutes and therefore messaging on labels is often not the best way to communicate information. The challenge is to combine a high level of science and communication about risk with a digestible, easy to compute output. He commented that the FSA has a very strong science and evidence based position. Good science communication is critical and risk must be communicated effectively for people to understand this. He highlighted the FSA has a very high trust rating of 75% of people trusting the FSA and nine out of 10 consumers in the UK are confident in the safety of the food they eat. This is partly due to a strong emphasis on clear communication, such as the food hygiene rating system, which 87% of the population are aware of and over 50% state they have used within the last year. In terms of behaviours, people underestimate long term risks, such as those around smoking and obesity, and act accordingly. Using percentages to communicate risks is effective but even more effective is the use of real-world frequencies e.g. ‘one-in-20 people’. Translating these into graphics is attractive but the danger is that nuance and detail can be lost with the example of using just green and red traffic light symbols. We need to change the food system to cope with sustainability and health impacts, for the planet and a healthy population. Part of this is the need to advise people on new foods that are coming to market. Prof May stated that his passion is being ready to communicate these necessary changes to the public and the implications they will have on peoples’ diets and food choices. Examples of new foods were insects, lab grown meat, novel crops e.g. chia seeds and, finally, genetically modified (GM) and genetically edited (GE) crops that are being, or will be introduced, to tackle challenges in agriculture, such as drought tolerance and vitamin yield. We need to be able to communicate the benefits of these foods if they are to be accepted by the general public. May also mentioned changes to packaging types and systems. Both these developments are innovations which the public welcome. However, innovators are viewed with greater suspicion, as they are often perceived as being driven by commercial gain. In terms of opinions and behaviours – people state they are driven by ethical choices, such as animal welfare and sustainability, but are, in reality, driven by price, when it comes to choices and shopping habits. To be effective communicators, we need to work with human behaviour and develop a balance between ethical choices and real world drivers that determine food choice behaviours. Attendees at the lecture Day 1 on The Gap in Consumer Understanding began with Jon Alexander's presentation on The Power of Citizenship. He poignantly began with some food for thought that overuse of the word ‘consumer’ is fundamentally flawed. To reshape the way in which we collectively interact as humans, we must focus on the concept of ‘citizens’. Next, Tom Sheldon at the Science Media Centre delivered a selection of case studies. He advocates for businesses to support senior scientists in engaging with the press, believing this connection is the way forward to help the public separate fact from fiction. The day ended with a panel discussion exploring how we can build trust in consumers. Michelle Patel (FSA) remarked that as scientists we need a ‘shift in how we communicate’. The emerging themes were consistency, courage, honesty and humility. Day 2 on The Gap in Skills and Professional Development began with another panel discussion on new and future skills, with Jacinta George succinctly explaining, ‘the skills we'll need in 20 years need to be developed now’. The group discussed key future skills crucial to the food industry including AI, robotics and green skills, as well as soft skills like resilience, flexibility and compassion. Attendees saw Andras Sebok present a Digital Skills case study using an EIT Food competency framework on Campden BRI Hungary. He discussed ‘Industry 4.0’, which refers to a new phase in the industrial revolution focusing on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning and real-time data. Finally, speakers from CAFRE and Linden Foods presented the positive impacts that apprenticeship schemes have had in Northern Ireland. We heard a personal account from Lewis Connelly, a NPD Technologist at Linden Foods, who started a High Level Apprenticeship (HLA) with CAFRE. Day 3 began with an inspiring presentation on early stage NPD with Sarah Gaunt. The concept of ‘front-end innovation’ was introduced and the developmental stages in the early-product pipeline covering ideation, identification, application, selection and incubation were explored. Following this, Lucia Capogna spoke about cyber-security. Examples of food industry cyber-attacks in recent years were presented and Lucia closed with the final thought that ‘no system is 100% secure’, but with the right knowledge 90% of cyber-attacks can be prevented (see p46). Next, Tom Hollands presented the digital sandwich, a technology that digitises food production processes and creates a ‘golden thread’ from farm to fork, tracing ingredients back to the source. Tom used a fictional example of grey ham identified in a shop sandwich to track an ingredient's journey. Missed SC22? As a paid attendee, you have access to our Conference platform, Whova, for three months where you can watch all of the conference sessions and the lecture recording. Starting from mid-June, as a member of IFST, you can watch all the recordings in our IFST Webinar hub via ifst.org/webinars Across the world 90% of people are meat eaters and global consumption of meat is rising. Meat production is already contributing to potentially catastrophic climate change and if nothing changes, future demands will require impossible amounts of land and water. The ‘Meat the Future’ exhibition considered some of the key findings of the LEAP (Livestock, Environment and People) project, which studied the health, environmental, social and economic impacts of meat and dairy production and consumption. The was a between the University of the Food Institute, and The it was by the Our Our and between and The exhibition was at the general public and presented in a very and IFST members at the exhibition The – exploring the of the meat production and consumption and its The had of meat in between of and of meat on There were also from and visitors who had been to the Meat best as in a lunch and best in to be if other are available for my health, for the for the The a wide of From highlighting how meat consumption is in our to that the public are to its environmental, and ethical credentials. by this exhibit our group discussed the importance of meat in the as another key meat consumption the world The a – of were used to how meat consumption had in the and between and It was a very way of how meat consumption is to and was the in meat consumption in person day in to in and in to in that the in the with the consumption of meat, of personal Meat consumption in has the same at than in the due to requirements and a population. As for the it remains of the meat consumption at a person day in and in the land – agricultural and how they have over the years This exhibit was presented as a set of with and on of the land is currently to agriculture, to how develop from a traditional to the global industry it is how has science to the increasing for In the people of land from the of the the they kept the and on the the used to their There are in the each to in and or of the are as was to more food when but this came at a to as were and to High – the environmental of meat production now more than to for of are for into the and changing grown for animal require more and – for and other resources for human As food they which is more to the environment than contributing to climate The IFST group noted that there was no of the or of meat animal welfare or animal in the As scientists we were to understand more about current into for food – consumers with on the environmental of their food choices is a strong public for choice in what we but in reality, our is already by what businesses us to and how it is and LEAP on the labels of the being food products to their positive or on and As well as consumers more hope that food producers will by developing new products with environmental to find the most effective have been have much environmental impacts of all to and products as much as than most animal products. There is a strong public for choice in what we but in reality, our is already by what businesses us to and how it is and seeds of a new – some of the around meat consumption and including meat has been the for human the world for of of years. evidence some to eating dairy products years Our on animal products such as meat, or dairy for of vitamin that we require for We have also to much more from meat than from are there any health risks in a if we our or it out what are the best to get all the we health – what would an look Our planet has plenty of to all of the people If we make decisions in the coming year, it can even the population of in the for meat is already the environment to its In the we of meat person day This is more than the global how much meat can the planet The on and to this and came with an of person each day, between red meat and – to the we before and factory have with but all on meat than we in the UK. number of including the health report have eating more than our current of foods and than the of and red This report that if we all this, we our and our on the environment. Meat – how science and technology can help us a planet Our to meat and benefit from the it our diets can to us the we need adding to the climate Science and technology the meat industry we thought we is us see why and how we need to do In the a of are already vegan or can more of us learn to a to a more in the exhibition increasing consumption of and the – final We would need agricultural we would need to This land be used to crops for or to to more and use quality and would need more to be used to and other We would use to and in so would the land to quality and our and We more than the from the food system – about a in all from human We see to due to land to and The number of due to such as and some by this is due to the benefits of a healthy to a healthy the positive of diets as well as in the of and some and some FIFST is a Development and Innovation Food and Chair of the IFST Food Innovation and of IFST FIFST is a and in Development and an Innovation and Development to the food industry to the team at University of for IFST. web about the LEAP project, which is by the can be We are delighted to that IFST has its Honorary on for to the of food science and This was made by IFST the Annual General Meeting on 31 March 2022. This is made to or who have made personal to the and of the Institute and to the food science and technology FIFST in food sustainability, and from farm to is of the Food Find out more about here: On I first IFST in the early of my I had no idea that I would one day be joining IFST's of Honorary I often in and in my To be by people I as and to a is I the IFST for this and will this with Food science is more than a sustainability and food I that any can be using food as the and that food on food science in its one can food, so its future has to be through and communication at all by all of us in the This year the of the UK Our has many products that would be in by companies the great and of those to the future of the food market. the time this issue has been the will have their products to the on 7 and the will be at the event at Tesco where will be able to some and meet other industry and from the industry including and Food Institute of Food Science and and Campden For more and We have a new IFST to and to resources to support small and food and food need to healthy and food, and in an and to cope with the challenges of a population. food and the of food throughout the from farm to the The consumption of or foods is increasingly being as an emerging to and the of This evidence on human and the of processing on and of key these food and human have been to and these on therefore more
Purpose This paper aims to analyze the impact of DARQ technologies (distributed ledger, artificial intelligence, extended reality, quantum computing) in the financial sector, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in personalized banking, which consists of treating every customer as a segment of one. The research has two main goals. First, providing a complete and organic analysis of the DARQ technologies framework currently missing in the literature. Because this research focuses on the financial sector, more attention is dedicated to DARQ technologies in this industry. Second, studying applications of one of the DARQ technologies, AI, in personalized banking, where it appears to have a great potential impact. Design/methodology/approach The research analyses both the supply side, collecting secondary data from documentation, reports and research studies to study the major trends and results obtained by leading banks, and on the demand side, collecting primary data through a dedicated survey and elaborating opinions and preferences of potential customers. Using this information, a detailed go-to-market plan based on the framework elaborated by Bain and Co. in 2012 is developed, considering the hypothesis of a well-known universal bank, operating globally, with an established brand and access to modern AI technologies, which decides to invest in this field as a priority. Findings In addition to giving a detailed overview of DARQ technologies from a technical and a business perspective, the results related to the hypothetical case of the study help to understand which would be the most suitable target for the launch phase, which value proposition should be offered and how to deliver it, but also how to evolve the project to attract more customers and strengthen the relationship with the existing ones. Nevertheless, this research could be a starting point for future studies and updates, considering related evolutions, investigating more representative demand samples or analyzing how the combination of more DARQ technologies could be applied to the financial sector. Research limitations/implications Some limitations affect this work. First, the topics studied are evolving rapidly and partially dependent on other innovations under development; therefore, they may become obsolete and less significant in the next years. As regard the data collection, the supply-side analysis involves strategical information kept private by companies; therefore, the collected data probably miss some useful details. As concerns primary data, the sample could have been larger and more heterogeneous and biases and misinterpretations could have affected the answers. A compromise has been found between the time and resources available and the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the sample. Practical implications This research could be a tool for financial companies interested in investing in AI for personalized banking, but it also provides useful insights about the whole DARQ framework, which could be interesting for all the financial and nonfinancial firms. Applying AI effectively and efficiently could offer great benefits, both economic and noneconomic, to financial firms but also to their customers, who could benefit from hyper-tailored services at a reasonable and affordable price, whereas in the past, they were reserved only for very important person clients. This win-win situation could lead the way to further investments and consequent innovations in the future. Social implications Some issues still exist, mainly about data security and privacy, but also the social risk linked to the labor market due to the AI substitution for some tasks and the related shift in professionals required by employers, which could negatively affect the salary gap among workers with different levels of educations, tightening up existing inequality problems. An effort by public and private subjects will be required to make this transition inside the labor market smoother. Despite this, the research shows that AI applications in personalized m-banking could mutually benefit both the demand and the supply of the market. Originality/value Apart from the organic overview offered on DARQ technologies and their related business applications, currently missing in the literature, which could be useful for a better comprehension of the topic and could also give interesting insights to firms, this research presents an original and concrete roadmap to follow for financial companies interested in delivering a personalized mobile banking service leveraging on AI. Every step presented in the output of this work is based on an in-depth analysis of past, and present actions carried out and result obtained by competitive firms on the market and on needs and preferences observed among potential customers.
Απόδειξη είναι η επικύρωση συμπερασμάτων με την εφαρμογή λογικών επιχειρημάτων και κανόνων σε υποθέσεις. Στα μαθηματικά, ένας ισχυρισμός για να γίνει δεκτός ως αληθής ή έγκυρος πρέπει να συνοδεύεται από απόδειξη. Ωστόσο, αποδεικτικές διαδικασίες δεν υπάρχουν μόνο στα μαθηματικά, αλλά σχεδόν παντού – στις φυσικές επιστήμες, στην επιστήμη των υπολογιστών, στη νομική και ηθική επιχειρηματολογία, στη φιλοσοφία και ούτω καθεξής. Κατά τη διάρκεια της αποδεικτικής διαδικασίας, απαιτείται διάλογος μεταξύ των δρώντων (agents) για να διευκρινιστούν τα ασαφή βήματα, να καλυφθούν κενά ή να αποδειχθούν έμμεσες υποθέσεις σε μια μη ολοκληρωμένη απόδειξη. Κατά συνέπεια, η επιχειρηματολογία είναι αναπόσπαστο συστατικό της διαδικασίας ανακάλυψης των αποδείξεων γενικότερα αλλά και –πιο συγκεκριμένα– στις μαθηματικές αποδείξεις. Το πρώτο σκέλος της εργασίας παρουσιάζει πώς οι θεωρίες επιχειρηματολογίας που βασίζονται στη λογική μπορούν να εφαρμοστούν για να περιγράψουν συγκεκριμένα χαρακτηριστικά στην ανάπτυξη των αποδεικτικών συμβάντων (proof-event), τονίζοντας τη σχέση μεταξύ επίσημης απόδειξης, άτυπου ανθρώπινου συλλογισμού, γνωστικών διαδικασιών και κοινωνικών αλληλεπιδράσεων. Η έννοια του αποδεικτικού συμβάντος επινοήθηκε από τον Goguen, ο οποίος περιέγραψε τη μαθηματική απόδειξη ως ένα κοινωνικό γεγονός που λαμβάνει χώρα σε συγκεκριμένο χώρο και χρόνο, σχεδιασμένο να καλύπτει όχι μόνο τις «παραδοσιακές» τυπικές αποδείξεις αλλά όλα τα είδη αποδείξεων, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των ελλιπών ή υποθετικών αποδείξεων. Στις πραγματικές γνωστικές διαδικασίες, ο άτυπος ανθρώπινος συλλογισμός και οι κοινωνικές πτυχές παίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο. Η προσέγγισή μας επιχειρεί να κάνει τα αποδεικτικά συμβάντα πιο περιεκτικά για να εκφράσει την πλήρη τροχιά μιας μαθηματικής διαδικασίας, συμπεριλαμβανομένων τόσο των τυπικών όσο και των άτυπων βημάτων απόδειξης, μέχρι την τελική επικύρωση του αποτελέσματος της απόδειξης. ΄Ετσι, παρουσιάζουμε μια εκτεταμένη εκδοχή του λογισμού αποδεικτικών συμβάντων με το όνομα Argumentation-based ProofEvent Calculus (APEC), η οποία βασίζεται σε θεωρίες επιχειρηματολογίας των Pollock, Toulmin και Kakas που έχουν σχεδιαστεί για να μπορούν να καταγράφουν την εσωτερική και εξωτερική δομή μιας συνεργατικής μαθηματικής πρακτικής. Στο δεύτερο σκέλος της εργασίας παρουσιάζονται δύο πεδία εφαρμογής για να τονιστεί η αποτελεσματικότητα και η εκφραστικότητα των βασισμένων στη λογική προσεγγίσεων σε πραγματικά σενάρια αποδεικτικών διαδικασιών. Το πρώτο πεδίο αφορά άμεσες πρακτικές μαθηματικής απόδειξης που μπορούν να εφαρμοστούν είτε για μια εις βάθος ανάλυση των εσωτερικών βημάτων σε μια μαθηματική απόδειξη, όπως υποδεικνύεται στο παράδειγμα των Zero Knowledge Proofs, είτε για τη μοντελοποίηση μιας πιο εξωτερικής προοπτικής για την ανάδειξη των κοινωνικών αλληλεπιδράσεων και της εξέλιξης κατά τη διάρκεια μιας διαδικασίας απόδειξης πολλών δρώντων, όπως απεικονίζεται στα παραδείγματα του Mini-Polymath 4 πρότζεκτ και του Τελευταίου Θεωρήματος του Φερμά. Το δεύτερο πεδίο αφορά έμμεσες διαδικασίες απόδειξης που αναφέρονται σε ηθικές και νομικές πτυχές των ιατρικών συσκευών και των φορητών ρομπότ (wearable robots). Τα νομικά μοντέλα τεχνητής νοημοσύνης στον ιατρικό τομέα μπορούν να εκφραστούν αποτελεσματικά μέσω συστημάτων που βασίζονται στη λογική, όπου ένα νομικό κείμενο περιγράφεται από κανόνες που μπορούν να εκφράσουν νομικά επιχειρήματα και εξαιρέ- σεις και μπορούν να ελεγχθούν και να παράσχουν επεξηγήσεις για το πώς αποδείχθηκε ένα συγκεκριμένο συμπέρασμα. Τα συστήματα με βάση τη λογική που παρουσιάζονται σε αυτήν την εργασία είναι: το WeaRED, ένα σύστημα ηθικής λήψης αποφάσεων σχετικά με το απόρρητο των προσωπικών δεδομένων των Wearable Robots, τα συστήματα AMeDC και Medical Devices Rules σχετικά με τη νομοθεσία για τα ιατροτεχνολογικά προϊόντα, και το σύστημα ExosCE σχετικά με το νομικό καθεστώς των εξωσκελετών.
Electronic health records (EHRs) are digitally saved health records that provide information about a person’s health. EHRs are generally shared among healthcare stakeholders, and thus are susceptible to power failures, data misuse, a lack of privacy, security, and an audit trail, among other problems. Blockchain, on the other hand, is a groundbreaking technology that provides a distributed and decentralized environment in which nodes in a list of networks can connect to each other without the need for a central authority. It has the potential to overcome the limits of EHR management and create a more secure, decentralized, and safer environment for exchanging EHR data. Further, blockchain is a distributed ledger on which data can be stored and shared in a cryptographically secure, validated, and mutually agreed-upon manner across all mining nodes. The blockchain stores data with a high level of integrity and robustness, and it cannot be altered. When smart contracts are used to make decisions and conduct analytics with machine-learning algorithms, the results may be trusted and unquestioned. However, Blockchain is not always indestructible and suffers from scalability and complexity issues that might render it inefficient. Combining AI and blockchain technology can handled some of the drawbacks of these two technical ecosystems effectively. AI algorithms rely on data or information to learn, analyze, and reach conclusions. The performance of AI algorithms is enhanced through the data obtained from a data repository or a reliable, secure, trustworthy, and credible platform. Researchers have identified three categories of blockchain-based potential solutions for the management of electronic health records: conceptual, prototype, and implemented. The purpose of this research work is to conduct a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to identify and assess research articles that were either conceptual or implemented to manage EHRs using blockchain technology. The study conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the literature on blockchain technology and enhanced health record management systems utilizing artificial intelligence technologies. The study examined 189 research papers collected from various publication categories. The in-depth analysis focuses on the privacy, security, accessibility, and scalability of publications. The SLR has illustrated that blockchain technology has the potential to deliver decentralization, security, and privacy that are frequently lacking in traditional EHRs. Additionally, the outcomes of the extensive analysis inform future researchers about the type of blockchain to use in their research. Additionally, methods used in healthcare are summarized per application area while their pros and cons are highlighted. Finally, the emphasized taxonomy combines blockchain and artificial intelligence, which enables us to analyze possible blockchain and artificial intelligence applications in health records management systems. The article ends with a discussion on open issues for research and future directions.
Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education