Business & Tech
The latest stories from independent business & tech media.
OpenAI engineer charged after boardroom bug found wrapped in toilet paper
FBI alleges covert recorder was plugged into a TV, with a second device later discovered in the employee's bag
Starling trains model on sovereign UK cloud, as CIO warns over concentration risk
CIO Harriet Rees is working with Civo and NVIDIA to create a model trained on 15 billion transactions
UK government chases AI while aging IT leaves it exposed, PAC chair warns
Whitehall's digital staffing falls short of its own target as ministers leave the skills gap unresolved
It won't kill you, or humanity, to get off the AI upgrade treadmill
New models arrive so fast, we already have more new tech than it's possible to understand in a career
BoA fined $1.2bn over "egregious" AML deficiencies
Bank of America (BoA) has been fined $1.2bn for its "deficient and ineffective" anti-money laundering (AML) process as well as "egregious and continued" violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
JPMorgan: Quantifying AI benefits is "wasting time"
Plus, CEO Jamie Dimon is blocking "outside agents"
Welcome to the lovely landlocked land of Luxembork, where the fares are free, and the terminals are techno
Tick, tick, tick, tick, ticket, ticket, tick tick
The importance of trust in rolling out robotics
By Sophie Lloyd, Head of Economic Development, Milton Keynes City Council Robotics brings the opportunity for many social benefits including efficiency, accessibility and improving quality of life.
Wealth management M&A deals triple in six years as PE dominates
Wealth management M&A transactions have tripled in volume over just six years, with private equity-backed buyers now accounting for nearly three-quarters of deals. The findings were revealed in Dyer Baade & Company's ‘The Next Phase of Wealth Management Consolidation’ report.
The Morning Briefing: Tatton Asset Management blames uplift in consolidation activity for net inflows fall
Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Wednesday 14 October 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning
The AI math isn't mathing as infrastructure spending forecast to outstrip expected revenue
Analyst predicts 80% of neoclouds will disappear as standalone businesses by 2030
Stuart Breyer: HSBC is not a template
HSBC is reported to be cutting up to 70% of the financial advisers in its UK wealth business, alongside around half of the management and specialist roles, as it moves affluent customers towards more digitally enabled services. I am not going to second-guess that decision.
Your data platform was built for queries. AI agents are changing the contract
Enterprise data systems were designed to inform people and applications. As AI agents begin to act on that data, familiar concerns such as freshness, lineage, semantics, identity and observability become runtime controls.
Jigsaw launches second UK outlet at Braintree Village
Jigsaw has opened its second UK outlet at Landsec’s Braintree Village.
From the stage to the gym: why sports brands are turning to music stars
Sportswear brands are battling for consumer attention, and this fight is increasingly being fought outside the gym, pitch and running track – and increasingly on the concert stage.
How Waitrose is turning its Leckford farm into a living lab
At Waitrose’s 2,800-acre Leckford Estate in Hampshire, the UK’s only supermarket-owned farm is exploring how regenerative agriculture can restore nature while creating a more resilient supply chain.
Agentic AI and Digital Assets: How Can Banks Future-Proof Payments?
At Sibos 2026, Bottomline’s Natasha Lapierre reveals how banks can future-proof payments using agentic AI, orchestration, and digital assets.
KPMG tech and data boss tells staff facing the boot he's getting promoted
Paul Henninger shares news of his move up via email as around 200 colleagues prepare for redundancy
Spanish banks report 150% spike in fraud
Fraud from stolen devices has surged in Spain according to recently published research.
Tesco announces ‘biggest-ever’ Clubcard expansion with 500 new partners
Tesco has announced its biggest-ever expansion of Clubcard, allowing customers to collect loyalty points when shopping with more than 500 new partner brands.
Aroma-Zone secures B Corp certification with strengthened sustainability commitments
French beauty and wellness retailer Aroma-Zone has secured B Corp certification and become a purpose-driven company. It achieved a B Corp score of 104.2 points, exceeding the 80-point threshold required for certification.
Victorian Plumbing sales jump 11% as tiles and flooring drive growth
Victorian Plumbing reported an 11 per cent rise in annual revenue to around £344 million. The bathroom retailer said order numbers increased 13 per cent in the year to September 30, although average order value fell five per cent.
Nicola Barker on Suit Direct’s limited edition Ted Baker collection
Earlier in the autumn, Suit Direct unveiled a limited-edition Ted Baker collection inspired by the Netflix show The Gentlemen. The six new looks were influenced by “country estates and British style”.
Gymshark signs Megan Thee Stallion as first celebrity ambassador
Gymshark signed Megan Thee Stallion as its first celebrity ambassador in a multi-year partnership spanning marketing campaigns and online and in-store shopping experiences.
How Can AI in Payments Balance Innovation With Fraud Risk?
At Sibos 2026, Pay.UK’s David Crawford shows how deterministic and probabilistic AI keep everyday payments fast, safe, and free from fraud.
Landsec ups Bluewater stake in £95m deal
Landsec increased its stake in Bluewater to 74 per cent after completing a £95 million deal to buy a further 10 per cent of the Kent shopping centre. The landlord said the acquisition would give it greater flexibility in managing its investment and deliver efficiency savings.
Tesco and M&S press Gov to cut hiring costs as retail jobs disappear
Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s joined calls for chancellor John Healey to cut employment costs as retailers pushed for Budget measures to support youth jobs.
Chancellor Healey weighs £1bn VAT crackdown on online marketplaces
Chancellor John Healey is considering plans to make online marketplaces collect VAT from retailers selling through their platforms, in a move that could raise up to £1 billion. The measure could apply to platforms such as Amazon, eBay and Temu.
