Welcome to our latest round-up of news from the technology and hosting world. Here’s what we’ve discovered this month.
BP Adopts AI
UK energy giant, BP, has begun a five-year partnership with US tech outfit, Palantir, that will enable it to use AI to improve decision-making in its oil and gas operations. This will see the use of large language models being deployed to analyse data from the company’s various sites and offer insights to engineers. The new IT tools are designed for safe and reliable implementation and come with built-in safeguards against AI hallucinations – where erroneous training causes artificial intelligence to provide misleading or false information.
While this initiative is new, BP has already been in collaboration with Palantir for over a decade, having used its technology to develop a digital twin of its operations. This move enabled BP to monitor and enhance production
processes and performance across its North Sea oil platforms and Khazzan gas fields in Oman.
Besides collaborating with multinationals, like BP, Palantir, has previously worked with defence and intelligence agencies, like the UK’s MOD and the CIA. Last year, it signed a five-year contract with the NHS to establish a massive data platform.
Data Centres Critical Status
The UK’s growing reliance on digital technology has led the government to officially recognise data centres as critical national infrastructure, putting them in the same bracket as the emergency services, energy and finance. This new classification enables data centre operators to receive greater government support during major incidents, such as cyberattacks and severe weather, in order to minimise potential disruptions.
The decision to reclassify data centres won’t result in new regulations, however, a dedicated team of experts will be created to oversee potential threats and coordinate responses. One of the major reasons for the new classification is the increasing demand for data centres, largely fuelled by AI services that require extensive computing resources. Indeed, the major tech companies, like Amazon, Microsoft and Google, are currently investing billions in building new data centres across the country.
Slow Broadband Costs
Recent research by G.Network has shown that London’s small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are losing around £28 billion a year due to slow and unreliable broadband connections. The high costs and complexities of broadband services make it difficult for many SMBs to obtain fast and reliable connectivity, which adversely affects productivity, innovation and competitiveness.
The study, carried out in collaboration with Censuswide and Development Economics, indicated that over the last three months, broadband-related issues had reduced productivity for a quarter of employees, resulting in an estimated annual decline of £5.34 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA). The situation is so bad that more than half of the business leaders considered relocating their companies to find better internet options. At the same time, nearly half claimed that slow broadband negatively impacts employee productivity, with a quarter saying it has led to lost business opportunities. Additionally, a further 40% of respondents said that poor connectivity made it challenging to serve their customers effectively.
Drone Mail Extension
The Royal Mail and Skyports have announced an extension of the UK’s first commercial drone mail service in Orkney. Originally launched in August 2022, the service, known as the Orkney I-Port, is now set to continue until at least February 2026. Orkney I-Port uses electric drones to transport letters and parcels across the Orkney isles, with local postal workers making the final door-to-door deliveries. The service was set up to improve deliveries on the isles, where adverse weather and difficult terrain caused frequent disruptions.
Since its launch, over 500 flights have taken place between Stromness and the islands of Graemsay and Hoy, significantly improving the speed and reliability of postal deliveries. In response to the success of the service, the use of drone technology has expanded across the more remote areas of Scotland, including its use by the NHS to transport lab specimens between hospitals and healthcare centres.
Blackpool Solar Farm
While it won’t be used to power Blackpool illuminations, a new proposal has been put forward to build a 62-acre solar farm at Blackpool Airport which would provide renewable energy for council facilities, Blackpool Airport and a planned data centre campus. The proposed solar farm, which would require the closure of the smaller of the airport’s two runways, would have a capacity of 20.1 MW and consist of 36,500 photovoltaic panels, capable of generating around 18.7 million kWh of electricity per year. While not expected to be operational until near the end of the decade, the farm could reduce the airport’s net electricity usage by as much as 75%.
Blackpool Council is currently waiting for planning permission to be granted. While it owns the airport where the solar farm is to be built, its location falls under the jurisdiction of neighbouring Fylde Council and thus needs their approval.
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