5 min read
At the edge, every second counts and every decision matters. To gain and hold advantage, Defence must design AI and Machine Learning for where the fight is hardest — disconnected, power-constrained, and human-first.
9 min read
An uninvited buzz of drones in the air is forcing airports worldwide to rethink their approach to security. The implications are serious, impacting everything from airport operational continuity to passenger confidence.
13 min read
The Ukraine-Russia war has clearly demonstrated AI’s effectiveness on the battlefield. Across the globe, countries are devising strategies to leverage AI’s game-changing potential for their Defence and National Security.
5 min read
The UK spends £1.5 billion each year maintaining its 100,000 bridges and structures across the road and rail networks. The average age of these structures has now surpassed 50 years, a point at which they begin to enter a phase of accelerated...
7 min read
Inspections are the primary way we assess a bridge’s condition, but traditional methods have their limitations. AI and Machine Learning offer new opportunities to enhance inspections and improve bridge condition management.
5 min read
From planning to decommissioning, every stage of the infrastructure asset life cycle has its own priorities and needs. Here are the ways that AI can positively impact the work of infrastructure professionals at each of these stages.
5 min read
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are now a staple of modern warfare, now responsible for 60% of targets destroyed in the Ukraine-Russia war. AI-enabled acoustic intelligence can help us counter this growing threat.
5 min read
In Defence and National Security, mission-critical data often emerges from a multitude of different sensor types. With AI, we can bring this multi-sensor data together and create a clearer picture of complex environments.
5 min read
When used by malicious actors or without considerations for transparency and responsibility, AI poses significant risks. Mind Foundry is working with partners to explore how the insurance industry can help provide protection from these risks.
7 min read
AI and Machine learning is a complex field with numerous models and varied techniques. Understanding these different types and the problems that each is suited to solving is key to unlocking their potential in Infrastructure.
6 min read
While the technical aspects of an AI system are important in Defence and National Security, understanding and addressing AI business considerations is an essential step to achieving operational impact.
4 min read
The adoption of AI and Machine Learning is complex, and attempting it in civil engineering can feel daunting. This guide outlines the 8 steps required to make it a success.
6 min read
Physical AI and sonar data can provide acoustic intelligence to create a clearer real-time picture of the underwater environment . This is Part 1 of our Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) series, in which we explore applications of...
5 min read
Natural disasters create an environment for scam artists to exploit desperate communities. AI can help insurers detect and counteract these nefarious schemes before they cause societal harm. Every year, natural disasters devastate countries around...
6 min read
An AI-in-the-loop approach can help mitigate some of AI’s inherent risks, but to deliver real impact in Defence & National Security, AI must also be designed for deployment.
8 min read
Today, women are significantly underrepresented in Defence & National Security. This piece shares insights from some of the women at Mind Foundry about the challenges they've faced, their advice to others, and why correcting this imbalance can help...
5 min read
Why human inspections aren’t enough to address the infrastructure condition crisis. The condition of many of our built assets is approaching a crisis point as they age. Reversing this trend starts with a comprehensive understanding of the condition...
5 min read
Instead of inserting humans into machine workflows, insert machines into human ones. The term “Human-in-the-loop” is used as an effective countermeasure to the concerns surrounding the unfettered use of AI. However, as AI becomes more ubiquitous in...
7 min read
Managing civil infrastructure is a challenge that requires innovative new approaches and solutions to keep up with demands on time and resources. With computer vision, we can harness the power of AI to revolutionise how our built assets are...
4 min read
2024 has been a significant year for AI in insurance. New products and technologies are being developed and deployed, but regulations like the Consumer Duty are becoming clearer and more impactful. At 2024’s Insurance Post AI Summit, Mind Foundry...
5 min read
Global civil infrastructure is reaching a crisis point as it ages. Mind Foundry, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, and the Aioi R&D Lab - Oxford are working together to build a solution that solves this problem with Human - AI collaboration.
10 min read
In high-stakes applications, AI often struggles to maintain its performance levels. With certain techniques and approaches, however, we can build AI systems that can continuously learn and adapt on the job. One key to AI’s revolutionary potential...
8 min read
Fraud is a constant and ever-changing threat in the global insurance industry. In partnership with Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe and The Aioi R&D Lab Oxford, Mind Foundry has developed powerful AI solutions to combat it. In the...
5 min read
The condition of our civil infrastructure is approaching a crisis point. We need AI to help us reverse the damage. Every individual, community, and society relies on built infrastructure to live, work, and move around. But as time progresses,...
5 min read
Building a performant model in insurance is one thing. Building, deploying, maintaining, and governing hundreds of models in production is another challenge entirely. AI is already integral to insurance and has been the driving force behind much of...
5 min read
Why end-user insight and operational context are the keys to understanding AI performance in the defence sector. In Defence and National Security, the scrutiny placed on AI systems and the bar for responsibility and accountability are heightened,...
6 min read
AI adoption has accelerated in insurance in recent years, with 77% of insurers indicating they are at some stage of adopting AI in their value chain. At the same time, AI regulations worldwide are becoming more defined, and these regulations will...
7 min read
AI's potential to drastically enhance the insurance industry is extraordinary and undeniable, with McKinsey estimating AI could add up to $1.1 trillion in annual value for the global insurance industry. But just as AI's potential is beyond question,...
7 min read
In the insurance industry, understanding and trusting the decision-making process of predictive models is essential. Historically, insurers used simple models that were easily explainable to regulators, but in recent years, as many models have...
6 min read
On July 31st 2024, the Consumer Duty came into effect for both open and closed products, with far-reaching implications for any organisation offering a financial service or product in the UK. This includes the insurance industry, and insurers must...
6 min read
In defence and national security, the nature of problems and the environments in which they occur make operationalising AI hugely challenging. This is especially true of the maritime domain, where threats are becoming more prolific and advanced....
4 min read
In the maritime domain, gaining a better understanding of increasing volumes and higher fidelity sonar data has well-known and potentially game-changing advantages. Nevertheless, in complex problem spaces like those in defence and national security,...
5 min read
Fraud is one of the most pervasive threats in the insurance industry. Insurance fraud is estimated to cost insurers £1.1 billion in the UK alone. As the cost of living has placed more people under significant financial pressure, authorities warn of...
4 min read
The complexity of modern pricing models, coupled with the regulatory changes that are due to come into effect this year, means that insurers need to start implementing proper AI governance. However, scaling this governance to span a business that...
4 min read
One year into its mission to solve global-scale societal issues through the creation of products and services powered by AI technologies, the Aioi R&D Lab - Oxford is breaking barriers in global collaboration, driven by a commitment to the...
6 min read
Insurance is an incredibly competitive industry. The sheer number of customers, competitors, and small margins make for an adversarial landscape. Pricing is like a microcosm of the insurance industry, with every insurer jostling for the attention of...
14 min read
Around the world, at least 69 countries have proposed over 1000 AI-related policy initiatives and legal frameworks to address public concerns around AI safety and governance. Here’s what those AI regulations look like at the beginning of 2025...
13 min read
Here are the blogs that Mind Foundry has written recently. We've separated them into their respective topics or sectors to help you find what you're interested in.
4 min read
As an industry driven by data and complex algorithms, the insurance sector stands at a crossroads where transparency and explainability in pricing models are becoming more than just best practices—they're becoming imperatives. As the tools and...
5 min read
With its unparalleled ability to extract insight from burdensome volumes of raw data, AI is more than an opportunity to innovate. Nevertheless, this doesn’t make it the answer to every problem involving data. Even when applied to the right problems,...
6 min read
In a previous article, we discussed how the recently launched Aioi R&D Lab - Oxford was tackling the problem of ageing populations by using insurance telematics data and AI to detect the risk factors indicating cognitive decline in elderly drivers....
5 min read
We have previously spoken about how AI is more than just an innovation opportunity, despite contrary prevailing wisdom. It can already solve real and complex problems in various challenging environments, with sonar signal processing in the maritime...
5 min read
Fraud is one of the most pervasive threats to the insurance industry, causing damage to both businesses and customers. Every insurer takes steps to try and negate this threat, but how effective are these measures, and could AI hold the key to truly...
5 min read
In the previous two blogs in the series, we addressed what makes machine learning models trustworthy and how machine learning models fail. This blog is focused on how machines learn and one particular approach called meta-learning, which enables...
3 min read
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning has already brought transformative opportunities across the rapidly evolving landscape of the insurance industry. As data generation has surged and competition intensified,...
5 min read
AI is everywhere. It has rapidly become an integral part of how we organise our lives, go about our jobs, and get from place to place. And yet, in our discussions with customers, we often encounter a wide range of misconceptions about what AI...
3 min read
At the beginning of 2023, we announced the launch of the Aioi R&D Lab - Oxford, a joint venture between Mind Foundry and our partners Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (ANDI) and Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe (AND-E). One of the projects the Lab has worked on is...
9 min read
Taking the leap from the world of academia to pursue a career within industry can be a daunting proposition. After years spent studying and gaining skills in a very focused area, going out into the world and applying that knowledge to a broad range...
6 min read
It’s hardly a secret that data is the lifeblood of the insurance sector. Some experts predict there will be over 30 billion connected devices worldwide by 2025, and the resulting explosion of data, coupled with huge leaps forward in the capabilities...
6 min read
Why do we expect more from machines than we do from each other? We lean on machines for so much, yet when it comes to judging their performance, we seem to have a double standard. A human can fail, time and time again, and still be forgiven. But...
4 min read
In our first blog in this four-part series, we discussed how Machine Learning (ML) models might be considered ‘trustworthy’, and we emphasised challenges in bias and fairness, the need for explainability & interpretability, and types of data drift....
6 min read
Generative AI (GAI) has been firmly at the centre of discussion ever since it was popularised by the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Although the insurance sector, with its focus on cost, has generally reacted with interest and excitement to the...
7 min read
Last year, Mind Foundry worked closely with Professor Brent Mittelstadt (of the Oxford Internet Institute) to get a deeper understanding of the law, policy, and standards in development surrounding machine learning. The output of this work was an...
6 min read
Generative AI has exploded into the public eye, with the conversation focusing on the opportunities and risks it presents. However, in the Defence sector, there are specific challenges and problems that this technology is simply not suited to solve.
3 min read
There’s been a lot of talk about the development of large language models (LLMs) recently, with the loudest voices split between those who think it poses a significant risk to humanity and those who believe it could be the crowning achievement of...
5 min read
In February 2023, we announced the launch of the Aioi R&D Lab - Oxford, a joint venture between Mind Foundry and our partners Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (ANDI) and Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe (AND-E). This is the first of its kind research lab, so...
5 min read
The past few months have shown us how quickly deep tech innovation, and especially advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), can be developed and adopted at great scale. New AI tools have emerged at breakneck speed, opening up a range of...
4 min read
Artificial Intelligence is already being used to solve problems in the Defence sector. But if AI is only seen as an opportunity to practice innovation, then the development of critical applications won’t progress fast enough.
5 min read
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, supported by the UN, is a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge the inspirational contributions of women across the globe in science and technology who continue to break down stereotypes and...
6 min read
Change is hard. We're creatures of habit by nature, and despite our best efforts, we often struggle to avoid repeating entrenched behaviours that take up much of our time and energy. It’s altogether too easy to find yourself coasting along the same...
3 min read
Mind Foundry hosted 'Defining Ambitions: The Future of AI in Public Sector', an invaluable virtual learning exchange for the public sector. Delivered in partnership with GovNewsDirect, the session's objective was to explore the possibilities for AI...
3 min read
(This piece was originally published as a guest post for The Quantum Insider) The focus on quantum computing has been growing steadily over the last decade, thanks to the promise of how this technology could revolutionise our lives. An example of...
4 min read
Helping the fight against malaria Mind Foundry co-hosts HumBug 2022 as part of the ComparE challenge, bringing together the greatest minds to help solve one of the world’s most important problems. The goal of the project is to use low-cost...
2 min read
Mind Foundry are thrilled to have been included in the ‘Ethical AI startup landscape’ research, mapped by researchers at the EAIGG (Ethical AI Governance Group), who have vetted nearly 150 companies working in Ethical AI across the globe. This...
4 min read
Between 2006 and 2010, there were 1,096 registered electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK. Since 2010 that number has exploded, and today there are an estimated 400,000 EVs on UK roads, not to mention more than 750,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). With new...
3 min read
(A version of this piece was originally published in techUK as part of #QuantumWeek2021.) Why are quantum computing devices powerful? Quantum computing (QC) devices offer an entirely new way to perform computations, driven by quantum mechanics. If...
2 min read
We’re delighted to announce that we won a prestigious CogX award in the “Best Innovation in Explainable AI” category last night. The CogX awards recognise innovators and change-makers looking to make a real impact on the world around us with...
7 min read
In June 2019, the government launched a call for evidence on the proposed framework of a strategy around data usage in the UK, receiving over 100 responses. At the same time, the government undertook a programme of roundtables, workshops, and...
5 min read
It’s no longer enough to measure model accuracy. Ethics, explainability, and wider performance are key KPIs that must be considered as equally crucial priorities.
4 min read
August 20th is World Mosquito Day. A day to raise awareness about the diseases carried by mosquitoes and highlight the scientific innovations that are emerging to help us reduce the suffering caused by the world’s second most deadly animal.
3 min read
I would be surprised to find anyone who works in the tech sector, especially if they’re working with data, who hasn’t seen a significant emphasis on ethical applications of AI, or “doing AI ethically” (even the Pope has got involved!). Conferences,...
6 min read
In 2023, women comprised only 13.7% of the global engineering workforce. To commemorate International Women in Engineering Day, we are proud to share the stories of our own trailblazers of AI innovation who have been defying stereotypes, knocking...
3 min read
In the race to adopt AI, there is a flurry of activity happening in boardrooms and technical teams across the country. AI, which even a few years ago seemed to be the preserve of a vanguard of highly innovative companies, has suddenly become a...
3 min read
As AI capabilities advance, and with the advent of widely available low-cost cloud computing, AI will inevitably be applied to wider problem sets with more immediate and wide-ranging real-world impacts, bringing with it higher problem complexity and...
5 min read
AI has the potential to help us tackle the problems associated with climate change and the warming of our Earth. The closer we get to the precipice, the greater the urgency. This has helped fuel tremendous growth in AI projects throughout government...
11 min read
Decisions made by governments and other public sector organisations profoundly affect the lives of large numbers of people every day. If considerations for ethics and responsibility are not made during the processes for designing, building, and...
2 min read
Many organisations still watch from the sidelines as competitors transform their understanding of data with AI. Why is this?
2 min read
Clinical research data plays an essential role in the pharmaceutical industry but can also eat up resources in terms of time and money. However, by utilising machine learning in clinical trials, efficiency can be drastically improved, enabling...
2 min read
The internet can seem full of scary stories and science fiction, but what is Human-AI Collaboration really going to do to transform our lives in the near future?
2 min read
When we consider the role of artificial intelligence in life sciences, it already has a proven track record as an effective tool to support pharmaceutical research. However, companies are also moving fast to explore the transformational impact it...
3 min read
While machine learning has been around for decades, it has swiftly become a major buzzword in recent years. Following in the footsteps of 'digital transformation', many businesses are struggling to comprehend the intrinsic value of machine learning...
2 min read
Quantum computers have the potential to be exponentially faster than traditional computers, revolutionising the way we currently work. While we are still years away from general-purpose Quantum Computing, Bayesian Optimisation can help to stabilise...
2 min read
Even with low cost widely available cloud computing, it can take significant time and compute power to train machine learning models on large data sets. This is expensive and is often at odds with the net-zero carbon goals of many organisations...
3 min read
Black box optimisation in Machine Learning is a pretty common scenario. More often than not, the process or model we are trying to optimise does not have an algebraic model that can be solved analytically.
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