Yes you heard that right. My hope is that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics will be used primarily to eliminate the tedious, bullshit work in which most of humanity currently toils, so that more and more people can pursue their passions in a similar fashion. Ideally, this will lead to our next great renaissance of art and culture, as millions (or even billions) of humans are suddenly free to do what they love and create happiness through art. Before such…
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KPMG will invest at least $2 billion over the next five years with Microsoft to co-develop cloud and generative AI tools, the companies announced Tuesday. Why it matters: Rival consulting giants like PwC and Accenture also have made large-scale commitments toward AI-powered changes. Details: All of KPMG’s businesses — audit, tax and advisory — will be impacted by the products that will be developed through this expanded partnership, KPMG U.S. chair and CEO Paul Knopp tells Axios. KPMG and Microsoft…
Far East Consortium International Limited (“FEC” or the “Group”) is delighted to announce that the Group has won three honours at the HKIRA 9th Investor Relations Awards 2023 (“Awards”) hosted by the Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (“HKIRA”), including “Best IR Company”, “Best Investor Meeting” and “Best Annual Report”. The results were announced at the Awards Presentation Ceremony held in Hong Kong on 28 June 2023. FEC has won the “Best IR Company” award for the eighth consecutive year. Furthermore,…
A series of 12 concerts by Cantopop superstar Jacky Cheung over the past month attracted a record-breaking 109,000 fans to The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena, prompting Sands China President & PBEC Emeritus Chairman Dr Wilfred Wong to hail the positive impact the residency provided to the Macau economy. Originally slated to perform six shows in June, that number was doubled after the original allocation for the Macau leg of Cheung’s latest world tour – and first visit to Macau in…
Tony Goodger of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers highlights some exciting benefits for the UK meat sector through new trade deals. In October 2021 the Government published the “UK approach to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)”. A 66-page document making the case for joining the 11 existing members in a £9 trillion+ trade block of in excess of 500 million people. Reading back over it, it is of note that the words ‘Beef’ and…
Since RCEP came into effect in China and Japan in January and South Korea in February of 2022, it became the first free trade agreement that fully includes all three economies of China, Japan and South Korea. The trade deal helps reduce the tariff costs of cross-border trade among its members and promotes such measures as self-declaration of origin by approved exporters. China has now become Japan’s and South Korea’s largest trading partner. Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan have become…
APEC released a set of guidelines to further the forum’s work on environmental services and marine debris management. The guidelines encourage member economies to facilitate services that support the clean-up of marine debris from beaches, rivers, coastal areas, and the open ocean. Marine debris refers to plastic and other litter, discarded and lost fishing equipment, industrial rubbish, and other human-created waste that enters the seas and oceans. A 2020 report by APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working Group estimated that marine…
The Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC) is the pleased to announce its wholehearted support for the OGCI-incubated Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative, which aims to eliminate methane emissions from signatories’ operations by 2030. The Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative recognizes that virtually all methane emissions from the energy industry can and should be avoided. The initiative was developed by members of the OGCI, a CEO-led group that aims to speed up the industry’s response to climate change. Aiming…
PBEC held its AGM 2023 in a hybrid live format, with approved attendees able to either join in person in Hong Kong at KPMG Boardroom in Princes Building or via online on zoom. It was one of our most attended AGM’s for a number of years which was great to see, with representatives from APEC economies such as; Vietnam, Hong Kong SAR, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, China and Macao. Further afield we had members join from the USA,…
PBEC welcomes both Peter Burnett OBE, BBS Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong Limited and Mary Simpson Director of International Member Engagement at ICAEW to its board of directors. Both were formally elected by majority vote at the recently held hybrid PBEC AGM 2023 attended by over 60 members from across APAC. Peter is the immediate past Chair of Britcham HK one of the largest and most professionally run chambers anywhere in the world and is a key…