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Canadian cybersecurity leaders say ecosystem requires community to grow (BETAKIT)
Kevin Magee (Microsoft), Christopher Salvatore (Cybersecure Catalyst), and Tahseen Shabab (Penfield) explore how Canada can build a cybersecurity ecosystem.
Why San Francisco-based VC Hustle Fund Is Betting Big on Canada
“At Hustle Fund, we’re convinced that Canada is positioned well to produce some of the largest, category-defining companies on the planet. We’re eager to fund these companies, and excited to partner with Hockeystick to identify these opportunities!” – Eric Bahn (General Partner)
Since launch, Hockeystick has made over 6000 funder recommendations to Canadian startups. Learn how startups are using technology to meet funders around the world.
London AI lab DeepMind claims breakthrough that could accelerate drug discovery (THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
DeepMind said that its system, called AlphaFold, had solved what is known as ‘the protein folding problem’.
More than 1,200 Google workers condemn firing of AI scientist Timnit Gebru (THE GUARDIAN)
Gebru is known for coauthoring a groundbreaking paper that showed facial recognition to be less accurate at identifying women and people of color, which means its use can end up discriminating against them.
Stem agrees blank-check merger with Star Peak to go public (REUTERS)
The merger with Star Peak will give Stem an estimated $608 million in gross proceeds to invest in its burgeoning smart grid technology which helps support green forms of energy.
Scale, which helps companies improve their A.I. capabilities, is now worth more than $3.5 billion and breaking even (CNBC)
Scale, which charges based on the amount of data it processes for customers, has seen major growth by working with DoorDash.
Faire megadeal icing on top of Waterloo Region’s strong Q3 2020 (BETAKIT)
Startups raised a total of $349.5 million in Q3 2020, a 135 percent increase for the Waterloo Region.
Massachusetts on the verge of becoming first state to ban police use of facial recognition (THE VERGE)
If signed into law, Massachusetts would become the first state to fully ban the technology, following bans barring the use of facial recognition in police body cameras and other, more limited city-specific bans on the tech.
The coming war on the hidden algorithms that trap people in poverty (MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW)
A growing group of lawyers are uncovering, navigating, and fighting the automated systems that deny the poor housing, jobs, and basic services.
Why people are turning to robots when they’re sad and anxious at work (FAST COMPANY)
A 12,000-person survey found that workers around the globe are looking to AI-powered digital assistants and chatbots to cope with mental health during the pandemic.
Police drones are starting to think for themselves (NEW YORK TIMES)
In one Southern California city, flying drones with artificial intelligence are aiding investigations while presenting new civil rights questions.