Fintech PR
Cognizant Unveils Advanced Artificial Intelligence Lab to Accelerate AI Research and Innovation
With 75 issued and pending patents, the lab will launch with a team of dedicated AI researchers and developers; focus will be on research, innovation and production of cutting-edge AI systems
TEANECK, N.J., March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leading global technology company, today announced the launch of an Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab. The lab, based in San Francisco, will focus on advancing the science and practice of AI through innovation and development of intellectual property and AI-enablement technologies. Staffed by a team of researchers and developers, including AI pioneers and PhDs, the lab will collaborate with research institutions, customers, and startups and already has 75 issued and pending patents that provide a differentiated foundation on which to build cutting edge AI solutions. The lab is part of the commitment Cognizant announced last year to invest $1 billion in generative AI (gen AI) over the next three years.
The launch of Cognizant’s Advanced AI Lab comes at a time when enterprises are rapidly working to understand the impact of AI and meet expanding expectations around its promise. Recent research has shown more than half (66 percent) of executives are ambivalent or dissatisfied with their company’s progress on AI and gen AI, and most executives (85 percent) plan to increase spending on AI and gen AI in 2024. Longer term, Cognizant and Oxford Economics’ recent study found gen AI could inject up to $1 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2032.
“As AI rapidly evolves into mainstream use, Cognizant is continually pushing boundaries through strategic partnerships, training programs and platform investments to be an AI-first company,” said Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S. “With the launch of Cognizant’s Advanced AI Lab, we’re progressing this effort by investing in state-of-the-art core AI research that establishes our position at the forefront of innovation and our industry. Because we own the client solutioning relationship from end to end, we have a unique line of sight into businesses, industries, and their AI needs. We’re putting dedicated focus on AI research and development to lay the groundwork for better business outcomes and a better future.”
By harnessing the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) as capable knowledge workers, the lab’s researchers and developers will use the Cognizant Neuro™ AI platform to orchestrate LLMs into decision-making AI systems that can positively impact and optimize business outcomes. Moving beyond simple prompt engineering and fine-tuning, these customized AI applications will be designed to support higher value outcomes — from strategic board-level business decisions to enterprise operations including financial, sales, product, and IT support, to day-to-day productivity of individual employees.
“Cognizant’s Advanced AI Lab is an important partner for us in the research community, and we’ve been fast at work with them already working on simulating brain dynamics in healthy and patient populations,” said Dr. Manish Saggar, Assistant Professor and Director of Brain Dynamics Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine. “I’m excited about the progress we’re making together, as well as its potential impact on not only advancing science but also for developing novel interventions for mental health disorders.”
Specifically, Cognizant’s Advanced AI Lab will focus on the following areas:
- Researching, designing, evaluating, building, and showcasing innovative AI solutions for business productivity and decision making across various domains
- Collaborating with external stakeholders, including research institutions, customers, and startups, and engaging in AI-for-good research projects
- Evangelizing gen AI-enabled decision-making solutions globally, and strengthening Cognizant as a knowledge hub for published, peer-reviewed research on AI
- Partnering across Cognizant’s business lines and practices to train and upskill associates on new AI solutions as they become available through the Cognizant Neuro™ AI platform
- Fostering an environment of continuous learning, innovation, and knowledge sharing
The lab will be led by AI entrepreneur and inventor, Babak Hodjat, with AI research activities under the supervision of University of Texas at Austin AI Professor and neuroevolution pioneer, Risto Miikkulainen. In just the last year, their team of researchers and developers have already published 14 papers in academic venues, and they received the Best Pathway to Impact Award at the NeurIPS 2023 Climate Change Workshop for the paper, Discovering Effective Policies for Land-Use Planning.
In addition to the launch of Cognizant’s Advanced AI Lab, Cognizant is supporting enterprise AI adoption through its AI Innovation Studios in London, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, and Bengaluru. These studios serve as inspiration and co-innovation spaces that bring clients and associates together to identify and collaborate on new business solutions.
Cognizant is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards for responsible and ethical AI, focusing on safety, security, privacy, transparency, and inclusion. For additional details on Cognizant’s approach to gen AI and the company’s commitment to responsible AI, visit here. Cognizant also develops research and insights that help leaders make informed decisions to fuel their companies’ success. In partnership with Oxford Economics, Cognizant recently published a study on the economic impact of AI, “New World, New Work,” and intends to release further research on AI’s impact on productivity, tasks, skills, jobs and occupations.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we’re improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.
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Fintech PR
WSPN Appoints Former EY Global Chief Innovation Officer Jeff Wong as Independent Director
SINGAPORE, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network (WSPN), a leading stablecoin infrastructure company, announces the appointment of Jeff Wong as Independent Director. Mr. Wong brings over 25 years of experience in technology innovation and enterprise transformation to WSPN. He most recently served as EY’s Global Chief Innovation Officer from 2015 to 2024, where he spearheaded the firm’s global innovation initiatives and established EY’s advanced technology labs focusing on Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, and Web3.
Prior to EY, Mr. Wong held leadership roles at eBay and JPMorgan Partners. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Forbes Technology Council, and the founding Chair of Asia Society’s Technology and Innovation Council, helping drive the innovation and transformation agenda. He was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Innovation Ecosystems. He has previously served on the Oxford Foundry Board at Oxford University and the Advisory Board for AI4All. Mr. Wong is a recipient of the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business award and an honoree of the A100 List by Gold House, recognizing individuals with Asian Pacific heritage who have made a significant impact on American culture and society.
“Joining WSPN at this pivotal moment in the stablecoin industry is incredibly exciting,” said Mr. Wong. “I look forward to contributing my experience in emerging technologies and enterprise transformation to help WSPN build the next generation of digital payment infrastructure.”
“Jeff’s appointment represents a significant strategic addition to WSPN,” said Raymond Yuan, Founder and CEO of WSPN. “His deep expertise in innovation management, enterprise transformation, and emerging technologies, combined with his leadership experience at global institutions, will be invaluable as we accelerate our market expansion and global development.”
About WSPN
WSPN is a leading provider of next-generation stablecoin infrastructure, committed to building a more secure, efficient, and transparent payment solution for the global economy. Their flagship product, WUSD stablecoin, is pegged 1:1 to the U.S. Dollar and aims to optimize secure digital payments for Web3 users. WSPN’s Stablecoin 2.0 approach prioritizes user-centricity, community governance, and accessibility, paving the way for widespread stablecoin adoption.
Learn more: www.wspn.io | X | LinkedIn
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Refining Capacity of the Base Surpasses 50 Million Tons per Year
NINGBO, China, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation‘s (HKG: 0386, “Sinopec”) recently announced the mechanical completion of the second-phase expansion and advanced materials project at its Zhenhai Refinery. This milestone sets new benchmarks for innovation, smart manufacturing, and energy efficiency in large-scale projects. The refinery’s capacity has now been upgraded to 40 million tons per year, contributing to the Zhejiang Ningbo Petrochemical Industrial Base surpassing a total refining capacity of 50 million tons annually. The achievement solidifies its position as China’s largest, most advanced, and globally competitive petrochemical industrial base.
Located in the Yangtze River Delta, a key downstream product consumption hub, the Zhejiang Ningbo Petrochemical Industrial Base plays a vital role in Sinopec’s value chain. The second-phase expansion and advanced materials project, with a total investment of CNY 41.6 billion, incorporates 18 production units, including atmospheric distillation, catalytic cracking, polypropylene, and propane dehydrogenation units. By emphasizing chemical-focused processes, the project creates multiple high-value-added supply chains.
The facility’s expanded production capacity supports the development of high-end polyolefins, advanced materials, and specialty chemicals. It is expected to provide approximately 8 million tons of petrochemical products annually, significantly boosting the overall capacity of supply chains for industries such as automotive, home appliances, and textiles in the region. This expansion is forecast to generate trillions of yuan in upstream and downstream industrial value.
The project achieved remarkable progress in technological innovation and sustainability. Highlights include:
- Localization of 10 core technologies, including the world’s highest-load vertical labyrinth compressor.
- Extensive deployment of smart technologies, enabling simultaneous delivery of digital and physical factories.
- Integration of a fully localized industrial operating system and a self-developed industrial internet platform to enhance decision-making and management.
- Implementation of comprehensive energy-saving measures, achieving an overall reduction in energy consumption of 11.7%.
- Safety and quality were paramount during construction, with over 90 million consecutive safe man-hours recorded and a 100% quality pass rate for all units, setting a new industry benchmark.
Zhenhai Refinery, Sinopec’s largest integrated refining and chemical enterprise, boasts an ethylene production capacity of 2.2 million tons per year. It is also the only enterprise in China consistently ranked in the top performance group of the Solomon Global Ethylene Performance Evaluation.
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Fintech PR
2025 Will See Increased QR Code Payments but Payment Card IC ASPs Will Not Return to Pre-Covid Levels
ABI Research’s 5th annual Trend Report identifies the key Digital Payment Technologies trend that will come to fruition —and the 1 that won’t—in 2025
NEW YORK, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As 2025 kicks off, predictions abound on the technology innovations expected in the year ahead. In its new whitepaper, 101 Technology Trends That Will—and Won’t—Shape 2025, analysts from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research. ABI Research analysts identify 54 trends that will shape the technology market and 47 others that, although attracting vast amounts of speculation and commentary, are less likely to move the needle over the next twelve months. In the Digital Payment Technologies space, 2025 will see increased QR code payment acceptance but little growth for payment card IC ASPs.
“2024 has been marked by challenges, from global conflicts and inflationary pressures to political uncertainty. These factors have strained enterprise and consumer spending, leading to market inertia, short-term technology investments, sidelined capital, and the exposure of vulnerable suppliers,” says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research. “From a technology perspective, many industries and end markets are in that awkward stage of technology adoption where they are formulating implementation strategies, assessing solutions and partners, and trying to see if they have the resources needed to roll out solutions at scale. This is a particularly sensitive time, which tends to suggest 2025 will have tech implementers and end users on the brink of a period of a massive technology shift as they work through these issues.”
What Will Happen in 2025:
QR code payment acceptance will continue to increase with use cases expanding
Although QR code payment acceptance is prevalent in countries such as China and growing in emerging digital payment markets, including in India, use cases and potential growth areas are not limited to these countries. Significant and continued investments by vendors, including PayPal, Stripe, and SumUp, are setting the foundation for increased adoption in other mature and established economies with use cases expanding. Although QR codes are already being used by many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and pop-up retail businesses, 2025 will mark the year when the technology begins to shift from one niche to partial mainstream.
What Won’t Happen in 2025:
Payment card IC ASPs will not return to pre-COVID-19 levels
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, chipset pricing has been on a continual rise, driven by increased pricing in myriad manufacturing areas, including energy, raw material, transit pricing, and inflation, driving up wages. The chip shortage further compounded this, and according to ABI Research, the Average Selling Price (ASP) for a payment card Integrated Circuit (IC) increased by approximately +30% between 2020 and 2023. However, despite pricing pressures returning, the cost of payment ICs is some years away from matching pre-COVID-19 levels. Although 2025 will mark another year of pricing deprecation, it will not be until around 2028 when pricing is expected to drop to levels similar to those achieved in 2019 steadily.
For more trends that will and won’t happen in 2025, download the whitepaper, 101 Technology Trends That Will—and Won’t—Shape 2025.
About ABI Research
ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.
ABI Research是一家全球性的技术情报公司，拥有得天独厚的优势，充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁，通过提供独家研究和专业性指导，推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略，无缝连接这两大主体。
For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.
Contact Info:
Global
Deborah Petrara
Tel: +1.516.624.2558
[email protected]
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/2025-will-see-increased-qr-code-payments-but-payment-card-ic-asps-will-not-return-to-pre-covid-levels-302338531.html
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