Diligent Robotics Recruits Cruise Executives to Expand Beyond Healthcare

/in /tarafından

Diligent Robotics, known for its humanoid robot Moxi that supports hospitals by handling tasks like delivering supplies and lab samples, is gearing up to broaden its focus beyond healthcare logistics. On Thursday, the company announced the addition of two senior executives from Cruise, the autonomous robotaxi firm, signaling a strategic push into wider commercial markets.

Rashed Haq, formerly head of AI and robotics at Cruise, has joined Diligent as chief technology officer. He will lead the development of the company’s AI strategy, leveraging his experience in deploying large-scale autonomous systems. Todd Brugger, Cruise’s former chief of operations, steps in as Diligent’s chief operations officer, where he will be responsible for scaling the company’s operations and commercial growth across various industries.

Andrea Thomaz, CEO of Diligent Robotics, highlighted the value of their expertise, stating that Haq and Brugger’s backgrounds in autonomous vehicle technology are vital as the company expands its robotic solutions beyond hospitals.

Since its launch, Moxi has completed over one million deliveries in more than 30 hospitals across the United States, saving nearly 600,000 staff hours. Looking ahead, Diligent plans to be a leader in embodied AI, targeting the deployment of more than 3,000 robots by 2030.

Romania arrests 13 in phishing scam targeting British tax office

/in /tarafından

Thirteen individuals have been arrested in Romania following phishing attacks targeting the UK’s tax authority, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The suspects are believed to have used stolen data to fraudulently claim millions of pounds in tax payments, HMRC announced on Thursday.

The arrests involved a coordinated effort with over 100 Romanian police officers, focusing on the southern counties of Ilfov, Giurgiu, and Calarasi. During the raids, authorities seized cash and luxury vehicles. The arrested individuals, aged between 23 and 53, face charges including computer fraud, money laundering, and illegal access to computer systems.

Additionally, a 38-year-old man was arrested in Preston, northwest England, on the same day. These actions follow HMRC’s disclosure last month that a criminal gang had stolen approximately £47 million ($63.7 million) by accessing over 100,000 customer accounts through phishing schemes and submitting false payment claims to the government.

HMRC emphasized that the fraud targeted the tax office rather than individual customers, though around 100,000 people were notified as a precaution. Criminal groups allegedly used the stolen data to file fraudulent claims for income tax, value-added tax (VAT), and child benefit repayments.

Simon Grunwell, operational lead of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said the agency has already taken steps to protect affected customers after detecting attempts to access a small portion of tax accounts.

Earlier, in November, two men were arrested in Bucharest as part of related cybercrime and fraud investigations linked to these phishing activities.

WPP taps Microsoft exec Cindy Rose to rebuild ad group

/in /tarafından

Britain’s advertising giant WPP named Cindy Rose, a senior Microsoft executive and current board member, as its new CEO on Thursday. Rose will take over from Mark Read on September 1, four months earlier than initially planned, as WPP faces the challenge of recovering from a major profit warning that sent its shares to a 16-year low.

Rose, who has served on WPP’s board since 2019, brings nearly a decade of senior leadership experience from Microsoft, where she most recently served as Chief Operating Officer, Global Enterprise. She also led Microsoft’s UK business and has past experience at Vodafone and Virgin Media.

WPP Chairman Philip Jansen praised Rose’s expertise in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, highlighting her role in helping large enterprises adopt new business models and revenue streams. He noted that her skills will be crucial as WPP navigates industry disruptions and macroeconomic challenges.

WPP is currently struggling with client spending slowdowns, loss of major accounts, and reduced new business, all of which contributed to the recent downgrade in profit outlook. The group, which lost its status as the world’s largest advertising firm to France’s Publicis last year, is also adapting to the rise of AI tools that empower clients to create and manage their own marketing campaigns.

Rose stated, “We have and continue to build market-leading AI capabilities, alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list.”