Trends & Signals
Explore the latest insights, thought leadership, and research from FCAT®
Virtual Virality: The Changing Dynamic of Influencers
July 26, 2023
There is a burgeoning industry of “virtual” or “digital” influencers that brands use to replicate or augment the human influencer experience while minimizing the potential pitfalls of human influencers. So, what are digital influencers — and how are they fairing? Should the creator economy be afraid of becoming digitized?
A Conversation on the Future of AI with Stephen Wolfram
July 17, 2023
Generative AI is all the rage now. Coverage of tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E2, and Midjourney has been breathless, with pundits and practitioners predicting either doom or a new golden age for computing. What is really going on here?
Generative AI is Already Making Inroads in Healthcare
July 10, 2023
Generative AI is in its infancy, yet patients are using this technology to understand complex medical issues, get second opinions, and receive support and motivation. Medical professionals also stand to benefit by saving time on documentation and emails. Early implementations in healthcare may offer learnings applicable to the financial services industry and beyond.
Making Sense of the Employee Burnout Epidemic
July 5, 2023
Changes to how we live and work have made us more susceptible to burnout. Our excessive use of technology in daily life is causing mental strain. This, combined with stressors created by the pandemic, is leading more people to check out and lash out.
From Skepticism to Opportunity: A Software Engineer’s Transition to Finance
June 27, 2023
A conversation with Aurobindo Nayak, software engineer for the FCAT blockchain team.
Inside the Efforts to Tokenize Money
June 20, 2023
Up to $5 trillion could move to tokenized money formats like CBDCs, stablecoins, and deposit tokens by 2030. At this scale, at stake is not just the type of money used to buy goods, but the structure and operations of the financial system itself.
Quantum Computing: Does Potential Outweigh Risk?
June 13, 2023
FCAT is preparing Fidelity for the cybersecurity risks quantum computing may pose, while leveraging the powerful opportunities it presents.
Explainable AI Using Expressive Boolean Formulas
June 8, 2023
Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab and FCAT proposed and implemented an interpretable machine learning model for Explainable AI (XAI) based on expressive Boolean formulas.
From Chatbot to Swearbot and Beyond.
May 22, 2023
It all began late at night in Luke Paxton’s basement. Luke wondered, what if he could create his own chatbot using a python script? As a Director of Creative Development, it’s not exactly part of his daily tasks, but, well… he was curious.
5 Deep Technologies Expected to Disrupt Our World
May 18, 2023
In the most forward-looking chapter of the FCAT Priorities Report 2023, our researchers took a broader look at advances in deep technologies that are designed to help solve our world’s most pressing problems. The five technologies explored in this report include: synthetic biology, decarbonization, advanced robotics, agriculture, and space exploration. This article was written based on reporting by John Dalton and Molly Gumpert.