Mobile payments are changing our world and are a geopolitical tool, while banks aren't fast-tracking their AI future!
The PBoC illustrates how to use China's digital yuan!
Artwork of the day: Uemura Shoen: Flame, 1918
The trailblazing Japanese painter Uemura Shōen was one of the first Japanese female artists to paint professionally.
Despite being known for works of beautiful women bijinga (Ukiyo-e beauty portraits) Shōen reportedly said "Never once did I paint a work with the expectation that it would be a fine work as long as the woman depicted was beautiful. My earnest hope is that all my works are like fragrant jewels, always with a sense of fresh purity, never with even an iota of the vulgar".
Uemura's 1918
Uemura's 1918 work on the theme of jealousy, Honō (焔, Flame), depicts an ikiryō (living ghost) incarnate in jealousy without compromising dignity. It is considered to have raised the standard of nihonga, a Japanese painting style that uses organic pigments, mineral pigments, and ink on silk or paper.
This week we have three stories about our changing world of payments and two that show how our GenAI future may not be coming as fast as predicted!
Mobile money boosts GDP 1.5%!
Mobile money is a global sensation with double-digit growth, but it is far more than just a payment! It’s now become a geopolitical tool or force!
Hong Kong Monetary Future is Digital!
Hong Kong's acceptance of CBDC, Stablecoin, Crypto, and Tokenized Deposits shows what our monetary future will look like. It’s your wallet, so spend the digital currency of your choice! And it will beat rival Singapore to the punch!
China’s e-CNY for Tourists
This fabulous infographic shows how China’s e-CNY works in both online and offline versions! It is a must-read as it shows how much work goes into making the digital yuan the world’s first large-scale CBDC.
Banks aren’t fast-tracking AI
I cover GenAI stories weekly, written mainly by consultants that show a rosy AI future. In reality, banks aren’t embracing AI as fast as consultants would have us believe!
GenAI will not magically personalize banks!
Following the story above, many in banks believe that GenAI will miraculously personalize bank offerings. Nothing could be further from the truth, and Mastercard shows how it's done.
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UN adopts first global artificial intelligence resolution to ensure AI is safe
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-03-23/UN-adopts-first-global-artificial-intelligence-resolution-1scjv22nwWc/p.html