All tools can be used for good or ill. Even a broom can be used to sweep the floor or hit someone over the head. The more powerful the tool, the greater the benefit or damage it can cause. The last few months have brought this into stark relief when it comes to computer-assisted facial recognition – the ability of a computer to recognize people’s faces from a photo or through a camera. This technology can catalog your photos, help reunite families or potentially be misused and abused by private companies and public authorities alike, Brad Smith, President, Microsoft writes.

The great European energy transition continued in 2017 and, across the continent as a whole, shows little sign of slowing up in 2018. Ever lower levels of subsidy and guaranteed power prices awarded after fiercely competitive tenders have not deterred developers or financiers, who still see opportunities even in the more mature renewables markets.