If robots become the mainstay of manufacturing, the advantage of cheap labour disappears and with it the prospects for poor countries to get rich, writes Brian Caplen.
Latest articles from Editor’s blog
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Is it really all about the customer?
October 3, 2017The customer service mantra is constantly chanted but would banks do better by being more honest about the trade-offs a business has to make? Brian Caplen looks into the situation.
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German election kills eurozone reform
September 25, 2017The big loser in Germany’s surprise election result is much-needed eurozone reform. Investors must accept that the eurozone and some banks remain prone to crises, writes Brian Caplen.
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Is open banking the industry’s Netflix moment?
September 19, 2017Analysts are making great claims for open banking under PSD2, but does it have the wow factor? Brian Caplen looks into the matter.
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Beware of tech purists and their flying saucers
September 6, 2017Bank CEOs desperately need a map of the future but should be cautious of visions that are too neat and tidy, writes Brian Caplen.
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It’s the environment, stupid
September 5, 2017Banks are on the front line in the war against climate change. Getting it wrong could destroy them.
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Is Lagarde’s Beijing card a Trump joker?
August 29, 2017Managing director Christine Lagarde says that within the next 10 years the IMF could be headquartered in Beijing rather than Washington. Maybe, writes Brian Caplen, there is a hidden message for the IMF sceptics in the Trump administration.
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Too little data, too much IT
August 22, 2017Banks are supposed to be sitting on masses of data which, if they could put it to work, would be gold dust. In fact they need more data to do a proper job, writes Brian Caplen.
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When the internet is slower and costlier than the branch
August 15, 2017For all the talk about channel integration, banks have little in the way of back-up when online banking goes awry. The trusty branch – maybe shared by competitor banks – needs to play its part, writes Brian Caplen.
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How to stop robots seizing control of your bank
August 8, 2017In the Musk-Zuckerberg debate, artificial intelligence could either ruin or save the planet. In responding to the AI challenge, banks need to be aware of the risks, writes Brian Caplen.