Wednesday newspaper round-up: Crypto trading, Capita, executive pay
Britons have packed away enough possessions to fill Buckingham Palace more than 60 times over as the housing crisis, enduring consumerism and a sentimental reluctance to let go of inanimate objects means self-storage is now on the brink of becoming a £1bn-a-year business. Self-storage units are proving cheaper than renting or buying a bigger home and are springing up alongside new housing developments across the UK, with at least 280 more stores planned between now and 2026 – a more than 10% increase. – Guardian
UK authorities should regulate cryptocurrency trading as a form of gambling rather than a financial service, parliament’s Treasury committee has said after a fresh inquiry into the industry. The government must avoid wasting more taxpayer funds promoting tech innovations such as digital tokens, without demonstrating the clear benefits to the public, MPs said in a report published on Wednesday. – Guardian
Tech companies are in danger of unleashing a rogue artificial intelligence that will cause “significant harm to the world” without urgent intervention by governments, the creator of ChatGPT has admitted. Appearing before US politicians, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman lauded the new generation of digital chatbots for their potential to “improve nearly every aspect of our lives”. – Telegraph
Britain’s biggest outsourcer has been lambasted for allowing the “unsafe storage of personal data” after it was hit by another data breach. It is understood Capita had placed a “bucket” or database with open source software and information in the cloud, including user guides and notes which are routinely published alongside software releases, but it also contained some personal data belonging to Colchester city council that should not have been there. – The Times
Executive pay in Britain must compete globally to attract talent for the financial sector, the City minister has said. At an event hosted by UK Finance, the industry trade body, in London yesterday, Andrew Griffith said: “Remuneration here needs to be competitive. We need to attract the brightest and best to these shores — the last thing we want to do is drive them away.” – The Times