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Techday NZ
2 hours ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Agentic AI transforms business operations with enhanced oversight
The integration of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) into business operations is gaining significant momentum across industries, with new research, commentary, and product announcements underscoring both the promise and complexities of these advanced technologies. Matt Johnson, Managing Director for AI & Data at Temus, outlined the evolving landscape of AI agents, noting an industry-wide shift from rudimentary AI interactions towards more advanced, contextually aware systems. "We're witnessing a significant shift in how AI agents are being deployed across industries. The most successful implementations go far beyond basic prompting," Johnson observed. He highlighted the application of sophisticated techniques such as automated reprompting, parameter-efficient fine-tuning, and reinforcement learning, which allow agents to learn from their environments and incorporate expert knowledge. Johnson emphasised that data remains the critical foundation for agentic AI. He noted, "Companies are now realising they need deliberate strategies to acquire and structure this expert knowledge – it's become a competitive differentiator." In sectors such as healthcare and financial services, he asserted, the inclusion of human-in-the-loop workflows is not optional but essential, with the best AI systems augmenting human expertise rather than replacing it. The software development sector, according to Johnson, has provided one of the most compelling success stories, with AI tools such as Claude Code assisting developers by providing contextual suggestions and even autonomously generating code, all while preserving human oversight. This reflects a broader trend, with organisations increasingly viewing AI agents not as autonomous replacements for professionals, but as tools to enhance productivity and decision-making. In the domain of cybersecurity, a new study from Cycode, presented at the RSA Conference 2025, illuminated how agentic AI is reshaping application security practices. The survey found that while 60% of cybersecurity professionals remain in early stages of adoption, those organisations that have embraced agentic AI report notable productivity gains and reduced risks in development and security workflows. Amir Kazemi, Director of Product Marketing at Cycode, observed, "Many interpretations and modalities of 'agent' exist, from simple chatbots to complex workflow automations to true autonomous agents. Our data underscores that educating the market on what agentic AI truly is, why it matters for AppSec, and its tangible value is paramount right now." The Cycode research illustrated growing interest, with almost 50% of surveyed professionals planning to adopt agentic AI in the coming year. Yet, concerns remain about granting AI systems autonomy, with businesses taking a measured approach to integrating these tools. The study identified key opportunities: 44% of professionals believe agentic AI will improve vulnerability management, while 52% see significant value in using AI-driven security checks at the code commit stage. The perceived widening gap between application security and development resources, with some teams managing ratios as high as one security specialist per 1,000 developers, exemplifies the mounting pressure on teams that agentic AI could help alleviate. Financial services are also experiencing AI-driven transformation, as demonstrated by the launch of GTreasury's GSmart AI platform, designed specifically for treasury and finance operations. The platform aims to deliver efficiencies and transparent insights for CFOs and treasury professionals facing complex market and regulatory conditions. GTreasury CEO Renaat Ver Eecke stressed the necessity for AI in finance to prioritise security, compliance, and rapid problem-solving. "GSmart AI... empowers CFOs and treasury teams to confidently take advantage of powerful insights and value without sacrificing compliance or oversight," Ver Eecke stated. The platform provides automated analysis, risk identification, and strategic recommendations, all while ensuring auditability and governance. Mark Johnson, Chief Product Officer at GTreasury, added that GSmart AI is distinguished by its transparency and data sovereignty features, supporting rigorous standards and regulatory requirements. These developments signal that agentic AI, when combined with robust data strategies and clear boundaries for human oversight, is rapidly becoming integral to modern workflows. Whether in software development, cybersecurity, or treasury operations, organisations are increasingly seeking to leverage the unique capabilities of these AI agents to enhance human judgement, streamline complex tasks, and maintain compliance in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hollywood star transforms into tragic young Anthony Bourdain in first look at chilling biopic
A Hollywood star transformed into Anthony Bourdain while filming scenes for the upcoming biopic Tony earlier this week in Massachusetts. The Holdovers star Dominic Sessa, 22, could be seen stepping into the shoes of a younger version of the late celebrity chef while on the set of the A24 project in Provincetown on Thursday. Bourdain was known for starring in shows including the Travel Channel's No Reservations and CNN 's Parts Unknown before his tragic death by suicide in 2018 at the age of 61. Sessa wore a pair of black flared trousers and a red button up which was layered with a black leather jacket, which fit the '70s time period. The budding actor also sported brown curly hair as he shot scenes on a ferry. Dominic was seen holding a conversation with another person while leaning against a railing as the ferry slowly moved along the water. Dominic Sessa, 22, could be seen stepping into the shoes of a younger version of the late celebrity chef Bourdain (pictured in his youth) while on set of the A24 project in Provincetown on Thursday While the official synopsis has remained under wraps, the biopic is slated to follow Bourdain's summer in 1976 in Provincetown, where he had his first introduction to the restaurant industry. Back in April, it was revealed that Antonio Banderas has also joined the cast, although his role is not yet known. The movie will be directed by Matt Johnson, with a screenplay by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe. Sessa began his film career by portraying teenager Angus Tully in The Holdovers (2023) alongside Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The movie was a critical success, and Dominic's performance was singled out for recognition. He was honored with Best Young Performer at the Critics' Choice Awards last year, as well as Best Breakthrough Performance at the Independent Spirit Awards. The actor also recently took on a role in Tow (2025) alongside Rose Byrne, Ariana DeBose, Demi Lovato and Octavia Spencer. Dominic will appear in the Christmas comedy film Oh. What. Fun (2025) and Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025). Sessa wore a pair of black flared trousers and a red button up which was layered with a black leather jacket, fitting the '70s time period. The budding actor also sported brown curly hair while shooting scenes on a ferry Dominic was seen holding a conversation with another person while leaning against a railing as the ferry slowly moved along the water Back in April, it was revealed that Antonio Banderas has also joined the cast, though his role is not yet known Anthony Bourdain began his career in the food industry while studying at Vassar College and took on jobs at seafood restaurants in Provincetown. In an interview with Boston Magazine in 2017, the TV personality reflected on his time in the seaside town. 'It's a very emotional place for me. I came of age there in the early '70s in a very magical, golden, naïve time that I don't think we'll see the likes of again.' He continued, 'And I will say being in Provincetown when I was 17… it was predominantly gay, as it still is. It was a time in history of boundless optimism when we really thought anything was possible. 'I think of the people I lived with and worked with and who befriended me then… whatever value system I learned then informed what came later.' Bourdain further reflected, 'That's where it all started for me. Those were the kitchens that formed my expectations. I thought it was going to be like that forever.' And while talking to The Guardian that same year, the author talked about his first job as a dishwasher in the Massachusetts town. 'I only became happy — in fact, intensely satisfied — as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Provincetown in Cape Cod, my first job.' The late star added that he had been 'a shy, goofy, awkward teenager. But in this blue collar, factory-like environment, there was no blurred line, no grey area, no philosophical question to fret over. 'Dishes had to go in the washer and come out taintless and doing this swiftly and competently meant I was acknowledged as a human being by colleagues I wanted to be like. The day they promoted me to dunking fries I was overjoyed.' Anthony had also been candid about his past drug use during his youth, and he later quit heroin in the '80s. 'I was an unhappy soul, with a huge heroin and then crack problem,' the chef had told The Guardian. 'I hurt, disappointed and offended many, many, many people and I regret a lot. It's a shame I have to live with,' he admitted. He later dropped out of university and graduated for the Culinary Institute of America in 1978. The star notably worked as a chef in restaurants in New York City throughout the '80s and '90s. He had also been the executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles beginning in 1998. Anthony penned a number of books during his career, including as Kitchen Confidential: Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly (2000), which became a New York Times bestseller. The chef had also written articles for publications such as The New Yorker — which published a popular excerpt of Kitchen Confidential before its publication — The Los Angeles Times, Esquire and The Independent. He gained wider recognition due to his television appearances after hosting shows including Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012) on the Travel Channel. The digital series Explore Parts Unknown (2017) garnered the star an Emmy win for Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series. Bourdain tragically died by suicide in France at the age of 61 while filming Parts Unknown.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
4 trees fall on same house in Gwinnett County during metro Atlanta storms
Storm clean up in the metro Atlanta area continues with some trees still on top of houses across the area. That includes one house in Gwinnett County, where four trees fell on the same house. Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson was near Lawrenceville where the trees came down, and thankfully, the family that lived in the home was able to escape. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Ashley Laine Walk, a flooded creek behind the home helped the four trees fall on the house this past weekend during the storms that swept through. The storms left a trail of destruction across Gwinnett County, and tree and roofing companies have been busy keeping up with the damage. TRENDING STORIES: Body found 30 years ago in Atlanta identified as 15-year-old girl Hundreds of laid-off CDC employees are being reinstated 'Senseless': Brothers, ages 13 and 14, accused of Clayton party shooting, posting it to social media 'It was just a catastrophic scene at a lot of these places,' Lunden Bailey, of Bailey Roofing Restoration, told Channel 2 Action News. Bailey said his teams were slammed, helping multiple families impacted by the storm. The damage spread throughout the Lawrenceville area. On Hunters Creek Court, neighbors saw the storm's power up close. 'We looked at the backyard and tree down on this side and tree down on the right side that went into a neighbor's roof,' Cristen Safrit said. This week's forecast includes more severe weather, so Bailey said it's good to have someone take a look at the trees closest to your home. 'If a severe storm comes in, there's no way of telling if it's deeply rooted or not,' Bailey said. 'That can possibly cause harm to your house.' At the home on Ashley Laine Walk, there's still clean up left to do, once crews can go inside and really assess and restore the damage on the inside. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mosaic Georgia opens new Gwinnett facility to help more child sex crime victims
Mosaic Georgia celebrated the grand opening of its new 16,000-square-foot facility Tuesday, marking the first time in nearly 40 years that all services for sexual violence survivors are housed under one roof. Channel 2's Matt Johnson said the nonprofit serves more than 3,000 survivors annually in Gwinnett County, from children as young as infants. Executive Director Marina Peed called the milestone deeply meaningful. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'This day is really a joyful day for me personally,' Peed said, 'to see us take the next step in providing quality services for people that have been harmed by rape and sexual abuse.' When a child is sexually abused in Gwinnett County, Mosaic Georgia gets the first call from law enforcement. They provide everything from medical forensic exams to counseling and legal services. Until now, survivors had to scurry between two separate facilities for different services. 'When you have a safe place where you can go confidentially, work through all of that, it helps you have a better tomorrow,' she said. That's why the consolidated location matters so much to organizers. Peed stressed that their work goes beyond just the victim. 'We provide support for the whole family because everyone is impacted by sexual violence,' she said. The numbers reveal staggering need. Last year alone, Mosaic Georgia handled more than 85,800 services, including 1,176 crisis calls and 554 child forensic interviews. The new facility doubles their capacity with four forensic interview rooms and four medical exam rooms, helping 40% more survivors. Northside Hospital System helped secure the seven-year lease at the Gwinnett building. The $1.5 million project still needs $450,000 from community fundraising. Most clients are children and teens, with services offered in more than 12 languages. 'The shame shouldn't be borne by the person who experienced the harm,' Peed said. TRENDING STORIES: Raids uncover largest fentanyl pill operation in state history in Atlanta, Douglasville 'Black Mecca' no longer? Atlanta prices cause families to move out of the city 1 dead after crash on I-75 NB in Cobb County [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prosperity Partners Completes Acquisition of Danaher Attig & Plante
Addition of Tax & Accounting Firm Bolsters Prosperity's Services and Establishes Presence in Vermont CHICAGO, June 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prosperity Partners ("Prosperity"), a Chicago-headquartered tax and accounting business backed by Unity Partners LP ("Unity Partners"), today announced that it has completed the acquisition of South Burlington, Vermont-based tax and accounting firm Danaher Attig & Plante ("DAP"). Terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2005 and led by Cathy Attig and Matt Johnson, DAP provides sophisticated tax advisory and compliance services to individuals, businesses, trusts, estates and other organizations. The current partners of DAP will remain actively involved in the combined business. "We couldn't be more excited to add the DAP team to Prosperity," said Jeremy Dubow, CEO and co-founder of Prosperity. "Cathy and Matt have earned a stellar reputation in their market, built on two decades of DAP delivering the highest quality tax services to their clients. They have a great team and a complementary service offering that will benefit the Prosperity platform." Consistent with Prosperity's people-first focus, all DAP employees will become part of Prosperity's Employee Purpose Plan, a broad employee ownership program. As an essential aspect of each Unity Partners' investment, the employee ownership plan allows qualifying employees to benefit from the company's success. "Prosperity Partners impressed us with their history of growth, dedication to building an integrated firm with scalable systems, and focus on employee and client success," said Attig. "Prosperity is the right cultural and strategic fit for DAP and its employees; and our clients will benefit from being part of this organization as we continue to provide tax and advisory services to them at the high level of service they are accustomed to." "We're thrilled to have DAP join the Prosperity platform," said Peter Cozzi, Team Lead at Unity Partners. "With strong alignment on Prosperity's mission and ambitions of providing the best client service, we're excited for the opportunities that will come from this partnership." About Prosperity Partners Prosperity Partners is a best-in-class, tax and accounting firm serving dynamic businesses, high net-worth individuals, and family offices throughout the United States. With offices in Chicago, Houston, Kansas City, Santa Barbara, Detroit, Washington D.C., and South Burlington, and a growing team of talented professionals, Prosperity provides tax advisory, tax consulting, tax preparation, valuation, outsourced back-office accounting, fractional CFO, litigation support and start-up business services. For more information, visit About Unity Partners Unity Partners is a principles-based private equity firm that partners investors and operators to build better together, measured by the economic surplus we create and share with all stakeholders. Our principles provide a foundation to build great people-based services and technology organizations that impact thousands of lives. We deploy our Partner & Propel strategy to identify opportunities to Partner with ambitious leaders to accelerate growth, unlock the benefits of platform scale through mergers and acquisitions and Propel value acceleration through investments in people, processes, and operational levers. For more information, visit About Danaher Attig & Plante Danaher Attig & Plante, headquartered in South Burlington, VT, is an accounting firm and trusted advisor to privately held businesses, high net worth individuals, trusts, estates, private foundations and family offices. As tax experts, the firm has become a trusted advisor to clients in Vermont and across the country. Learn more at View source version on Contacts Media Trevor Blaisdell646-502-3532TBlaisdell@ Sign in to access your portfolio
