These days, it's hard to find a person who doesn't use AI. Given its ubiquity, what is Ethicronics' stance on AI?

Recently, we attended the event 'AI and me: How AI is shaping people and professions', led by Clare Gaffney, Barbara McGillivray, and Ganesh Venkatesh at HEC In The UK. 

One conclusion the speakers reached was that AI is unable to successfully replicate human authenticity. Clare argued that human 'intuition' cannot be imitated, but she praised its utility as a 'sparring partner'. Similarly, Barbara argued that AI lacks the necessary 'lived experience' for genuine originality. 

I couldn't help but notice the philosophical underpinnings of this discussion. Let me explain.

In the 18th century, Kant argued that space and time are fundamental 'intuitions' (anschauung). AI does not inhabit the spatiotemporal world. Drawing from Kant, perhaps this is why AI is incapable of imitating human authenticity.

Simone De Beauvoir, in 'The Second Sex', coined the term 'lived experience' (erlebnis). This work was monumentally influential for second-wave feminism. Here, she emphasised the role of first-hand subjective experience in order to better comprehend the society in which we live. 

AI is fundamentally probabilistic. It generates text by predicting the likelihood of one word following another. Human beings don't work that way. We don't think by assigning probabilities to words. Rather, we harness past experiences. And so, drawing from De Beauvoir, perhaps it's because of erlebnis -- a sense of subjectivity -- that AI won't ever be able to replicate human authenticity. 

What do you think? Can AI be genuinely original? If yes, why? If not, why not? Email me at george@ethicronics.com.

It's been a busy year at Ethicronics. So, we decided to take a moment to reflect.

A university education is priceless. But what you don't get is hands-on, real-life industry experience. This is what we provided to twelve precocious young minds from the University of Cambridge, who worked with us for three months. 

They attended socials, visited embassies, and learned about what it's like to work in a flourishing start-up environment. Of course, their technical skills improved vastly. But most importantly, they transformed their minds, and grew as individuals.

Rohan Wadhawan, one of our interns -- and a young man who will indubitably go on to do great things -- said: "Over the summer, I worked with a talented group of software engineers, developing the company's core hardware assurance solution [...] It's also been very interesting learning about the inner workings of a fast-paced startup environment, and I'm super grateful for the opportunity to have worked here."

Our interns also partook in Hack@CHES2025, the world's leading hardware security hackathon in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Out of 47 teams, they placed an impressive 5th. Fittingly, they celebrated by enjoying the view from the iconic Infinity Pool overlooking the Petronas Towers. 

Yes, Ethicronics is a start-up that provides hardware assurance. But it's also so much more than that. We provide the springboard on which future leaders begin their careers. We are proud to have cultivated the potential of such talented individuals. To our interns, we are very proud of and grateful for all your hard work.

At Ethicronics, we're almost always busy with events. It's important to consolidate what we've learned, and to appreciate the gems of knowledge bequeathed to us by deep-tech experts. So where have we been and what have we gathered?

The first photonic quantum computer was (arguably) designed in Bristol in 2013 -- thank you to Martin Weides for clarifying this point. Recently, as part of SiliconCatalyst's third cohort of start-ups, we attended Chipstart's event in Bristol. Here is a (blurry) picture of Franck doing his presentation!

The city's legacy in deep-tech is palpable. Each CEO gave an elevator pitch. As I watched, I became increasingly gripped by a pervasive sense of excitement. This, it occurred to me in a moment of inspiration, is how the world goes round. Novel ideas, and the execution of those ideas, function as the engine of human advancement.

Also, as a (self-admitted) neophyte in deep-tech, I learned an important lesson. Of course, when gauging the potential of a start-up, the ideas themselves are most important. But the way in which these ideas are communicated should not, by any means, be underestimated. I was struck by the clarity with which the CEOs expressed their ideas. Similarly, at Ethicronics, we strive to 'translate', as it were, deep-tech terminology to those who want to get into the industry.

Recently, our CEO, Dr. Franck Courbon, took part in the prestigious Franco-British Council’s Young Leaders Programme - an initiative designed to deepen bilateral understanding and cooperation between France and the United Kingdom.

UK Prime Minister Mr. Keir Starmer and French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron in front of Franco-British Young Leaders including Dr Franck Courbon (CEO Ethicronics)

This year’s programme coincided with a historic moment: the first EU political leader state visit to the UK since Brexit, underscoring the renewed importance of cross-channel collaboration.

The Young Leaders Programme brings together emerging leaders from a wide range of sectors to foster high-level dialogue and build lasting networks between the two countries. The week included a number of impactful engagements, including a Franco-British Defence roundtable on HMS President and in-depth policy discussions held in a House of Commons Committee Room—reflecting the programme’s commitment to substantive, strategic exchange.

A highlight of the week was Dr. Courbon's attendance at a high-profile AI panel discussion hosted at Imperial College London, featuring President Emmanuel Macron and the CEOs of Google DeepMind and Mistral AI. The panel explored the ethical, geopolitical, and technological dimensions of artificial intelligence, a topic of particular relevance to Ethicronics and its mission of promoting responsible innovation.

Ethicronics, under Dr. Courbon’s leadership, is dedicated to advancing better and transparent technology from Cambridgie to the world enabled by international cooperation —particularly at the intersection of innovation, policy, and societal impact. Participation in the Young Leaders Programme aligns closely with the company’s values and its commitment to fostering global dialogue on emerging technologies.

We would like to express our gratitude to the French Embassy in the United Kingdom, and the Franco-British Council for facilitating such a future-focused and impactful programme. Dr. Courbon's involvement reflects Ethicronics’ broader ambition to contribute meaningfully to Franco-British relations and to support a forward-looking vision of collaboration between the two nations, particularly strong in the Defence sector.

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#Semiconductors #TechnologyInnovation #InnovateUK #InnovateUKBusinessGrowth #GBIP 
#Cybersecurity #HardwareAssurance #SecureCompute

Ethicronics recently participated in Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) for semiconductors, joining a UK delegation visiting key innovation hubs across Canada from April 28 to May 2, 2025.

The programme brought us to Montréal, Sherbrooke, Ottawa, Toronto, and Waterloo, where we engaged with Canadian leaders in industry, research, and government. Our objective: explore opportunities for collaboration in confidential computing and hardware assurance.

We focused on two key technology areas:

• Hardware assurance for sectors such as defense, finance, telecoms, and critical infrastructure.
• Near-memory confidential computing for chiplets, with relevance for data centers and automotive systems.

These discussions reflect our broader aim to expand Ethicronics' global presence and strengthen R&D partnerships beyond Europe and Asia, where we already work with several market leaders.

Aligning Strengths Between the UK and Canada

Canada’s openness to collaboration and its strengths in research and innovation made this a productive visit. We were particularly interested in identifying pilot opportunities and shared R&D initiatives aligned with our current software-first approach to hardware security.

We thank Innovate UK and our Canadian hosts for a well-structured programme and look forward to building on the relationships formed during this visit.

Group photo from the Center of Collaboration MiQro Innovation institute near Montreal

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates or view the original LinkedIn posts: Semiconductors Global Business Innovation, Visit to Canada

#Semiconductors #TechnologyInnovation #InnovateUK #InnovateUKBusinessGrowth #GBIP 
#cybersecurity #hardwareassurance #securecomputing

Representing Innovation at the House of Commons

At the invitation of the French Chamber of Great Britain, we joined the Franco-British Reception at the UK Parliament. The event brought together business leaders and policymakers, including Emmanuelle Bury-Lucas (BNP Paribas), Sir Alex Chisholm (EDF UK), Paul Drechsler, and Ben Lake MP.

Collaboration at the Finnish Ambassadors Residence

We also took part in a series of events hosted by the UK Young Academy, by Cambridge Wireless, by Business Finland at the Finnish Ambassadors Residence in London. The later brought Finnish and UK cybersecurity leaders, discussions focused on technology, policy, resilience, and critical infrastructure, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across sectors and countries.

These engagements are an important part of how we stay connected to wider conversations shaping our field—and contribute where we can.

CEO Dr. Franck Courbon at the Finnish Ambassadors residence in London

Recognition in Cyber Security

Finally, our CEO Dr. Franck Courbon received the Cyber Security Influencer of the Year award at the annual Cyber Security Awards Dinner in London. The award highlights Ethicronics’ growing role in advancing secure technologies and contributing to key discussions around cyber resilience in the UK and beyond.

Cyber Security Influencer of the year award, given to Dr. Franck Courbon by Cyber security awards.

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates or view the original LinkedIn posts: House of Commons, Finish Embassy, Cyber Security Awards

Ethicronics goes to Japan as part of the Department of Business and Trade's UK Fintech and Financial Sectory Cybersecurity trade mission

At Ethicronics, collaboration drives innovation. Our recent participation in the Department of Business and Trade's (DBT) UK Fintech and Financial Sector Cybersecurity trade mission to Japan provided a valuable opportunity to share our expertise, build connections, and engage in discussions between two important hubs of technology—UK and Japan, Tokyo and Cambridge.

Strengthening Connections In Japan

Returning to Japan as part of the UK Fintech and Financial Sector Cybersecurity mission was an important step for us. Organized during Japan Fintech Week, the mission aimed to encourage dialogue and cooperation between UK and Japanese stakeholders. We were pleased to contribute by presenting Ethicronics’ Cambridge-based innovation and showcasing our expertise in trusted computing, scalable hardware assurance, and solutions that address hardware supply-chain security.

Engaging in Tokyo

Our week in Tokyo was filled with key meetings and presentations. Our CEO, Dr. Franck Courbon, delivered several presentations—including one at The British Embassy, one at the headquarters of a leading Japanese Finance institution and another at the headquarters of a complementary potential partner in cybersecurity. These engagements allowed us to share Ethicronics’ strengths, including trusted computing, hardware assurance, and our collaborations with stakeholders across finance, telecoms, defense, and other industries.

We also met with leaders from corporate venture capital and other sectors, learning more about the diversity of Japan's innovation ecosystem. The mission was well-organized, and we appreciated the effort of the hosts to facilitate productive discussions.  Despite the changing weather—from sunshine to rain and snow— it has been a very fruitful week.

Dr. Franck Courbon giving a presentation at the British embassy in Japan

Reflecting on Collaboration

We were honoured to witness discussions on AI collaboration involving UK and Japanese government leaders, including three Ministers. These conversations highlighted the shared commitment to advancing technology through international cooperation and demonstrated the importance of initiatives like the UK Fintech and Financial Sector Cybersecurity Trade Mission.

At Ethicronics, we are proud to contribute to these efforts from Cambridge. Our work remains focused on addressing real-world challenges while creating opportunities for innovation, mainly starting with low-level software and our solution for hardware supply chain security.

GB Foreign and International Development Minister Rt Hon David Lammy MP
GB Minister of Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds MP
JP State Minister for Foreign Affairs TSUJI Kiyoto-san
MRes., MPhil., MEng., PhD., CEO & Founder Franck Courbon (in the background!)

Looking Ahead

This visit to Japan reinforced the importance of partnerships and collaboration. We would like to thank again the Department for Business & Trade / British Embassy Tokyo and all organizers for their efforts in putting together such an effective mission. Japan has always been an important partner for us, and this trip has further strengthened our connection to its ecosystem.


As we move forward, we remain committed to advancing trusted computing, hardware assurance, and innovations that contribute to global progress. Thank you to everyone involved—we look forward to continuing these conversations and collaborations.

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates or view the original LinkedIn posts: Announcing Japan Visit, Updates from Japan, Discussing UK-Japan Collaboration

We are thrilled to announce that our CEO, Dr. Franck Courbon, has been appointed to the executive committee of the Cambridge University Engineers' Association (CUEA). This role reflects his unwavering commitment to the local community for global impact.

Global impact and engagement Franck's extensive experience spans corporate, academic, and entrepreneurial realms, with notable contributions to both local and international communities. His approach has enabled him to mentor and inspire approximately 2,000 individuals, including 13-year-old students, undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers, and professionals in incubators and accelerators across the Middle East and Asia.

Part of Franck's mission is to support future leaders transparently, particularly world-leading engineering students in their career choices. His frank and unbiased guidance empowers students to navigate their paths with confidence and clarity, ensuring they are well-prepared to tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Collaborative initiatives Franck's involvement such as the Cambridge University Engineers' Association underscores Ethicronics' commitment to fostering innovation and excellence through technology. Franck has supported various organisations given his strong knowledge of the Cambridge Eco-system notably. Form the Future CIC, Cambridge University of Cambridge Judge Business School, Department of Computer Science and Department of Engineering, SETsquared Partnership, and UniHive Education are some examples of supported institutions.

Join us in celebrating this exciting milestone and stay tuned for more updates on our LinkedIn. We continue our efforts to drive innovation and support the engineering community.

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#Innovation #Education #Ethicronics #EngineeringExcellence #ComputerScience #UniversityofCambridge #Ecosystem

We are excited to introduce our two new full-time employees Juled Likalla and Sebastian Morris who bring with them a dynamic blend of software, firmware and cybersecurity expertise.

Already this month Sebastian journeyed to Cheltenham to meet with NCSC and its partners on the future of UK cyber security. At the same time Juled has been here in our Cambridge office diligently developing our hardware assurance technology.

Both have shown us great motivation and team-spirit bolstering the working culture here at Ethicronics. Welcome to the team.

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Happy New Year from Ethicronics!

Kicking off 2025, we're excited to announce the appointment of our founder, Dr Franck Courbon, as a Bye-Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge. This privilege comes with the opportunity to redouble our ethos of collaboration, shaping the next generation of computer scientists and engineers through supervision and teaching. We hope to deliver bespoke education that inspires innovation and upholds the prestigious standard of Cambridge University.   In the spirit of sharing our space and expertise, we are happy to begin our Impact Fridays; if you're looking for an open study space full of insight and vision please join us Friday 4-6pm at our office in the Guildhall.

 

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