A selection of notable quotes and comments we’ve come across this month
By Marc Ambasna-Jones 04 Jun 25 Reading time: 3 mins
“I got connected with a16z [Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz’s VC firm] and its executive placement portfolio, then I found quantum computing, and I got bit by the quantum bug.”
TreQ CEO and founder Mandy Birch on her journey from working on drones and autonomous vehicles for the US Air Force to joining a Silicon Valley leadership programme for military veterans.
“Our hypothesis is that innovation can happen faster if someone is doing the systems-level design and engineering.”
“Let’s not be Lord Kelvin. Hype is dangerous, but so is denial.”
Sir Peter Knight, chair of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme Strategic Advisory Board, talking about the quantum industry outlook while referencing the 19th-century physicist who wrongly predicted that heavier-than-air flight was impossible.
“It’s very easy to say, ‘this company got funding’ or ‘this modality looks promising’. But that’s just one tile in a vast, complex picture. If I fast-forward five years, I’d probably say this field will be about a quarter of the size it is today.”
Robert Sutor, former IBM exec and now CEO of Sutor Group Intelligence and Advisory, who likened the quantum landscape to a jigsaw puzzle where everyone is fixated on single pieces, while few are assembling the full image.
“People say, ‘humans need to be in the loop’, and they forget the fact that humans have never been out of the loop. Because where do you think the model came from in the first place?”
Dr Simon Fothergill, AI consultant and founder of Lucent AI, talking about AI ethics and why responsibility isn’t a blocker of AI innovation but a foundation.
“We have a ban on using AI tools for software development. We want everything to be architected fundamentally by the smartest people.”
“When there is market turbulence, corporate VCs tend to have a bit more stability because they are not so tied to the constant fundraising cycles and risk towards that. Most CVCs are very stable from the capital they receive from the parent company.”
“It’s fascinating how a simple suction cup, with no electronics inside, can feel, think and act – just like an octopus arm. This could help robots become more natural, soft, and intuitive to use.”
Tianqi Yue, research associate at the University of Bristol and lead author on a paper on an octopus arm-inspired robot that can decide how to move or grip objects by sensing its environment.
Working as a technology journalist and writer since 1989, Marc has written for a wide range of titles on technology, business, education, politics and sustainability, with work appearing in The Guardian, The Register, New Statesman, Computer Weekly and many more.
