FTI Consulting News Bytes – 09 January 2026

FTI Consulting News Bytes

This week, the UK government unveiled a £210m Cyber Action Plan to combat escalating cyberattacks, introducing a new Government Cyber Unit and stricter standards for public sector suppliers. Across the Atlantic, CES 2026 lit up Las Vegas with AI-powered gadgets and humanoid robots, but Britain’s “spotty” presence drew criticism from industry leaders warning of missed opportunities in global tech leadership. Meanwhile, Google’s chief AI architect Koray Kavukcuoglu shared insights on Gemini 3 (Google’s latest AI model), marking another leap toward scalable, agentic AI. In sports tech, Lenovo announced AI-driven analytics and digital twins to power FIFA World Cup 2026 operations, promising smarter coaching, officiating, and fan experiences. And finally, Warner Bros has rejected Paramount’s latest takeover bid, reaffirming its commitment to a Netflix merger as the streaming wars enter a new phase. 

This week’s news

UK pencils £210m cyber action plan to curb escalating attacks 

The UK government has outlined plans for a £210m Cyber Action Plan to strengthen public services amid rising cyberattacks on major firms in 2025. As City AM reports, a central feature is a new Government Cyber Unit responsible for coordinating cyber risk management, incident response, and enforcing stricter standards on public sector suppliers. The plan aligns with the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which mandates minimum cyber standards, 24‑hour incident reporting, and tested response plans. Officials say this initiative will protect essential digital service, from tax and healthcare access to benefits payments, while boosting productivity by up to £45 billion. However, with cybercrime having a projected global cost of £27 trillion by 2027, ministers have emphasised the need for swift, system‑wide resilience to maintain public trust. 

“Spotty” UK presence at CES sparks criticism 

CES 2026 kicked off this week in Las Vegas, with the annual event once again delivering a whirlwind of futuristic technologies. From AI-powered gadgets to humanoid robots, smart technology dominated the floor, while Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang stole the spotlight with a presentation featuring Star Wars-style robots. The FT writes that the promise of superintelligence “seems to have given CES its mojo back,” as the industry rallies around a new era of intelligent devices and connected innovation. But amid this wave of creativity, the UK’s presence has drawn criticism. In comments reported by The Times, Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the US Consumer Technology Association (CTA), described Britain’s participation as “spotty” compared with France and the Netherlands, citing the absence of senior political figures and limited government support as “disappointing.” Industry leaders warn that this lack of engagement could hinder the UK’s tech ambitions, leaving private firms to absorb costs while competitors benefit from government backing in an increasingly competitive global market. 

Google’s Koray Kavukcuoglu on Gemini 3 and AI at scale 

Koray Kavukcuoglu, Google’s chief AI architect and CTO of DeepMind, spoke on the FT’s Tech Exchange about Gemini 3, Google’s latest large language model and a major milestone in its pursuit of artificial general intelligence. Released in November, Gemini 3 advances multimodal understanding, recognising that content is not limited to text but can come in many forms. It also introduces generative user interfaces that create interactive widgets and simulations, making learning and coding more intuitive. Koray explained how Google  differentiates itself by leveraging its full AI stack to integrate frontier AI directly into products used by billions. He described this as turning abstract AI concepts into user-friendly tools, highlighting that Gemini 3’s agentic capabilities and steerable persona represent another significant step toward richer, more practical AI experiences at scale. 

Lenovo taps AI and digital twins to power World Cup 2026 

Lenovo has unveiled a suite of AI and infrastructure technologies to support the FIFA World Cup 2026. According to Computer Weekly, the initiatives aim to transform coaching, officiating, broadcasting and venue operations. At the heart of the programme is Football AI Pro, an AI-powered knowledge assistant that uses multiple agents to analyse more than 2,000 metrics and millions of FIFA data points. The tool allows coaches to simulate tactical scenarios and provides players with personalised performance insights, with Lenovo positioning it as a way to “democratise access to elite-level analytics.” Lenovo is also introducing AI-enabled 3D avatars to support VAR decisions, which they hope will provide clarity for in-stadium fans. Beyond the pitch, Lenovo will deploy digital twins and an intelligent command centre to monitor crowd flows and venue operations in real time, alongside providing the tournament’s core IT infrastructure. 

Warner Bros. rejects latest Paramount bid 

Warner Bros. Discovery has rejected an improved takeover offer from Paramount Skydance, encouraging shareholders to stick with its agreed transaction with Netflix. Bloomberg reports that the board remains sceptical about Paramount’s ability to finance what would be one of the largest leveraged buyouts ever, despite Larry Ellison’s pledge to guarantee $40.4bn in equity funding for the $30-per-share bid. In a letter to investors, Warner Bros. warned that the “extraordinary amount of debt financing” required “heighten[s] the risk of failure to close,” compared with the “certainty of the Netflix merger.” Paramount, valued at around $14bn, would need close to $94.65bn in combined debt and equity to acquire the company. By contrast, Netflix’s $27.75-per-share proposal involves acquiring Warner Bros.’ studios and streaming business while spinning off its cable networks, a structure the board said “maximises value while mitigating downside risks.” 

Top Tweets of the Week

• Mark Kleinman, City Editor at Sky News: “In my first @CityAM column of 2026, my predictions for British business in the year ahead, including a surprise CEO departure in the supermarket sector, an outside appointment to run the UK banking regulator, and another target for shareholder activism.”
• Ian King, business journalist and presenter: “The first edition of 2026 of the @CNBCi 
  newsletter to which I contribute – CNBC UK Exchange – is out this morning. This week – five things to watch for in the UK during the new year. You can subscribe – it’s free – via the link in the article.”
• Reuters: “South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shook hands with a Chinese humanoid robot during a business forum in Shanghai. ‘This makes me incredibly flattered,’ the robot said.” 

Number of the week

800mn The number of units Samsung plans to deliver for its AI-powered mobile devices this year. (Reuters)