In about 90 minutes� time well get the latest health check on the economy and everyone is asking the question will the numbers reveal we are officially out of recession . Well, most experts predict yes, and say we will see a smidgen of Growth Injanuary of 0. 2 . This would confirm the Bank Of Englands suggestion that the downturn is behind us. During the final three months of last year, the data showed the uk slipped into recession and inflation injanuary was at 4 so its still twice the Bank Of Englands target. Lets discuss all of this with azad zangana, Senior European Economist at schroders. Good morning to you. Are you with the majority believing today will give us a Growth Number . Today will give us a Growth Number . ~. ~ ~ number . We are. We think it could be number . We are. We think it could be even number . We are. We think it could be even a number . We are. We think it could be even a little number . We are. We think it could be even a little higherl could be even a little higher than the 0. 2 . But that is really because we have already got Retail Sales Data showing a 3. 4 rise for the month of january, which should help lift some of the Service Numbers within the gdp figures. But it is ust a within the gdp figures. But it isjust a small within the gdp figures. But it isjust a small amount, within the gdp figures. But it isjust a small amount, and l within the gdp figures. But it l isjust a small amount, and the is just a small amount, and the Office For Budget Responsibility was saying that it would be for the whole of this year . It it would be for the whole of this year . This year . It will be a difficult this year . It will be a difficult year this year . It will be a difficult year and this year . It will be a difficult year and it i this year . It will be a difficult year and it is j this year . It will be a difficult year and it is worth remembering that one month of growth doesnt mean the recession is over. That is to be sustained over the first three months of the year, over a quarter, essentially, and our expectation is that probably wont happen and we think the recession will probably last until the Second Quarter of the year. But the challenges are very much alive for the uk economy and we highly doubt it is going to be a particularly strong year at all. Is going to be a particularly strong year at all. What do you think of the strong year at all. What do you think of the recent strong year at all. What do you think of the recent data strong year at all. What do you think of the recent data is think of the recent data is going to do do the thinking of Andrew Bailey and his team at the Bank Of England and when we might see Interest Rates coming down . ~. , might see Interest Rates coming down . ~ � might see Interest Rates coming down . ~ ,~ down . Welcome Andrew Bailey and the Bank Of England down . Welcome Andrew Bailey and the Bank Of England have down . Welcome Andrew Bailey and the Bank Of England have really the Bank Of England have really been mostly focused on inflation coming down. The weakness in growth suggests some of the underlying Inflation Pressures might start to fall away. Well, andrew. It is important because those are been elevated. If we get a strong rebound in the next months, it might suggest rates need to say higher for longer. But we think the bank and start easing Interest Rates from about may onwards. This easing Interest Rates from about may onwards. As far as the spring about may onwards. As far as the Spring Budget about may onwards. As far as the Spring Budget is about may onwards. As far as i the Spring Budget is concerned, next month, the two peak cut our National Insurance comes into effect. How will that was growth, and some of the other measures introduced . Growth, and some of the other measures introduced . 2p. The ho e is measures introduced . 2p. The hepe is the measures introduced . 2p. The hope is the government measures introduced . 2p. The hope is the government can hope is the government can raise disposable incomes for households leaving them with more money in a pocket after payday. And with that they could decide to hopefully go out and spend some of the money and stimulate more of the economy. But i think one of the big issues for the uk is it hasnt been a Demand Problem over the last year or so, but a supply problem. We havent had enough workers filling those Job Vacancies that we have had and as a result companies have struggled to provide services and output and that is why we have had so much inflation. fik. Have had so much inflation. 0k. Azad zangana, have had so much inflation. 0k. Azad zangana, thank you for your time and expertise on this. Just as say when we get the Growth Numbers for the uk, we will make sure you know. Now lets Focus On Technology and the challenge of policing ai. In europe, following a heated debate on tuesday, meps are expected to approve the Artificial Intelligence act later today. Theyll vote on new rules to ensure the technology is trustworthy safe and respects eu fundamental rights, while supporting innovation. In december last year, eu officials reached a provisional deal on the worlds First Comprehensive laws to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence. Negotiators agreed rules around ai in systems like chatgpt and facial recognition. Well, lets talk this through with kirsten rulf, Partnered Associate Director at boston consulting group. Good to see you this morning. It sounds the holy grail that they have come up holy grail that they have come up with laws that will enable safety, respect, that it will be trustworthy, but also innovation will continue. Your thoughts . I innovation will continue. Your thoughts . Innovation will continue. Your thou~hts . , thoughts . I would say this is a true watershed thoughts . I would say this is a true watershed moment thoughts . I would say this is a true watershed moment for i thoughts . I would say this is a i true watershed moment for both consumers and businesses in the european union, in the uk, and stop the Artificial Intelligence act is the first conference of law on Artificial Intelligence and policing it and making it trustworthy, so the hope is here that businesses will get the Legal Certainty that they need to actually innovate as the other technology. What we have seen in recent months, especially with the clients ive spoken to, is they have been hesitant to, is they have been hesitant to adopt the technology because there are some legal uncertainties, because Quality Control isnt actually that easy, when you work with large language models, and Artificial Intelligence act, i believe, will strongly contribute to the scaling of the technology and to innovation, overall, for businesses. To innovation, overall, for businesses. �. , businesses. But will deliver on the promise businesses. But will deliver on the promise that businesses. But will deliver on the promise that it businesses. But will deliver on the promise that it will businesses. But will deliver on the promise that it will enable | the promise that it will enable this technology, which is notoriously complicated, and hard to keep up with, constantly changing, keep it safe, and enable it to be trustworthy, etc, but also not stifle innovation . Will do that job or not . Job or not . That is the exact question job or not . That is the exact question. Todays job or not . That is the exact question. Todays road job or not . That is the exact question. Todays road is i job or not . That is the exact l question. Todays road is not the end of the journey but the beginning. There is a lot to do to implement the Artificial Intelligence act. There are at least 20 delegated acts that the European Commission will have to implement the provisions of the ai act, then there is the ai pickup offers that the eu wants to start with about 200 new hires until the end of the year, as far as i hear, that will set standards and give out ten templates to work on. The ai 0ffice. Give out templates. Within six months of the ai act come into provision, but then Everything Else will take longer, up to 36 months for the high risk systems to come fully into being in the european ai act. There is a lot to do and implementation is clearly key here. If that becomes as complicated as with gdpr, not much as one. But over businesses is they will get some Legal Certainty and the ai act will provide that. Just briefl , act will provide that. Just briefly, kirsten, act will provide that. Just briefly, kirsten, from act will provide that. Just briefly, kirsten, from your perspective, most of the Tech Industry are welcoming this, are they . In industry are welcoming this, are they . Industry are welcoming this, are the . , are they . In the Tech Industry es. But are they . In the Tech Industry yes. But what are they . In the Tech Industry yes. But what i are they . In the Tech Industry yes. But what i see are they . In the Tech Industry yes. But what i see with yes. But what i see with traditional companies, manufacturing companies, and small and medium enterprises, is there is a lot of anxiety. Many of them have already moved to try to become complied with the ai act. But it is much harderfor them before traditional harder for them before traditional businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, to become compliant, and there isnt a lot of time to build up the kind of Risk Management systems and actually. Bill kind of Risk Management systems and actually. Kind of Risk Management systems and actually. And and actually. All right. And to hire the and actually. All right. And to hire the talent and actually. All right. And to hire the talent you and actually. All right. And to hire the talent you need l and actually. All right. And | to hire the talent you need to become compliant. There is the Tech Industry and then there is a real industry, and we will see a lot of differences between those two in implementing Artificial Intelligence and the ai act. Kirsten rulf from the boston consulting group, thank you. Lets stay with technology. Tiktok faces the most serious threat yet to its existence in america. Us lawmakers in the House Of Representatives are set to vote on a new bill which could result in a ban of the of the worlds most popular apps in the us, with more than 170 million users there. 0ur north America Business correspondent Michelle Fleury has more from new york. Time may be running out for tiktok in its largest market the united states. If successful, new legislation would force tiktok� s chinese owner, bytedance, to find a new non chinese owner or face removal from us app stores. Ahead of a house vote on the bill on wednesday, lawmakers received a classified briefing from intelligence officials on the administrations worries about the video app and how it could potentially use data it collects from americans. Democrats said the stakes couldnt be higher. My concerns are they will try to influence the election and elect donald � tiktok� trump. Among those opposing the ban, president ial hopeful donald trump. Still, republicans backing the bill largely dismissed concerns about trumps backlash weighing the party from getting the legislation done. Trumps comments actually, you can square them with what the bill does, to put differently, to put a finer point on it, the bill doesnt shut down tiktok and force all of tiktok� s users onto facebook. What we are after is a separation from tiktok from its parent company, bytedance, and by extension, the ccp, and in that world, tiktok users can continue to use the platform. There are reports of those Inside Tiktok were caught off guard by the level of support for the proposed law. The bill is expected to pass by huge margins in the house, but could have problems in the senate. Michelle fleury there. Lets get some of the days other news now. A new law will be introduced later to clear the names of the hundreds of Sub Postmasters wrongly convicted in britains post Office Scandal. The legislation is expected to clear the majority of victims in england and wales by the end ofjuly. Prime minister rishi sunak said its An Important Step Forward in clearing hundreds of Sub Postmasters. People who were not convicted but made up shortfalls from their own pockets will get £75,000. Lawyers for the boeing employee turned whistleblower found dead by apparent suicide have hailed him as a brave, honest man of the highest integrity. Mr Barnett Retired after working more than 30 years at boeing in 2017. He was giving evidence in a lawsuit against the company before his death. Two of his attorneys called on police to fully investigate how he had died. Robert turkewitz and Brian Knowles told the bbc that mr barnett was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him. In the us, the central bank received the news it didnt want to hear inflation has edged up in february, as prices for petrol and housing pushed higher. So the annual rate, which measures the pace of price increases, was at 3. 2 , up from 3. 1 injanuary. Airfares, Car Insurance and clothing were among the items driving the increase. Grocery prices, which have been a big contributor to inflation in recent years, were unchanged. So what does this mean for the Federal Reserve as it considers when to start cutting Interest Rates . Wall street wasnt phased by the news with the S P 500 Index Closing Ata record high, up over i on the day. You can see this is the broadest market were closed. It closed up over i on the day. Lets talk to marc 0stwald about this. Hes Chief Economist and global strategist ar adm isi. Hello to you. It is a tiny move upwards on inflation. How significant do you think . It is significant significant do you think . It is significant from significant do you think . It is significant from the significant do you think . It 3 significant from the fact that it basically says us inflation is going to prove a little bit more sticky and slow in coming down. In terms of whether we get an Interest Rate cut, it really basically pushes a first rate cut further out, but doesnt actually say they wont cut. I think that is where wall street got its comfort from. And you think it kind of gives Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve some sort of credit to say, no, we need to wait and see. There was pressure to start cutting rates in march, at the beginning of the year. She make itjustifies the Federal Reserves resistance to calls for a rate cut in march oras calls for a rate cut in march or as soon as possible. Or as soon as possible. Absolutely or as soon as possible. Absolutely it or as soon as possible. absolutely itjustifies or as soon as possible. absolutely it justifies the Federal Reserves. They said it wont come down as quickly as possible and we need to be cautious and to be really sure because we dont want to start inflation again, so absolutely justifying the feds stands. They shrugs off and it didnt speak markets. Is that because what is really feeling markets at the moment is Companies Like nvidia add anything to do with al and technology and not about ai and technology and not about the Overall Health of the us economy . The Overall Health of the us econom . ,. ,. , economy . And anything to do. To a cert