Author: Akin Naphtal

Kenya’s President William Ruto has announced a partnership with American tech giant Oracle Corporation to establish a global data centre in Nairobi, marking the second such centre in Africa after the establishment of one in South Africa. President Ruto, while in Italy, revealed the government’s plan to make Kenya a preferred destination for international IT companies. The partnership with Oracle Corporation, a major player in the tech industry, shows the commitment to driving digital transformation across various sectors in Kenya. The global data centre in Nairobi is expected to serve as a regional hub, contributing to the digital transformation of…

Nightshade, a newly developed and freely available tool which helps artists prevent unlicenced usage of their artworks for training AI models, has amassed 250,000 downloads within five days of its release. Created by computer science researchers at the University of Chicago, and crafted to empower artists, Nightshade has struck a chord with the global artistic community seeking to safeguard their creations from AI scraping without consent. Ben Zhao, the lead on the Nightshade project and a professor of computer science, was astonished at the overwhelming response, stating, “I expected it to be extremely high enthusiasm. But I still underestimated it.…

Researchers at Tel Aviv University, Israel, have used CRISPR genetic editing technology to cultivate a variety of tomatoes which consume less water without affecting yield, taste, or quality. Tomatoes heavily consume water so this achievement holds promise for addressing the increasing demand for crops that consume less water, especially in the face of global warming and diminishing freshwater resources. The research, which involved modifying the tomato through genetic editing using the CRISPR method, was carried out in the laboratories of Professor Shaul Yalovsky and Dr. Nir Sade. It was led by a dedicated team of researchers from Tel Aviv University’s…

Major technology companies, including SAP, Google, Microsoft, and Duolingo, have been investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), sparking a debate on whether these initiatives are behind the mass layoffs the tech industry saw in 2023, and is still seeing in 2024. Layoffs.fyi reported in 2023 that layoffs in the tech industry exceeded 250,000, which is over 50% higher than layoffs in 2022. In 2024, tech layoffs continue to happen, with data from the site showing that 104 tech companies have laid off over 28,000 workers so far. Overall, the tech industry has seen 456,534 layoffs from 2022 till date. Recent…

French automaker, Peugeot, has announced its collaboration with ChatGPT to enhance the voice assistant systems in its cars and vans, joining other car brands such as Volkswagen (VW) and Mercedes-Benz who also make use of the popular AI chatbot. Director of Peugeot’s Product Plan, Jerome Micheron, shared the details during a media call on Tuesday, 30th January, 2024. Micheron stated that Peugeot intends to implement ChatGPT across its entire vehicle lineup, including the upcoming e-3008 model and small commercial vehicles. Peugeot is set to launch a pilot version of the ChatGPT service on Wednesday in five countries, namely, France, Britain,…

Amazon and robot vacuum manufacturer, iRobot, have jointly announced the termination of their proposed merger, citing insurmountable challenges in gaining approval from EU and U.S. antitrust regulators as the reason for abandoning the $1.4 billion deal. iRobot concurrently unveiled a significant restructuring plan designed to cut costs, including a workforce reduction of approximately 31%, equating to 350 jobs. Additionally, Colin Angle, the founder of iRobot and CEO of the Roomba robot vacuum manufacturer, has stepped down from his position. Angle stated that, given the current challenges, he and the board mutually agreed that iRobot would benefit from new leadership with…

Japanese auto giant, Toyota Motor, has maintained its position as the world’s leading automaker for the fourth consecutive year, achieving sales of 11.2 million vehicles for the year 2023. The company faced challenges posed by governance issues involving certification test procedures for cars and engines, however, Toyota still reported a 7.2% increase in global group sales in 2023. This figure includes sales from its subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino Motors, as well as affiliate Toyota Industries. During an event to unveil the vision for the Toyota group, Chairman Akio Toyoda expressed his deepest apologies to customers and stakeholders, acknowledging the inconvenience…

The social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has taken temporary measures to block searches for pop musician, Taylor Swift, after AI-generated, sexually explicit images of the singer surfaced on the platform. Users attempting to search for Taylor Swift on the platform received an error message, indicating that the action is a precautionary measure to prioritise safety. Joe Benarroch, Head of Business Operations at X, noted that the block was a temporary action, and it was implemented with an abundance of caution. The move comes in response to the proliferation of explicit, deepfake images of Taylor Swift on social media over…

Pesapal has launched a secure and swift cashless tipping, allowing customers to express appreciation on Sabi POS. The new innovative feature will be available on all Pesapal Sabi POS terminals and aims to make tipping easier and more convenient as cashless transactions continue to grow across East Africa. Speaking on the new feature, Pesapal Technical Director Fred Mwangima said that, “As transactions go cashless, we are adapting our POS machines to accommodate digital tipping. With this new feature, we are providing a convenient way for customers to show their appreciation for good service”. According to McKinsey Global Payment Map, Africa’s…

Chinese authorities have approved more than 40 artificial intelligence (AI) models for public use in the first six months of its approval process, signalling the country’s commitment to advancing AI technology and keeping it under regulatory control. According to reports, the latest batch of approvals includes 14 large language models (LLMs), with recipients including Xiaomi Corp, 4Paradigm, and 01.AI. China began requiring tech companies to obtain regulatory approval to release their LLMs to the public in August of 2023. This marks the fourth batch of approvals, and aligns with the government’s initiative to strike a balance between fostering innovation in…