Coming to America: Low-paid humans behind AI’s data in Kenya petition Biden to free them from ‘modern day slavery’ as President Ruto visits US
On Wednesday, 97 African workers who do AI training work or online content moderation for companies like Meta and OpenAI published an open letter to President Joe Biden, demanding that US tech companies stop “systemically abusing and exploiting African workers.”
VP Harris announces during Kenya’s President Ruto’s US tour plans to raise internet access in Africa by 80 per cent
Africa has struggled to receive the capital needed to build up its industrial and technological sectors. The United Nations reported last year that foreign direct investment in the continent fell to $45 billion in 2022, from a record high $80 billion in 2021.
Storm brews following Microsoft’s UAE deal that’ll move key US chips and AI abroad, including Kenya
The broad intent of the deal is for Microsoft and G42 to jointly take AI technology into regions where neither could do so as effectively alone. An early example is a deal in Kenya announced by the two companies on Wednesday.
International investigators now link tech giant Apple to massive theft of Congo minerals
Congo’s lawyers notified Apple CEO Tim Cook on April 22 of a series of concerns about its supply chain, and also wrote to Apple subsidiaries in France, demanding answers within three weeks. The Amsterdam & Partners LLP law firm has been investigating allegations that minerals mined in Congo by several companies and armed groups are being smuggled out through Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.
French, Russia, Chinese firms scramble for contract to build Ghana’s first nuclear power plant
Ghana started considering building a nuclear power plant in the 1960s but the process was derailed by a coup. It revived the plan in 2006 with the International Atomic Energy Association’s assistance, following a devastating power crisis that year.
After space missions on Mars and Moon, NASA plans to land on Uranus in 10 years and wants EPA on board
The mission has been under discussion for some time, and it will be exciting to see it begin to take shape. But, to make sure it is successful and happens as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, we would like to see others involved in its design, too. As a first step, we call for the European Space Agency (ESA) to join the project by, for example, building the entry probe, a possibility that was foreseen in the decadal report and has been assessed by ESA but has not yet been agreed.
Some respite for WikiLeaks founder Assange as he wins right to appeal against extradition to US
The brief ruling from the bench followed arguments over Assange’s claim that by releasing the trove of confidential documents he was essentially a publisher and due the free press protections guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
London court to decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be extradited to US
The US has provided those reassurances, though Assange’s legal team and supporters argue they are not good enough to rely on to send him to the US federal court system.
Smartphone companies scramble for growing market in Africa, but put at risk users personal data
Literacy rates that are below the global average, and lack of services in many African languages – some 2,000 are spoken across the continent, according to The African Language Program at Harvard University – are other reasons why a smartphone isn’t a compelling investment for some.
Critics say US’ legalisation of plant-grown meat is a ‘dangerous grand experiment’ that’ll hurt health and environment
In the case of Piggy Sooy, “They’re creating a transgenic life form – they’re taking the genes from a totally different species, in this case an animal, and inserting them into existing soy genetics. What could go wrong? We don’t know.” Yet, these products “will eventually be involved in agriculture, because those seeds that they’re genetically modifying will go in soil, will go in the environment,” Kastel said. “The impacts are unknown.”
