Author: Joseph Michael

As part of a broader push to scale commercial operations and strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence market, OpenAI is expanding its workforce to support product growth, infrastructure scaling, and enterprise demand. The company is reportedly planning to nearly double its headcount from about 4,500 to around 8,000 employees by the end of the year. The expansion is expected to accelerate hiring across key areas, including engineering, product development, research, and sales, as well as customer-facing technical roles designed to help businesses integrate and effectively use AI tools. The move comes as competition intensifies in the artificial…

A growing number of job seekers now face an unusual first step in recruitment: speaking not to a human recruiter, but to an algorithm. In many cases, candidates record answers on camera, submit them, and wait for a decision they will never see explained. Behind the promise of efficiency lies a rising concern: are AI-powered interviews filtering candidates in ways that are opaque, unchallengeable, and potentially unfair? The Rise of the Machine Interview AI-driven hiring tools-often described as asynchronous or automated video interviews-are increasingly used to screen applicants before any human interaction takes place. These platforms typically allow employers to:…

NVIDIA, T-Mobile US, and partners, including Nokia, have announced the integration of physical artificial intelligence applications into AI-RAN-ready telecommunications infrastructure, advancing efforts to transform mobile networks into platforms that support both connectivity and distributed AI computing. The initiative focuses on embedding AI capabilities directly into radio access networks (RAN), enabling telecom infrastructure to run real-time artificial intelligence workloads closer to users at the network edge. NVIDIA said the collaboration is part of its broader vision for AI-native infrastructure. We are building the foundation for AI to operate across every layer of computing, including telecom networks, NVIDIA said in a statement…

Visa Inc., one of the world’s largest payments networks, connecting consumers, banks, and businesses, is now ramping up efforts to build the infrastructure needed for a new era of commerce in which artificial intelligence can independently complete purchases on behalf of consumers. Visa said it is advancing its “agentic commerce” strategy, systems that allow AI-powered agents to search, select and pay for goods, backed by its global payments network and security architecture. The initiative is anchored on its broader Visa Intelligent Commerce platform, designed to integrate AI directly into payment flows. The company said it is “on track to deliver…

The Nigerian electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has held an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development seminar on Artificial Intelligence (AI) at its Lagos State Headquarters in Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, as part of efforts to strengthen the role of emerging technologies in Nigeria’s electoral process. The seminar, held at the Commission’s facility on Birrel Avenue, brought together ICT experts, electoral officials, and key stakeholders to explore the development of an AI framework for election management. The engagement forms part of INEC’s broader push to modernise its operations through digital innovation. According to information published on INEC’s official…

The government of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, has launched an ambitious artificial intelligence (AI)-driven education reform programme to improve foundational learning in public primary schools across the state. The initiative seeks to modernise teaching methods, enhance literacy and numeracy skills, ensuring that every child has access to quality education. The programme, being implemented in phases, initially targets thousands of pupils in selected schools, with plans for broader expansion over time. It integrates AI-powered platforms into classrooms, enabling teachers to monitor student progress in real time, identify learning gaps early, and tailor instruction to individual needs. The technology is also expected…

MBZUAI is where the future of artificial intelligence is being written today, a campus where every lecture, lab, and research project is designed to push the boundaries of human and machine intelligence. Welcome to Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first university devoted entirely to AI. Pioneering AI Higher Education The University institution is the world’s first university entirely dedicated to artificial intelligence. Founded in 2019 in Abu Dhabi, the university represents a bold experiment in specialised higher education, aimed at producing the next generation of AI researchers and innovators. Its establishment reflects the UAE’s vision of…

Kenya’s Senate is currently debating the Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2026, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at regulating artificial intelligence, criminalising deepfakes, and establishing a national regulator. The Bill is a response to growing concerns about the misuse of AI technologies, particularly the manipulation of digital content that can mislead the public, infringe on privacy, or disrupt democratic processes. Sponsored by nominated Senator Karen Nyamu, the Bill proposes criminal penalties for individuals or organisations that create or distribute AI-generated content, including videos, images, or audio, without consent and in ways that cause harm, defame, or spread misinformation. Offenders could face…

The Government of Tanzania has introduced a new scholarship programme in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science as part of efforts to build a knowledge-based economy. The initiative, called the Samia Scholarship Extended (DS/AI+), aims to equip students with skills in emerging fields such as AI, machine learning and computational science. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in collaboration with national research institutions. Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Adolf Mkenda, said the programme reflects the country’s long-term plan to strengthen local technological capacity. “We are preparing young Tanzanians not merely to adapt to…

Yazi, an AI-native research technology startup built on the WhatsApp messaging platform, has closed its first institutional funding round, valuing the company at R30 million (about $1.6 million) pre-money. The funding round was led by 3 Capital Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm spun out of Allan Grey, the South African investment management group. The startup did not disclose the exact amount raised in the round. Yazi’s platform leverages artificial intelligence to conduct research and market studies directly through WhatsApp, allowing organisations to run surveys, interviews, diary studies and panel research without requiring respondents to download new applications or switch to unfamiliar…