Author: Joseph Michael

Meta Platforms Inc. has announced plans to cut about 8,000 jobs, representing roughly 10% of its global workforce, as the company accelerates spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and restructuring efforts. The layoffs were communicated to employees in an internal memo, which said the move is part of a broader effort to improve efficiency and reallocate resources toward major investments in AI systems. According to the memo, the job reductions will begin on May 20, 2026, and the company will also avoid filling around 6,000 open roles. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the restructuring plans, stating: “We’re doing this as part of…

A Nigerian visual artist, Malik Afegbua, is using artificial intelligence to document and preserve cultural memory, combining emerging technology with storytelling to safeguard histories that are often under-recorded or at risk of being lost. Based in Lagos, Afegbua has been working on AI-assisted creative projects that draw from oral histories, family archives, and community narratives to reconstruct and preserve cultural identity in digital form. He says the aim is not to replace traditional storytelling, but to extend its reach and lifespan. He explains that many important histories exist only in personal memory and are rarely formally documented. According to him,…

The global push to develop talent in artificial intelligence and digital skills is accelerating, with Africa increasingly seen as a key growth hub. In the latest development, Lagos-based game development studio Maliyo Games has partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) to train and certify 10,000 African learners in AI, game development, and related digital skills. The programme, announced through ASU’s Endless Games and Learning Lab in collaboration with Maliyo’s GameUp Africa initiative, focuses on practical, industry-oriented training, including micro-credentials and project-based learning. ASU officials say the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between education and industry demand. “This marks…

Huawei has presented its AI-driven optical network strategy at the OptiX Club 2026 event, highlighting how artificial intelligence is becoming central to the evolution of telecom infrastructure as global data traffic continues to surge. The company said increasing demand from cloud computing, 5G services, video streaming, and AI workloads is placing significant pressure on existing optical networks. In response, Huawei is advancing “autonomous optical networks” that operate with minimal human intervention through AI-powered self-configuration, self-optimisation, self-healing, and predictive maintenance. A major focus of the strategy is the use of AI for predictive fault detection, enabling networks to identify and address…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged that many Tesla vehicles already on the road will require hardware upgrades to support a future version of Full Self-Driving (FSD) capable of operating without human supervision. Speaking during Tesla’s recent earnings discussion, Musk said that older vehicles equipped with the company’s Hardware 3 computer are not powerful enough to run unsupervised autonomous driving systems. He stated that while Tesla previously aimed to achieve full autonomy through software updates alone, that approach is no longer sufficient for older hardware. Musk admitted, “Hardware 3 simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised Full Self-Driving.”…

Tether has introduced a new artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative called the “Stable Intelligence” layer, designed to extend AI capabilities across edge devices such as smartphones, laptops, and other low-power computing systems. The system is intended to reduce reliance on centralised cloud infrastructure by enabling AI models to run directly on user devices. According to the company, this approach improves processing speed, enhances privacy, and allows for offline functionality in certain applications. At the core of the initiative is a modular framework that Tether describes as a way to deploy and execute AI models across various hardware environments. The goal is…

Meta Platforms is rolling out internal monitoring systems that will collect employee computer interaction data, including keystrokes, mouse movements, and on-screen navigation, to help train its artificial intelligence models, according to internal communications and industry reporting. The initiative is part of Meta’s broader effort to build AI systems capable of performing everyday digital tasks more effectively by learning directly from real human behaviour in workplace settings. A Meta spokesperson said the company needs real-world interaction data to improve its AI agents, stating: “If we’re building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of…

Apple has announced a major leadership transition, confirming that Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will step down on September 1, 2026, after 15 years in the role. Cook will remain at the company as executive chairman, where he is expected to focus on long-term strategy, governance, and advisory responsibilities. The company also confirmed that John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, will succeed Cook as CEO. Ternus has been with Apple for more than two decades and has overseen key hardware divisions, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Vision Pro product lines. In its announcement, Apple described…

SymphonyAI has launched eight artificial intelligence applications designed to enhance asset reliability, operational efficiency, and predictive maintenance across the energy sector. The company said the new applications extend its IRIS Foundry platform into energy-specific operations, aiming to help operators move from reactive maintenance models to predictive and prescriptive decision-making. “These applications are built for the realities of energy operations, not generic enterprise environments,” SymphonyAI said, noting that the tools are engineered around industry-specific failure patterns such as compressor surge, pipeline corrosion, heat exchanger fouling, and refinery performance degradation. The company added that the system integrates operational technology, IoT, and enterprise…

Google has expanded its Gemini in Chrome feature to seven additional countries, marking another step in its push to embed artificial intelligence directly into everyday browsing experiences. The rollout now includes Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam, broadening access beyond earlier availability in markets such as the United States, Canada, India, and New Zealand. The company said the expansion is designed to make web browsing more intelligent and interactive by allowing users to access Gemini directly within the Chrome browser. With the integration, users can summarise webpages, compare information across multiple tabs, ask contextual questions, and…