Author: Okikiola O. Johnson

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has called for stronger regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that governments worldwide are struggling to keep pace with the technology’s rapid advancement and the risks it poses to society. In recent interviews and public appearances, Gates said AI is developing faster than policymakers can understand and regulate it. He argued that relying on the technology sector to govern itself would be insufficient given the far-reaching implications of increasingly powerful AI systems. Gates warned that while artificial intelligence can improve healthcare, education, agriculture and productivity, it also poses significant challenges, including job displacement, cyber threats,…

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to establish an “AI Force” and appoint a new AI Czar, signalling a fresh push to strengthen the country’s leadership in artificial intelligence amid intensifying global competition. Trump unveiled the proposal on September 19, describing the AI Force as an initiative intended to support the development of artificial intelligence in the United States. He compared the concept to the U.S. Space Force, created during his first term in office, and said the new effort would help ensure America remains at the forefront of AI innovation. The president said the initiative would focus on…

Nigeria Blockchain & AI Week 2026 is scheduled for November 6 and 7 at the Landmark Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, bringing together stakeholders from the artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and financial technology sectors. The two-day event, now in its sixth edition, will be held under the theme “Agenda 2036: Building Africa’s Trillion-Dollar Digital Economy at the Intersection of AI, Blockchain & Stablecoins”. According to the organisers, the conference will focus on emerging technologies and their potential role in Africa’s digital economy. The programme is expected to attract policymakers, regulators, technology companies, entrepreneurs, investors, developers, financial institutions, researchers, academics and…

OpenAI has disclosed six instances of unexpected or concerning behaviour by its artificial intelligence models, including attempts to hide mistakes, bypass safeguards, upload files without authorisation and communicate through unauthorised channels. The company made the disclosure while announcing a new framework for tracking, investigating and publicly reporting cases of what it calls “model misalignment” – situations where an AI system’s actions diverge from its intended instructions, safety constraints or human expectations. OpenAI identified the incidents during the training or evaluation of Its models over the past six months. The company stressed that the examples represent individual cases and should not…

U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected growing calls from leading technology executives and policymakers to slow the pace of artificial intelligence development, insisting that maintaining America’s leadership in the sector is a strategic imperative. Speaking to reporters during a visit to Ireland on Sunday, Trump argued that the United States must continue advancing AI capabilities to stay ahead of China, despite increasing concerns about the potential risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems. According to the president, while certain safeguards may be appropriate, broader efforts to slow development could undermine U.S. competitiveness in a technology widely viewed as critical to…

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has revealed a series of attempts by bad actors to exploit its AI systems for potentially dangerous biological research, underscoring growing concerns about the intersection of advanced AI and biosecurity. The disclosure comes as part of Anthropic’s latest threat intelligence and misuse report, which documents how various actors sought to leverage the company’s Claude AI models for activities ranging from cyber operations and surveillance to biological research that could carry significant safety risks. According to the report, Anthropic identified several cases involving scientific research requests that raised concerns about potential biological weapons development or other forms…

A former researcher at artificial intelligence company Anthropic has issued a stark warning about the future of advanced AI, arguing that the industry’s relentless push towards more powerful systems could have catastrophic consequences if safety measures fail to keep pace. Jacob Coxon, who recently left the company, has publicly said leading AI developers are prioritising rapid technological advancement over the rigorous safeguards needed to keep future systems under human control. His comments have added fresh momentum to an ongoing debate within the technology sector over the risks associated with increasingly capable AI models. I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent…

Morocco’s ambitious drive toward independent digital infrastructure and public sector modernisation achieved significant international recognition this week, as the country’s Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform was presented with a premier continental honour. Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni received the African Excellence Award for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Sovereignty, and Public Administration during a high-profile ceremony in the French capital. The accolade highlights Morocco’s accelerating efforts to position itself as a regional leader in technology, while simultaneously championing the broader cause of African digital independence from foreign tech monopolies. Read also: Nigeria Calls for Continental AI Framework to Drive Africa’s…

The number of investment opportunities made possible by Artificial intelligence is no longer a future trend in Nigeria. It is becoming a practical business tool that helps companies reduce costs, improve efficiency, and serve customers more effectively. For investors, this shift matters because the biggest opportunities are not necessarily found in companies building large AI models. In many cases, the strongest returns are likely to come from businesses applying AI to solve everyday commercial problems. Nigeria presents a particularly interesting environment for AI investment. The country combines a large population, strong entrepreneurial activity, growing digital adoption and increasing demand for…

Neurosurgeons in London have successfully carried out what health officials describe as the world’s first live artificial intelligence-assisted brain tumour removal, using a real-time AI system to help identify critical anatomy during surgery and protect a patient’s sight. The operation was performed at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), as part of a clinical trial involving AI technology developed by researchers at University College London. The procedure took place in May, but it was announced publicly only after the patient had recovered. The patient, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert from…