Author: Ugochukwu Levi F

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today released its latest AI Preparedness Index, highlighting that a large number of countries-particularly in the Global South, including several across Africa-still lack the foundational infrastructure needed to sustainably adopt and benefit from artificial intelligence technologies. According to the IMF index, which assesses readiness across four key pillars-digital infrastructure, human capital and labour policies, innovation and economic integration, and regulation and ethics-emerging market and low‑income countries lag significantly behind advanced economies. Advanced economies scored an average of 0.68 on the index, compared with 0.46 for emerging markets and just 0.32 for low‑income nations. IMF researchers warned that…

Nigerian AI startup Intron has launched Sahara v2, a voice and speech recognition platform designed for Africa’s linguistic diversity. The system aims to deliver more accurate voice AI services for African languages, addressing gaps in global models. Sahara v2 is built on over 14 million audio samples from 40,000+ speakers across 500 accents, supporting 57 African languages, including Hausa, Swahili, Zulu, Yoruba, Igbo, Xhosa, and African French. At the virtual launch, CEO Tobi Olatunji said, “Africa doesn’t speak with one voice. It speaks with thousands of accents, dialects, and languages. This is only the beginning.” He added that Sahara v2 tackles limitations in…

Young innovators have unveiled a series of artificial intelligence-driven solutions to improve healthcare access and service delivery across Nigeria. The innovations were presented during the Codeavour 7.0 National Championship at Charterhouse Lagos over the weekend. The solutions, developed by students and technology enthusiasts, aim to enable early disease detection, streamline patient management, and expand remote medical consultations. Winners of the event will represent Nigeria at the Codeavour International Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 16, 2026. Among the standout teams were visually impaired students from the Bethesda Home and School for the Blind in Lagos. Their AI-powered audio wearable glasses…

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic has filed legal action against the U.S. Department of Defence and other federal agencies to block and overturn a Pentagon decision that labelled it a “supply‑chain risk”, a designation that could bar military contractors from using its AI technology. Anthropic filed two separate lawsuits on Monday-one in a federal district court in California and another in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.- challenging the government’s move as “unprecedented and unlawful.” In court filings, Anthropic argues the designation is retaliatory and violates its constitutional rights, including free speech and due process: “The Constitution does not allow the government to…

OpenAI has announced the acquisition of Promptfoo, a startup that develops tools to detect and fix vulnerabilities in AI systems. The move is aimed at enhancing security features for OpenAI’s enterprise Frontier platform. Promptfoo’s technology helps identify issues such as prompt injection, data leaks, jailbreaks, and unsafe tool execution in AI models. Its tools are widely used by developers and enterprise teams for testing AI behaviour before deployment. Also Read: OpenAI raises $110B Srinivas Narayanan, CTO of OpenAI’s B2B Applications, said, “Promptfoo brings deep engineering expertise in evaluating and securing AI systems at enterprise scale. Their work helps businesses deploy…

 As discussions about artificial intelligence and Nigeria’s 2027 elections grow, much of the attention has focused on deepfake videos. While those threats are real, experts warn that the most dangerous forms of AI manipulation may be the ones voters never clearly see. One emerging concern is the use of AI to spread political propaganda in local languages. In Nigeria, political conversations increasingly take place via WhatsApp voice notes in languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Pidgin. Modern AI tools can now translate and generate speech in these languages, making it possible to produce convincing audio messages that sound like…

 Global technology company Microsoft has expanded its partnership with technology services firm TeKnowledge to train 10,000 Nigerians in artificial intelligence (AI) skills, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s digital workforce. The initiative, announced during a programme briefing in Lagos, will provide structured training in AI technologies for developers, students, entrepreneurs and professionals seeking to build careers in emerging digital fields. The programme forms part of the second phase of Microsoft’s national AI skilling efforts in Nigeria and is designed to help individuals and organisations adopt AI tools while building local expertise in the rapidly expanding technology sector. Speaking…

A surge of artificial intelligence‑generated videos depicting the Iran conflict has flooded social media platforms in recent days. These videos, created entirely with AI tools rather than captured on the battlefield, have been widely shared and monetised by some creators. Experts say advanced AI video generators have lowered the technical barriers to producing realistic combat footage. Explosions, missile launches, and battlefield scenes are being fabricated in minutes, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish real from fake. “AI-generated content is becoming indistinguishable from real footage. People are consuming it as news, which is dangerous,” said Dr Mariam Toure, a digital…

AI-generated fake news, images, and videos make misinformation harder to detect. In Nigeria, misleading content on social media and news platforms can sway opinions, cause panic, and undermine trust. To navigate this dilemma, using credible fact‑checking tools is essential. These tools can help verify claims, identify manipulated media, and provide reliable context. Below are 10 fact‑checking websites and apps that are especially useful for Nigerians amid AI‑enhanced content and privacy invasions. Consider Reading: 10 Major AI-Generated Disinformation About 30 Million Nigerian Women at Risk BBC Reality Check  What it does: Analyses viral claims and news stories with evidence-based reporting. Best functionality:…

As AI continues to transform workplaces, certain professions remain far less vulnerable to automation, according to Anthropic. These roles rely solely on human skills such as judgment, creativity, and empathy to thrive. For instance; Healthcare Professionals Healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, provide medical care, diagnose illnesses, and guide treatment plans for patients. They interact directly with people, adapt to unpredictable situations, and make ethical decisions daily. Why is it safe? AI can assist with data and diagnostics, but cannot replicate the human empathy, judgment, and ethical reasoning required in real-time patient care. Mental Health Specialists / Therapists Therapists and counsellors…