Author: Ugochukwu Levi F

What has changed in the past few years is not simply the sophistication of AI tools, but their accessibility. Capabilities once confined to large corporations and research labs are now packaged into subscription software, cloud platforms, and application programming interfaces that even the smallest firms can deploy. This shift has transformed AI from a speculative curiosity into a commercial imperative. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the conversation has moved decisively away from whether to adopt AI and towards how to make it pay. Boards and owners are no longer satisfied with pilot projects justified by novelty or fear of…

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Moonshot AI is seeking a valuation of around $10 billion as part of a new or expanded funding round, sources disclosed, underscoring the rapid rise of domestic generative AI firms in China. The talks come just weeks after Moonshot completed a financing round that raised about $500 million, valuing the company at roughly $4 billion to $4.5 billion, the sources said. The new target valuation would more than double that figure, although the terms are still under discussion and could change depending on investor demand and market conditions. Moonshot AI is best known for Kimi, its…

While early breakthroughs in machine learning were driven largely by algorithmic innovation, the last decade has shown that progress at scale depends just as much on specialised processors capable of handling immense volumes of data and computation. Graphics processing units, originally designed for rendering images, became the unlikely engine of the deep learning revolution, transforming research labs, data centres, and entire industries. Within this context, the release of the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture marks a pivotal moment. Named after mathematician David Blackwell, the architecture represents more than a routine generational upgrade. It reflects a shift in how AI systems are conceived,…

 From Blue Links to AI-Generated Answers For more than two decades, web search followed a familiar pattern. Users entered a query, scanned a ranked list of links, and decided which sources to trust. This model, continually refined by Google, has become one of the most influential information gateways in modern life. It shaped how people learn, shop, research, and form opinions. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has begun to unsettle that long-standing arrangement. Instead of pointing users to information, search engines can now synthesise it directly, presenting answers in a concise, conversational format. Google’s response to this shift is Google AI Overview,…

Egypt has strengthened its position as a rising centre for artificial intelligence and digital innovation after hosting the inaugural AI Everything Middle East & Africa (MEA) Summit in the capital, an event that drew policymakers, global technology companies, investors, startups and researchers from across Africa and the Middle East. The summit, held in Cairo in February, marked the first time the AI Everything platform was staged for the Middle East and Africa, underscoring Egypt’s determination to play a leading role in the region’s fast-growing AI ecosystem. Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and industry partners,…

When headlines state that “AI experts don’t think OpenClaw is all that exciting,” the reaction is often polarised. Supporters see undue negativity, while critics feel vindicated. Yet the reality is more nuanced. The scepticism reflects broader shifts in how the AI community evaluates new tools, rather than a simple judgement on the project’s intrinsic value. According to several AI practitioners cited by TechCrunch and The Register, OpenClaw is “well-structured but lacks the novelty to stand out in a crowded framework ecosystem.” Understanding this reaction requires examining what OpenClaw is, what it aims to achieve, and how experts define meaningful progress…

Africa’s relationship with technology has often been framed through the lens of late adoption. Yet history tells a more complex story. From mobile banking leapfrogging traditional finance to digital identity systems built at scale, the continent has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to adopt and adapt technology to suit its realities. Artificial intelligence now represents the next chapter in this journey. This week’s African Union Summit in Addis Ababa arrives at a pivotal moment. African leaders, policymakers and technologists are meeting at a time when AI is no longer experimental across the continent. It is being deployed in hospitals, farms, classrooms,…

Systems that generate text, analyse images, write software, and make complex predictions now operate far beyond laboratories. They are embedded in offices, public institutions, creative industries, and everyday consumer tools. This rapid expansion has brought a central question into sharp focus: who controls AI, and according to which rules? The debate over AI control is not merely technical. It sits at the crossroads of power, economics, governance, and social values. Decisions about how AI models are designed, trained, deployed, and constrained determine who benefits from the technology and who carries its risks. As competition intensifies among technology companies and governments…

For much of the past two decades, Alibaba Group built its global reputation as a commerce and cloud computing powerhouse. Its platforms reshaped online retail, logistics and digital payments, while its cloud arm quietly grew into one of the most important infrastructure providers in Asia. Yet the company’s most consequential bet today lies elsewhere: in artificial intelligence, and specifically in its rapidly expanding Qwen family of large language models. Alibaba’s heavy investment in Qwen AI is not a side project or branding exercise. It reflects a deeper strategic recalibration driven by technological competition, economic pressures and shifting global dynamics in…

Broadcasters in the Eastern Cape are increasingly exploring responsible artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth and innovation in the radio sector. Industry leaders say that when applied thoughtfully, AI can enhance content creation, audience engagement, and operational efficiency without compromising ethical standards. Speaking at a regional media forum, Thabo Mkhize, Director of Programming at Eastern Cape Radio Network, highlighted the transformative potential of AI. “AI is not here to replace broadcasters; it’s a tool to amplify creativity and better connect with listeners,” he said. Broadcasters are particularly focused on using AI for tasks such as personalising playlists, improving news delivery, and…