Author: Ugochukwu Levi F

Cities like  Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence and sensor-equipped municipal trucks to detect and repair potholes more quickly, marking a shift toward smarter, more proactive road-maintenance systems. “Instead of waiting for complaints, cities can now see road damage as it forms.” The approach involves equipping everyday city vehicles, such as garbage trucks, buses, and maintenance vans, with cameras, GPS devices, and motion sensors. As these vehicles move through city streets, they continuously collect data on road conditions without disrupting normal operations. The information is then analysed using AI systems trained to recognise road damage such as…

Goldman Sachs, a global investment bank based in New York City, United States, has projected that worldwide spending on non-hardware artificial intelligence (AI) could exceed $1 trillion, signalling a major shift in how the AI economy is evolving beyond chips and infrastructure into software, services, and large-scale corporate transformation across industries. “The AI economy is shifting from building systems to embedding intelligence across entire organisations.” The forecast highlights a turning point in the AI boom: the transition from building artificial intelligence systems to embedding them deeply into business operations, workforce structures, and broader economic systems. According to the investment bank’s…

China has launched a global artificial intelligence education service platform to expand access to digital learning resources and strengthen international cooperation in AI-powered education. The platform was unveiled during the World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou, as China continues to expand efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into education systems and lifelong learning programmes. Authorities said the initiative is intended to promote the sharing of digital educational resources and to support the wider adoption of AI tools in teaching and learning worldwide. The platform is an upgraded version of China’s existing Smart Education initiative, which already provides access to digital learning…

Nokia has launched a new agentic artificial intelligence platform designed to transform broadband network management and improve operational efficiency for telecom operators worldwide. The Finnish telecommunications company announced that AI-powered capabilities will be integrated into its broadband and home networking portfolio, including the Altiplano, Corteca, and Broadband Easy platforms. Nokia said the initiative aims to help service providers automate network operations, accelerate fibre deployment and improve customer support through autonomous AI-driven processes. According to the company, the technology leverages operational intelligence gathered from more than 600 million broadband lines globally. Nokia said the AI agents can independently analyse network conditions,…

Across Africa’s anti-corruption agenda, a noticeable shift is underway from traditional enforcement mechanisms toward the integration of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies as core tools to strengthen governance, oversight, and institutional accountability. This direction was strongly reflected at the 16th Commonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa, held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 4 to 8 May 2026. The meeting convened senior anti-corruption leaders, policymakers, and international experts to examine how digital systems can be practically deployed to improve the detection, analysis, and prevention of corruption. Rather than treating AI as an abstract innovation, discussions framed it as…

Heirs Insurance Group has unveiled ‘Prince AI’, a multi-language generative artificial intelligence assistant designed to improve customer engagement and expand access to insurance services across Nigeria’s diverse population. The company announced that the launch forms part of its digital transformation strategy as it approaches its fifth anniversary. According to Heirs Insurance, Prince AI is the first generative AI-powered insurance assistant deployed at scale within Nigeria’s insurance industry. The AI assistant is designed to provide real-time interaction with customers, helping them understand insurance products, compare coverage options, and receive guidance tailored to their needs. The platform can also assist users with…

Lack of basic infrastructure, digital literacy, poor network connectivity, and insufficient funding have been identified as major factors slowing the adoption of artificial intelligence among rural farmers in Nigeria. Speaking in an interview with AIbase reporter Ugochukwu Levi, Arinze Chijioke, an investigative journalist on agriculture, said one of the major challenges confronting Nigerian farmers is the difficulty of leveraging the artificial intelligence tools needed for effective agricultural practice. Arinze noted that artificial intelligence is a welcome development, given its impact in detecting crop diseases, predicting weather patterns, monitoring soil health and fertility, providing market insights, and connecting farmers to potential…

Artificial intelligence companies captured 61% of global venture capital investment in 2025, according to an OECD analysis released in February 2026, marking a major shift in the distribution of startup funding toward the AI sector. The report estimated that AI startups raised USD 258.7 billion, accounting for 60.4% of the total USD 427.1 billion in global venture capital funding in 2025. This represents a sharp increase from 2022, when AI accounted for roughly 30% of total venture investment worldwide, underscoring how quickly capital allocation has shifted toward artificial intelligence. “AI has become the dominant force in global startup financing, reshaping…

OpenAI has announced the creation of a new enterprise-focused unit designed to accelerate how businesses deploy artificial intelligence systems in real operational environments, marking a shift from model provision to hands-on implementation services. The new unit, often described as a deployment-oriented subsidiary, will embed technical teams directly within client organisations to help redesign workflows, integrate AI tools into production systems, and scale usage across core business functions. According to OpenAI, the initiative aims to help companies move beyond experimentation and into the sustained deployment of AI systems. The company stated that its goal is to support organisations, “our goal is…

Lagos, Abuja, and Rivers State have emerged as Nigeria’s leading centres for corporate adoption of artificial intelligence, as businesses across finance, energy, telecommunications, and public administration accelerate the deployment of AI systems to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and automate operations. “Enterprise AI adoption is now concentrated in Nigeria’s major economic hubs, where infrastructure and corporate activity are strongest.” Industry data and sector reports indicate that enterprise AI adoption in Nigeria is now concentrated in these three regions, driven by stronger digital infrastructure, higher corporate density, and faster technology adoption than in other parts of the country. Lagos remains the dominant…