Technology Shapes Future Work

Tech Shapes Future Work

Technology plays a vital role in shaping the work and businesses of the future. Here are several ways in which technology can chart a path for the future: Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI): Automation and AI technologies are transforming various industries by streamlining processes, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency. Repetitive and mundane tasks can be automated, allowing employees to focus on more complex and creative work. AI can also provide data-driven insights and decision-making support, improving business outcomes. Remote Work and Collaboration Tools: Advances in communication and collaboration technologies enable remote work…

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Google Bard Debuts in Swahili, Expanding Language Reach

Google Bard Debuts in Swahili, Expanding Language Reach

Google is expanding Bard, its conversational AI service, to 40 new languages including Swahili. Swahili becomes the first African language to be included, pushing Bard’s reach to 59 new countries across territories. The expansion includes new features that allow users to better customize their experience, and boost their creativity. With this expansion, Bard is now available in most parts of the world, including countries in the European Union (EU), and in the most widely spoken languages, such as Swahili, Chinese, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi. Bard now allows users to…

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Google, Microsoft, OpenAI Among Tech Firms Seeking AI Regulation on Their Terms

Google, Microsoft, OpenAI Among Tech Firms Seeking AI Regulation on Their Terms

OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman surprised everyone last month when he warned Congress of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Suddenly, it looked like tech companies had learned from the problems of social media and wanted to roll out AI differently. “In terms of both potential upsides and downsides, superintelligence will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past,” OpenAI execs Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever said. “We can have a dramatically more prosperous future; but we have to manage…

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SA’s new AI association will promote innovation and education

SA’s new AI association will promote innovation and education

SAAIA seeks to encourage stakeholders in the adoption of responsible AI for the commercial and societal benefit of the citizens of South Africa with a primary focus on economic growth, trade, investment, equality and inclusivity. The founding advisory board of SAAIA comprises notable entities such as Michalsons and Webber Wentzel law firms, the Western Cape government, Tshwane University of Technology, the Technology Innovation Agency, and various AI start-ups, including Zindi. Dr Nick Bradshaw, the founder of SAAIA, stated, “Our research has shown that AI and related automation technologies are currently…

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Adobe pushes Firefly AI into big business

Adobe pushes Firefly AI into big business

Adobe earlier this year released a test version of Firefly, its own service which it says was created with legally safe image data. On Thursday, San Jose, California-based Adobe said it will start offering Firefly to its corporate customers as part of Adobe Express, a tool aimed at helping business users who do not specialize in design to create images and documents. The massive creative software company says that the new offering will help enterprises “streamline and accelerate” their content supply chain while “optimizing costs,” or  in short  reducing man-hours…

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TECNO new innovations to meet Africans needs

  For the past 15 years, many aspects contributed to Africa’s rapid economic growth. Mobile phones were critical in leading to this growth. Transsion, a Chinese-led group that started in Africa and focuses on emerging markets outside of China. Its brands, such as TECNO, are household names on the continent, where it is today the single biggest smartphone seller. Transsion’s vice-president, Stephen Ha, puts this down to designing phones specifically for the needs of the African consumers. In 2008, it made a strategic decision to focus exclusively on Africa, before…

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Opinion: Factors that will likely shape ecommerce in the second half of 2020

COVID 19 Read consumer

As we enter the second half of 2020, Dan Barker examines the key trends that are set to shape ecommerce, and how retailers can respond to them. The first half of 2020 has been eventful for ecommerce. Of course technical innovation has progressed: Shopify launched a marketplace, Google relaunched organic product listings, Facebook introduced ‘shops’, and thousands of other changes. But much of the first half of 2020 was shaped by a disease named after 2019. The effects of ‘SARS2’ on ecommerce are tough to overstate. Tens of thousands of…

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Microsoft Unveils Microsoft 365 With AI + Cloud-Powered Features

Microsoft 365

Microsoft will be launching it’s new Microsoft personal together with family subscriptions to replace the current office 365. The plan will be available as of 1st April 2020. Both the personal and family option will include access to office alongside other new features that will be rolled out. The personal plan will be retail at $6.99 and $9.99 monthly subscriptions for the family package of up to six persons. Both plans will include everything in the office 365 including desktop office apps.  1TB of Onedrive cloud storage per person, 60…

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AI revolutionizes the contact center in Africa

AI

The contact centre is changing. In the past, call centre agents had to process a large volume of standard calls, really quickly But with the deployment of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) these agents no longer have to carry out incredibly repetitive tasks and can rather focus their attention on tackling more complex customer concerns. For call agents, RPA makes it possible to complete simple tasks across back-end systems, which reduces the amount of time spent on admin, says Adriaan van Staden, senior sales…

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UTU Technologies raised $500k bridge funding

UTU Technologies innovation

UTU Technologies, a Kenyan Block chain & AI startup building on the Aeternity block chain, has raised $500, 000 bridge funding. UTU Technologies was among the companies that graduated from the Aeternity Ventures StarFleet Accelerator program that saw the company initial funding. According to Jason Eisen, CEO, UTU, the total funding raised now is $1.3 million. UTU Technologies is the company behind the ride-hailing app, Maramoja. The app uses a Trust Engine to recommend ‘a social favorite driver’ or rides as opposed to existing apps like Uber and Taxify. Speaking to…

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