As we progress further into 2024, a year guaranteed to be full of complexities and uncertainties, the heightened demand for genuine expertise to guide us through our challenges will become more important than ever.



The dilemma we face is that too many people are in a rush to claim their expertise, making it increasingly difficult to discern genuine or real experts from those who are still learning the ropes.



In today’s era of digital self- promotion and personal branding, the term “expert” is thrown around like confetti at a wedding celebration raising the question: do all those who lay claim to the title genuinely warrant it?



So-called experts are everywhere. Individuals self- assign this once prestigious title along with others like coach, consultant, and specialist to impress others, attract fresh business prospects, gain speaking opportunities, or boost their book sales.



A novice cook who decides to share a few recipes on a blog declares himself a culinary expert. A traveler who describes his own limited experiences on a social media platform promotes himself as a world travel consultant.



A person who successfully quits smoking for a few months positions herself as a “quit smoking coach”.



There’s also the individual who completes a coding bootcamp and subsequently calls herself a software development guru, the parent who has raised four children who markets himself as a parenting expert, and the former manager who proudly identifies as a management specialist.



And in the age of social media, many individuals with modest followings or experience in online marketing present themselves as digital marketing gurus. They may offer expert advice on growing one’s online presence, yet that expertise often lacks a solid track record of successfully driving results for clients.



Perhaps even more common are individuals who have made their own personal fitness transformations who brand themselves as fitness experts.



While their dedication to personal fitness is commendable, true fitness or coaching expertise involves a deep understanding of physiology, nutrition, and personalized training plans.



It seems that the whole idea of being an expert doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve dedicated your life to mastering something these days. It’s more like a jacket you can throw on, and it seems like anyone with a tiny bit of knowledge can wear it.



Put simply, being an expert has become a trendy label, applied to anyone with a hint of knowledge.



So if you need the services of a true expert, and you want to gauge the extent of an individual’s expertise, what might you look for?



True expertise isn’t simply being one step ahead of your neighbors on a particular topic. It’s about knowing more than most people in a particular field.



Becoming an expert usually requires substantial education or training, thousands of hours of practice, and a deep understanding of the subject.



And true experts continually learn to stay updated in their field.



Some also regard experts to be those individuals who not only have extensive knowledge and experience in a particular area – but who are also effective communicators who can explain complex concepts to others, making their knowledge accessible and understandable. For those seeking to become experts there are also some considerations.



While, the internet often promotes the notion of instant expertise, genuine greatness is a product of ongoing effort and unwavering commitment.



It means that those on the path to becoming experts must resist the urge to assert their authority prematurely.



It’s also important to recognize that true authority should be conferred upon them by others who recognize their expertise rather than being self-proclaimed. None of us get to call ourselves experts. It’s a term best applied by others to describe an individual’s accomplishments and expertise.



In other words, you can’t claim the expert title yourself. Only when others label you an expert, does it become a reality.



As we start a brand-new year full of challenges, issues, and opportunities, we don’t need more experts but we do need more apprentices or those willing to take the time to develop expertise. If you are finding yourself in need of guidance or expertise, look out for those who embody the principles of unwavering dedication, continuous learning, and a proven track record.



In a world awash with self-proclaimed experts, let’s champion those who have truly earned their stripes, and in doing so, let us collectively raise the standard for what it means to be an expert in 2024.

Businessman Signing Digital Contract On Tablet

Raising The Bar For What It Means To Be An Expert In 2024

Women-founded companies in African health technology soared to new heights last year, raising $52 million in funding, 31% of the total investments compared to 2022’s 1.4%, which represents over 2,000% increase, as per Salient Advisory&#8217;s latest Market Intelligence report titled 2023 Roundup: Investments in African Healthtech.



The report establishes that it is an increase over the $2 million in funding that went to women-founded companies in 2022. Year-over-year, the number of deals that went to women-led companies in comparison were 26 deals in 2022 and 33 deals last year. Funding to mixed-gender founding teams increased from 10% in 2022 to 21% last year.



&#8220;The key driver in the overall increase was the fact that we saw large funding rounds for a number of women-founded companies, including Kasha’s $21 million round which is the largest by a woman-founded company in African healthtech,&#8221; Yomi Kazeem, Engagement Manager at Salient Advisory, shares with FORBES AFRICA.



&#8220;Alongside Kasha (Kenya), Dawi Clinics (Egypt), Maisha Meds (Kenya) and Chefaa (Egypt), collectively accounted for 75% of the total funding raised by women founders in 2023.&#8221;



He considers it great to see such large funding rounds for women, explaining that it aligns with his team&#8217;s advocacy to investors and donors for intentional approaches to providing funding to women founders with the aim of bridging long-running gender financing gaps.



For him, if the trend is sustained, the implication is that funding in African healthtech ecosystems will become more inclusive, with more &#8220;amazing&#8221; women-founded companies getting crucial early and late-stage funding to support their work. &#8220;It will also mean that these women founders will also be at the forefront of transforming health systems across the continent.&#8221;



The report also highlighted a nuanced perspective on funding dynamics within African healthtech receiving $167 million in equity, grant, and debt funding. While overall investments experienced a marginal 2% decline, the sector demonstrated resilience compared to the broader African tech ecosystem, which saw a substantial 39% drop in funding.



The African healthtech ecosystem’s number of deals rose by 17%, to a total of 145. However, the average ticket size for deals decreased by 15%, to $1.1 million, with 78% of innovators raising less than $1 million in individual deals. In total, 114 innovators received funding last year, with 23 of them receiving multiple investments.



Zillah Waminaje, Consultant at Salient Advisory, elucidating on the funding landscape, states to FORBES AFRICA, &#8220;The reality is that much of the funding deals for healthtech startups on the continent are grants, which typically have smaller ticket sizes. In 2023, 52% of all the deals we tracked were grants but this added up to just 7% of all funding, with an average ticket size of around $170,000.&#8221;



Waminaje further highlights the strategic significance of grants, emphasizing their role in validating business models and propelling growth trajectories for innovators.



&#8220;We expect to continue to see a large number of grant deals for healthtech companies, especially as grant-based programs like Investing in Innovation, which has an annual cohort size of 30 healthtech companies, deepens the important work they are doing across African healthtech ecosystems.&#8221;



The report unveiled a surge in funding activity, with a notable focus on online pharmacy solutions, primarily driven by Series B raises. Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt emerged as focal points for investments, while francophone Africa witnessed a modest uptick, propelled by notable deals in Côte d’Ivoire.



Equity investments dominated the funding landscape, comprising 91% of total investments, with only a single debt-based investment recorded. Pre-seed and seed-stage funding collectively amounted to $36.8 million across 50 deals, and $99m was invested at Series A or higher stages across seven deals.



Last year also witnessed a doubling of merger and acquisition activity compared to 2022, with the report highlighting a burgeoning investor appetite for African health tech as over $600 million was raised in new funds.

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Women-Led African Healthtech Firms Secure $52M In Funding, Marking Over 2,000% Increase

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



OpenAI is testing a new feature that gives ChatGPT a memory to store information from a user’s previous chats—including their voice, tone and personal preferences—in order to create a more intensely customized experience for future requests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Users will be able to choose whether they want ChatGPT to store a conversation, allowing the chatbot to remember specific details about the user over time to create more personalized responses, OpenAI&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/blog/memory-and-new-controls-for-chatgpt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;in a blog post.



The user will be able to control what information ChatGPT can store about them, the company said, though the chatbot’s “memories” will “evolve with your interactions,” allowing it to determine over time what information should be stored based on a user’s preferences.



If a user asks ChatGPT to create a birthday card for a child the user previously said likes jellyfish, OpenAI used as an example, ChatGPT may create a card featuring a jellyfish wearing a party hat.



The feature will be applied to other GPTs, including ChatGPT Team and Enterprises, allowing the chatbot to “remember your tone, voice and format preferences” while responding to certain tasks, while Books GPT will recommend books based on a user’s preferences, like favorite genres or top books.



Organizations will be able to upload data to ChatGPT, which will then create charts based on that data along with “three takeaways each,” while programming firms will also be able to store information about their programming language and frameworks to remember those preferences for future tasks, OpenAI said.



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Joanne Jang, OpenAI’s product lead, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-13/openai-gives-chatgpt-the-ability-to-remember-facts-from-your-chats" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>&nbsp;that while the new memory feature can store information about the user, it was also designed to not save sensitive personal information like passwords, passport numbers or details about the user’s health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



The feature will be available for some free and paid ChatGPT users this week before it becomes more widely accessible, OpenAI said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Memory for ChatGPT is the latest feature announced by OpenAI following the chatbot’s success over the last year. Last month, the company launched GPT Store, an online marketplace where users can share custom chatbots with others, after a two-month delay amid CEO Sam Altman’s ouster and subsequent return to the company. ChatGPT Team was also launched last month, a smaller version of ChatGPT Enterprise, which was released in August as an alternative for organizations to use the chatbot with “enterprise-grade security.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



Altman, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15UZCAr3shU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spoke</a>&nbsp;over video during the Dubai-based World Governments Summit, reiterated his concerns about the possible dangers of artificial intelligence. Altman noted he was “not that interested in the killer robots walking on the street direction of things going wrong,” rather he was “much more interested” about the “very subtle societal misalignments” that could make the technology dangerous.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/01/10/openai-launches-gpt-store-where-creators-can-share-and-possibly-make-money-from-their-chatbots/?sh=4904127c7cae">OpenAI Launches GPT Store: Where Creators Can Share—And Possibly Make Money From—Their Chatbots</a> (Forbes)

In this photo illustration, the ChatGPT (OpenAI) logo is

ChatGPT Can Now ‘Remember’ Users—Including Their Voice, Preferences

The CEO ofKenya’s Private Sector Alliance speaks to FORBES AFRICA about the country’s growth prospects on the back of its 60 years of independence celebrations.



Kenya is, arguably, East Africa’s most robust economy, with the country putting in the yards to better itself in several sectors. With 2023 marking a watershed moment for the country, it celebrated key achievements over the past 60 years as well as its impact on business in Africa through the creation of opportunities for investment.



“Kenya has a diverse and resilient economy, with sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, services, tourism, and energy offering opportunities for investment,” says KEPSA CEO, Carole Kariuki.



She adds that a systematic urge to position the country as a key investment hub is paying off.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Some of the opportunities for investments in Kenya include being the leading producer and exporter of agricultural products such as tea, coffee, flowers, fruits and vegetables. There is potential for value addition, agro-processing, irrigation, and mechanization in the sector.” &nbsp;



Kenya is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, with an average annual growth rate of 4.8% between 2015 and 2019 and an expected 5% growth in 2023. The country has reduced poverty from 36.5% in 2005 to 27.2% in 2019 and has improved its global ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index from 136th in 2015 to 56th in 2020.



As a leader in innovation and technology in on the continent, with a vibrant startup ecosystem and a strong digital infrastructure, Kenya is home to some of the most successful African tech companies, such as Safaricom, M-PESA and BRCK, among others.



However, there are challenges. High power costs have not been good for the economy and the country witnessed the exit of a large number of companies in December due to high operational expenses.



“Manufacturing has a well-developed industrial base that Kenya boasts of. The sector produces a variety of goods such as textiles, leather, food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and metal products. The government has identified manufacturing as one of the key pillars of its Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda,” admits Kariuki.



Despite the nation’s ambitious plans to increase the sector’s contribution to GDP, some heavy-lifting is necessary to tackle the high-power costs. Going into the next 10 years of growth, Kariuki says accelerated economic growth will be driven by increased investment in trade, transport, communication and innovation.



“The country has a well-developed infrastructure network, a skilled labor force, and a conducive regulatory framework for doing business. Kenya is well-positioned for take-off in the next decade, as it has many strengths and opportunities to leverage,” she says. &nbsp;



With a median age of almost 20 years, and a literacy rate of 81.5%, as reported in 2018, the country has all the necessary ingredients to chart out a new and prosperous future.&nbsp;But despite Kenya being a regional hub, weak governance could dampen the country’s prospects.&nbsp;



“My administration will be stepping up the war on graft. Any public servant found to be engaging in corruption will be subjected to face the full wrath of the law,” said President William Ruto, when the nation marked its Mashujaa Day celebrations in October last year. &nbsp;



Kenya has primed itself as a gateway to the East African trade corridor, a bloc that boasts a market of over 300 million people (about a quarter of Africa’s population) and a reported combined GDP of $305.3 billion.



According to Kariuki, the roll-out of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides preferential access for Kenyan products and services to these markets.



“A visionary and ambitious development agenda that aims to transform Kenya into a middle-income country by 2030 needs a renewed focus on delivering food security, affordable housing, universal health coverage, manufacturing, and SME development. That require[s] massive investment outlays and will put Kenya on the pedestal for industrialization,” she says. &nbsp;



Having being at the helm of&nbsp;KEPSA&nbsp;for a decade and counting, Kariuki believes that with democracy being the cradle of hope for a better Kenya, the private sector must also be an active player in the country.



“KEPSA&nbsp;continues to play an important role in achieving a better and prosperous Kenya by representing the voice of the private sector in Kenya and engaging with the government, development partners, and other stakeholders on cross-cutting policy issues and programs for social and economic development of the country.”



Kenya has transformed from a lacking and divided colony to a stable and prosperous nation with a vibrant democracy, a diversified economy, and a leading role in regional and global affairs.

Carole Kariuki of KEPSA; image supplied

Manufacturing, Energy And Agriculture Among Sectors Bound For Development In East African Economy

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



An elderly man has become the first person to die after contracting Alaskapox, health officials <a href="https://epi.alaska.gov/bulletins/docs/b2024_02.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confirmed</a>, urging doctors to stay alert for signs of the recently discovered virus that is closely related to other dangerous human pathogens like smallpox and mpox.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



The man, who was from Alaska’s remote Kenai Peninsula, is one of only seven people known to have contracted <a href="https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/Alaskapox.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaskapox virus</a> since its discovery in a patient in Fairbanks in 2015.



Infection with the virus, also known as AKPV, has historically caused mild illness that resolves itself with symptoms including skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or muscle pain, though severe disease is more likely in people with compromised immune systems.



Officials from Alaska’s health department said the man likely suffered more serious disease as he was immunocompromised following treatment for cancer and previous patients have not required hospital treatment.



Scientists are not yet certain on how the Alaskapox virus spreads but say evidence suggests it is zoonotic—a disease that jumps from animals into humans—as it is primarily found in small mammals like red-backed voles and shrews.



Officials said it was “unclear” how the man was infected but said he reported caring for a stray cat at his home that “regularly hunted small mammals and frequently scratched” him, which could have transmitted the virus.



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While no human-to-human transmission of AKVP has been documented, officials suggested people should cover any skin lesions potentially caused by the virus as contact with these is known to spread similar orthopoxviruses like mpox and smallpox.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-do-about-alaskapox">WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALASKAPOX?</h2>



The first fatal Alaskapox infection is also the first infection reported outside of the state’s Fairbanks region. As the man lived alone in a forested area and reported no recent travel or close contacts with similar illness or travel, this suggests the virus is more widely distributed in animals than previously thought, scientists from the state’s health department said. The incident “warrants increased statewide awareness among clinicians” but otherwise does not give cause for alarm. The scientists issued nine recommendations in their report on the death, including keeping lesions covered, maintaining hygiene practices and possibly prescribing antiviral drugs to patients with the virus who have compromised immune systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Alaskapox is part of a family of viruses known as orthopoxviruses, several of which are known to infect and cause disease in humans. The most well known of these is variola, or smallpox, a frequently fatal scourge that is one of the deadliest diseases in human history and is still the only human disease to have ever been eradicated. Other <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/diseases.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orthopoxvirus</a> species include vaccinia (used for the smallpox vaccine), cowpox, camelpox, horsepox, volepox and mpox. The latter virus, formerly known as monkeypox, exploded onto the global scene two years ago and, through a previously unknown form of transmission, spread primarily among sexual networks of men who have sex with men. Experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/07/18/struggling-to-find-a-monkeypox-shot-severe-shortages-and-technical-mishaps-are-slowing-down-rollouts/?sh=56d74a5ae018">recommend</a> routine vaccination against the virus among at-risk adults and while the virus has dimmed in wealthy countries it is still <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/12/08/more-infectious-mpox-sparks-fears-of-new-global-spread---what-to-know-about-the-deadly-virus/?sh=6f164e6c59d5">driving</a> worrying <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/monkeypox-mpox-outbreak-democratic-republic-of-congo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outbreaks</a> in parts of Africa, notably the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monkeypox and Covid Tests Processing at AEGIS Labs

What To Know About Alaskapox After Officials Confirm First Death From Recently Discovered Virus

From Nigeria to the United States and the world, the international business community is mourning the loss of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings.



At the age of 57, Dr Herbert Wigwe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, met his untimely demise in a helicopter crash near the California-Nevada border, along with his wife Chizoba, son Chizi, and former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo.



Wigwe&#8217;s journey in the finance world began at the age of 21 as a Management Consultant for Coopers &amp; Lybrand before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at 23, setting the stage for a 36-year career marked by entrepreneurial strides and social responsibility. As Access Holdings, parent of Access Bank, one of Africa’s largest banking groups, mourned his passing, they remarked, &#8220;Herbert&#8217;s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to social impact initiatives have left an indelible mark on Access Holdings and the communities we serve. His legacy will never be forgotten.&#8221;



Wigwe graduated from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, receiving a Bachelor&#8217;s Degree in Accountancy in 1987 followed by a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales (now Bangor) in 1991. He bagged a Master of Science degree in Financial Economics from the University of London in 1996 and is an Alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration, and an Honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.



Having bought Access Bank alongside Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede in 2002, Wigwe became Deputy Managing Director and later Group Managing Director/CEO in 2014, a position he held until May 2022. He was subsequently appointed a Non-Executive Director of the Bank effective May 2022. His tenure was characterized by strategic growth and impactful initiatives, including transitioning into a holding company structure to diversify and explore beyond banking opportunities in 2022.



Before Access Bank, Wigwe was the Executive Director at Guaranty Trust Bank where he spent over 10 years beginning as the Deputy Manager of the Corporate Bank arm.



Speaking on the merger with Diamond Bank in 2019, he shared insights in an exclusive interview with CNBC Africa, stating, “Access Bank has, over the years, built a very strong corporate banking business and commercial banking business, very strong on treasury and very strong on risk management. We have also built and pursued a value chain management strategy to deepen our retail incursion. Diamond Bank brings a very strong and phenomenal retail base. They have invested significantly in digital and they have been extremely successful as far as reaching out to customers with 17 million customers and a very significant retail base.”



Reflecting on his journey, Wigwe&#8217;s longtime business partner, Aig-Imoukhuede, emphasized their shared entrepreneurial spirit and mutual respect. Recounting their early days, he shared in an exclusive interview with FORBES AFRICA in 2016: “He was my closest friend in the bank and the professional colleague I most respected and I believe vice versa. So in terms of selecting a partner, he was the best person I could choose. I told Herbert, ‘listen we are doing this and we are doing everything we need to run a bank and the only way we can get that reward is if we are risking our own capital. So let’s get out and buy a bank, let’s do it together’. So Herbert’s entrepreneurial juices started running. We didn’t resign immediately, we were still giving GTB 100%, and nobody knew and we were talking to owners of banks.&#8221;



Beyond his banking endeavors, Wigwe&#8217;s influence extended to various sectors as Chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment &amp; Securities Limited, and Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS), Access Bank (UK) Limited and Unified Payments Services Limited. He was also a Board Member of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company and actively engaged in advisory roles, including the advisory Board for Friends Africa.



Wigwe committed to social change through the establishment of the Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe (HOW) Foundation in 2016, dedicated to youth empowerment and health initiatives, particularly addressing malaria and prostate cancer. His vision for education led to the development of Wigwe University, a $500 million project set to commence academic session in September in his hometown of Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria.



The outpouring of grief and tributes from world leaders, colleagues, and friends indicate the profound impact he had on lives.



French President Emmanuel Macron taking to Facebook expressed his condolences, highlighting Wigwe&#8217;s role in strengthening Franco-Nigerian relations. &#8220;France has lost a friend,&#8221; Macron lamented, acknowledging Wigwe&#8217;s efforts as President of the French Nigeria Business Council.



Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to Nigeria&#8217;s President Bola Tinubu, conveyed Tinubu&#8217;s shock and distress at the loss of Wigwe and others. &#8220;Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension,&#8221; Ngelale quoted Tinubu.



Femi Otedola, Chairman of Geregu Power PLC, shared fond memories of Wigwe and his family in a post on X (formerly Twitter), describing him as a &#8220;banking genius&#8221; and emphasizing the lasting legacy he leaves behind.



The National Basketball Association (NBA) mourned Wigwe&#8217;s passing, recognizing his role as an investor in NBA Africa. The NBA&#8217;s condolences echo the sentiment shared by many who admired Wigwe&#8217;s contributions beyond the business world.



Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), expressed deep sympathies to the families affected by the tragic helicopter crash. She emphasized Wigwe&#8217;s significant contributions to Access Bank Group and extended condolences to his partner, Aig-Imoukhuede.



Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, recalled his last encounter with Wigwe and lamented the loss of a close friend and neighbor. He reflected on plans they had discussed for the aviation sector, highlighting Wigwe&#8217;s passion for innovation and collaboration.



Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), remembered Wigwe as a visionary leader dedicated to nurturing young talent and promoting educational opportunities. Abdullahi emphasized that Wigwe&#8217;s impact will continue to inspire generations to come.

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Herbert Wigwe: Outpouring Of Grief And Tribute To An African Giant

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a revolutionary tool, reshaping industries, streamlining processes, and improving decision-making. The success of AI is because we now have access to more data, and we possess adequate computational infrastructure to analyze such data. AI has enormous potential in the legal field, promising to transform how legal practitioners function and individuals access the justice system. 



However, this potential is not devoid of ethical concerns and obstacles.



The function of AI in the legal domain is diverse. AIdriven research tools can rapidly analyze extensive legal databases, furnishing attorneys with insights in a previously unattainable manner. It entails the utilization of chatbots and virtual assistants to provide individuals with legal guidance, thereby enhancing the accessibility of legal information. 



AI saves time and money when producing legal documents using document automation tools.



Predictive analytics can predict legal outcomes, enabling litigants and attorneys to make well-informed decisions. Online dispute resolution platforms provide a viable substitute for conventional litigation, enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of dispute resolution. Nevertheless, as AI gains prominence in law, we must exercise caution and remain vigilant regarding the obstacles to this revolutionary technology.



The first such obstacle is the fairness and bias of AI systems, which are potential sources of concern. Algorithms for machine learning are trained using historical data, which may contain societal biases. AI could perpetuate and even exacerbate preexisting discrimination in the legal system if these prejudices are not addressed. AI development must prioritize fairness and equity, necessitating ongoing vigilance to identify and address bias in AI applications. Secondly, the opaqueness of AI decisionmaking processes raises concerns regarding transparency and accountability. In legal contexts, individuals have a right to be informed of the reasoning behind decisions made by AI systems.



Legal experts and technologists must collaborate to guarantee the transparency of AI systems and allow individuals to contest AI-generated outcomes. However, AI technology is lagging, and AI systems are subjected to the accuracy-transparency dilemma, whereby the more accurate the AI model, the less transparent it is, and vice versa. This is because the high accuracy of the AI model correlates to the increased complexity of the model. Furthermore, the more complex the AI model, the more accurate it is, but this results in reduced transparency of the model.



Thirdly, there is the problem of the security and privacy of individuals. Legal issues frequently necessitate the use of confidential personal data. Implementing robust data protection measures to secure individuals’ rights and privacy is critical.



Legal professionals must thoroughly contemplate the ethical and legal ramifications and enforce rigorous data security protocols when dealing with personal data. This requires technology, which is not necessarily available in many African countries. The African Union (AU) must ensure that groups of countries jointly procure such technologies to reduce the burden of the cost of this technology.



Furthermore, we must train enough people to deploy such technologies. Fourth, as AI’s capacity for legal research and document automation expands, concerns may arise regarding the potential displacement of legal professionals. However, rather than replacing legal professionals, AI should be considered a supplement to their work. By utilizing AI, legal professionals can increase productivity, decrease expenses, and improve their capacity to render expert opinions.



Fifth, legislative bodies and governments must establish transparent regulatory frameworks for AI. These regulations must delineate principles of ethics, foster transparency mandates, and stipulate the responsibility of these AI systems. Achieving an optimal equilibrium between fostering innovation and safeguarding the rights of individuals is a highly challenging endeavor and requires the training of regulators and lawmakers to understand these technologies. 



The AU can be a catalyst to ensure such knowledge is accessible across Africa.



Sixth, a potential benefit of AI in law is its capacity to improve the accessibility of justice. Tools propelled by AI can increase the accessibility of legal information for those who cannot afford legal representation.



Online dispute resolution has the potential to offer economically viable substitutes for conventional litigation. However, we must ensure that these technologies do not exacerbate but rectify existing disparities in access to justice.



AI is not a silver bullet that can solve all legal problems, nor is it the precursor that will end the legal profession as we know it. However, when utilized responsibly and ethically, AI is a tool that has the potential to enhance the agency of legal practitioners and facilitate improved access to justice.



The coexistence of AI and the law can produce a legal system that is more equitable, efficient, and accessible.

AI, Machine learning, robot hand ai artificial intelligence assistance human touching on big data network connection background, Science artificial intelligence technology, innovation and futuristic.

AI And The Law –Navigating The Future Together

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night delivered his sixth annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town’s City Hall, taking a nostalgic approach to the event as part of commemorating 30 years of democracy, as well as addressing what is likely to be the most highly-contested general election the country has seen since democratic rule.



The occasion attracted intense scrutiny from opposition political parties, analysts, and commentators alike, as the country seeks to steer through severe socioeconomic and political challenges.



Ramaphosa&#8217;s address attempted to highlight the ruling African National Congress’ (ANC) critical role in South Africa&#8217;s progress post-apartheid. However, this endeavor revealed a profound disconnect between the government&#8217;s narrative and the lived realities of ordinary South Africans, according to some analysts, conflating the ruling ANC and the state. While the President highlighted key achievements such as the provision of housing and water to millions of people previously disenfranchized by the apartheid state, he acknowledged the challenges currently faced by the country, including “loadshedding, addressing the challenges in the logistics sector, tackling crime and corruption, and accelerating job creation” in his speech.



“Whenever Ramaphosa spoke about achievements, he conflated the party and the state – the &nbsp;highlighting figures that fought for democracy that were also part of the ANC, like Mandela and Tambo. But when he spoke about failures and challenges, he referred to the state,” says independent policy and risk analyst Marisa Lourenço to FORBES AFRICA. “This is typical of liberation movements-turned-ruling parties, which, at least in postcolonial Africa, draw their legitimacy from the past rather than the present, especially when their rule has overseen the decay of essential services, an energy crisis, and state capture.”



Critics of Ramaphosa’s address include both major opposition parties, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) condemning the address as “populist posturing and policy proposals, including the doubling down on state-centric policy and legislation and the arrogance of a president who is completely out of touch with ordinary South Africans,” according to a statement by the party’s leader John Steenhuisen.



Another leading opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), saw all of its members boycott SONA after a court application to dismiss its leader Julius Malema’s suspension from Parliament was dismissed earlier that day, following his conviction of contempt of Parliament for storming the stage during Ramaphosa’s 2023 SONA delivery.



Lourenço continued her analysis of Ramaphosa’s conflation of the state and the ANC, stating, “Not only does it place the ANC at the center of all accomplishments, including the transition to democracy, but it also implies that without the ANC, South Africa would be a worse place to live – and actually, that the democratic freedoms enjoyed since 1994 could be stripped away. It transmits the idea that we have only just emerged from the other side – the apartheid era – and that our democracy is still quite tenuous. In this way, then, the only way to preserve democracy is to ensure that the party which fought for it remains in power for another five years.”



The ANC is facing the most realistic challenge to its rule since South Africa became a democracy in 1994, with recent polls indicating that the party may retain less than 40% of the public vote in the elections set to take place sometime this year. Gustavo de Carvalho, a Senior Researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, says that one key takeaway from SONA is that it sets the tone of the ANC’s approach to the upcoming elections. “It showcases a comparison between today and 1994,” he tells FORBES AFRICA. “It&#8217;s clear that it is not only about commemorating the 30th anniversary of democracy but also about controlling the narrative that the ANC in this current administration has not improved as much as expected in terms of the economy and many of the social indicators.”



De Carvalho also notes that the fact that a date for the election has not yet been announced might indicate that the ANC is doing its best to make as much of the electioneering time available. “And I think for the ANC at this stage, the stalling of the dates for the elections provides them some time in terms of trying to shift certain narratives to regain some of the voters that have been under a lot of pressure and attention from other political parties.”



The run-up to the 2024 general election has seen the birth of multiple new political parties to add to the established opposition groups, with an ANC breakaway party being formed under former South African President Jacob Zuma in the form of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, and Rise Mzansi as notable events, spawned out of severe dissatisfaction with the current political space and the ANC’s inability to resolve challenges such as wealth inequality, crime, and the electricity crisis.



While President Ramaphosa put forward many possible solutions to these challenges during his speech and cited historical achievements by the ANC as reasons to believe in a future under their governance, de Carvalho’s analysis is quite blunt. “On how effective the measures proposed by President Ramaphosa might be… do we believe in what he has to say?”



Lourenço concurs, reinforcing her earlier point about the language of the address ‘drawing legitimacy from the past rather than the present’, stating, “Ramaphosa spoke about better equipping law enforcement and also the importance of economic empowerment for women but didn’t mention the role that education plays in all of this. Improved access to education is not only absolutely vital in starting to close the gap between the rich and the poor in South Africa, going some way towards preventing at least some types of financially motivated crimes, but is also an area in which the government has absolutely failed in the post-apartheid era.”



President Ramaphosa’s SONA address comes at a time when South Africans are dealing with a multifaceted set of challenges, and while the ruling ANC has managed to deliver increased services and equality to many, they have reportedly failed to meet many of the promises made in democratic South Africa, with unemployment, infrastructural challenges, and crime becoming a scourge on society. The rise of new political movements, as well as President Ramaphosa&#8217;s nostalgic callback to the ANC&#8217;s achievements and deflection of criticisms, has led analysts to be critical of the address. However, one thing is certain: the election year ahead is likely to be hotly-contested and fraught with high stakes, signifying a critical juncture for South Africa&#8217;s democracy.

South African President Ramaphosa Delivers 2024 State Of The Nation Address.

Analyzing Ramaphosa’s State Of The Nation Address Amidst South Africa’s Socioeconomic Challenges

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



The Oscars are adding a new award in 2026—the Academy Award for Achievement in Casting— marking the first new category added to the movie awards show since 2001.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



The award, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/coming-2026-oscars-add-academy-award-casting-directors-107068249#:~:text=%E2%80%9CCasting%20directors%20play%20an%20essential,said%20in%20a%20joint%20statement." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://deadline.com/2024/02/motion-picture-academy-creates-casting-category-first-new-competitive-oscar-since-2001-1235819319/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>, will make its debut at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026, when movies from 2025 will be eligible for the recognition, the Academy said in a statement to the Associated Press and other outlets.



The creation of the award is a win for the Academy Casting Directors branch, which was created in 2013 and currently has nearly 160 members,&nbsp;<a href="https://deadline.com/2024/02/motion-picture-academy-creates-casting-category-first-new-competitive-oscar-since-2001-1235819319/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Deadline</a>&nbsp;reported.



The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film was the last award added to the awards show, debuting in 2001.



Eligibility rules and voting for the casting award will be issued in 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Awards for casting have been given out by several other arts organizations including the Emmys, Spirits and the BAFTAs. Carmen Cuba, the casting director of shows like “Stranger Things” and “Mr. &amp; Mrs. Smith,” has been vocal about the need for a casting category at the Oscars. In a 2021 interview with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-04-06/casting-directors-call-to-be-included-in-the-oscars" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Los Angeles Times</a>, Cuba said casting directors are the first people hired and are dealt full plates of work when kicking off a movie or TV show. “If 23 categories are eligible, we should be too,” she told the Times. The power of casting was well on display for this year’s Best Picture nominees. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” was lauded for its expansive and talented cast, boasting the likes of Best Actor nominee Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor nominee Robert Downey Jr. and Best Supporting Actress nominee Emily Blunt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-04-06/casting-directors-call-to-be-included-in-the-oscars" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Casting directors call to be included in the Oscars</a> (Los Angeles Times)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/01/22/oscars-2024-these-are-the-most-hotly-contested-categories-with-oppenheimer-expected-to-lead/?sh=845c41245ad7">Oscars 2024: These Are The Most Hotly Contested Categories—With ‘Oppenheimer’ Expected To Lead</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)

96th Oscars Nominations Announcement

Oscars Introduces First New Category In Decades: Best Casting

The 15th annual Realizing The Dream Legacy Banquet recognized three community members who embody the leadership style of Dr Martin Luther King Jr., including Nigeria’s Adebola Aderibigbe, an advocate for girl child rights.



At the 15th Realizing The Dream Legacy Banquet recently, Adebola Aderibigbe, a 20-year-old student from Nigeria, became the youngest and first African to be honored with the Horizon Award.



Aderibigbe was recognized alongside former Birmingham Mayor, Richard Arrington, Jr. and attorney and former United States (US) Senator, Doug Jones, who received the Mountaintop Award and the Call to Conscience Award, respectively.



The recognition, given annually and in line with Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s principles, celebrates individuals who champion social justice, peace and equality.



Hailing from Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state in Southwestern Nigeria, she embarked on her advocacy journey for the rights of the girl child at the age of 15, winning the International Day of the Girl Child Essay Contest organized by HACEY Health Initiative, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on improving the health and productivity of vulnerable and underserved populations in Africa, especially women and girls. Her winning essay, What Gender Equality Means To Me, marked the beginning of her journey, which led to an invitation to serve as a Girls Advisory Board member of the NGO where she has made both local and international appearances “educating people on why girls will always matter in the world today.”



When asked about the award, Aderibigbe shares her disbelief, telling FORBES AFRICA, “Honestly, it is still so hard to believe what happened the night of January 12th is real. Never in my life did I ever think I would someday be awarded something so prestigious. I feel honored to be recognized alongside notable dignitaries in the state.”



“Receiving this award reassures me of a statement I have always lived by – the ability to chase my dreams while changing the world around me. It has given me a greater sense of purpose knowing that there is still so much impact to be made regardless of where I find myself.”



Being a second-year student at Stillman College, Alabama in the US, Aderibigbe also manages The House Tuscaloosa, volunteering to promote literacy in The West End Community. Her commitment extends globally, having served as a panelist at the With And For Girls Awards in London in the UK, and featured on the podcast interview segment of I.G. Advisors, a UK-based organization focused on strategy consultancy and specializing in social and environmental change.



Aderibigbe also runs the initiative Girls Matter Too and contributes as a volunteer member of The Legend Lifeskills Foundation, an NGO set up with the aim of equipping young people, especially girls, with skills for success in life and career.

Adebola Aderibigbe; Photo courtesy University of Alabama

20-Year-Old African Fighting For The Rights Of the Girl Child On Prestigious Award And Chasing Dreams  

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a Wednesday study found, a breakthrough researchers say is needed to help prevent and delay Alzheimer’s diagnoses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Participants who were prescribed erectile dysfunction drugs were 18% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s compared to participants who weren’t, according to a study published Wednesday in the American Academy of Neurology’s journal Neurology.



The study followed 269,725 men with an average age of 59 for five years who had no previous diagnosis of dementia or cognitive confusion; 55% of the participants were prescribed erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra and Cialis, while 45% weren’t.



The types of drugs used in the study are called phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), which are a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549843/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">class of drugs</a>&nbsp;used to treat hypertension and erectile dysfunction.



The researchers believe PDE5Is reduce Alzheimer’s risk because some forms of these drugs can improve brain health by increasing blood flow to the brain and reducing the amount of energy neurons consumed in the brain.



A previous 2021 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35572351/'" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>—backed by the National Institute of Aging—looked at insurance claim data and found Viagra was associated with a 69% lower risk of Alzheimer’s developing in older men with diabetes or high blood pressure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



“Although we’re making progress with the new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease that work… for people with early stages of the disease, we desperately need treatments that can prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” study author and lecturer at the University College London Ruth Brauer said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



A 2022 National Institute of Health-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-dream-study-finds-viagra-cialis-do-not-reduce-risk-alzheimer-s-related-dementias" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;used insurance claim data over a span of five months to follow two groups of people with a form of hypertension: those treated with Viagra and Cialis, and those treated with a different type of hypertension drug. The study’s results found there was not a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related illnesses in either group. The reason the NIH study results differ could be because “five months may have been too short for the outcome of interest to occur,” the researchers of the Neurology study said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



6.7 million. That’s how many Americans aged 65 years or older had Alzheimer’s in 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures#:~:text=More%20than%206%20million%20Americans%20of%20all%20ages%20have%20Alzheimer%27s,older%20(10.7%25)%20has%20Alzheimer%27s." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Alzheimer’s Association. Around one in nine people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



There isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are several&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-treatment/how-alzheimers-disease-treated" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA-approved</a>&nbsp;treatments for early- and middle-stage Alzheimer’s like the drugs lecanemab and aducanumab. Other drugs that treat different illnesses have been found to potentially reduce Alzheimer’s risk. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis taking a certain type of arthritis drug called biologics or targeted synthetic DMARDs developed dementia 19% less than those taking another type of arthritis drug, according to a 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0049017222001342?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>. Lifetime use of oral birth control is associated with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s, while patients with depression who took postmenopausal therapy had a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, a separate 2022 study&nbsp;<a href="https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-022-01026-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



Nose-picking may lead to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s, according to an October <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/11/1568" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>. Chronic nose-picking introduces germs and other pathogens into the nose via dirty fingers. Beta-amyloid, a protein believed to be a <a href="https://www.alz.org/documents/national/topicsheet_betaamyloid.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cause</a> of Alzheimer’s, is produced in the brain in response to nose-picking introducing these pathogens into the nose, according to the study. The researchers encouraged “incurable nose-picker[s]” to wash their hands frequently, citing the Covid pandemic as an example of how infection can spread due to dirty hands touching surfaces. “It is essential to note that the temporary relief obtained from nose picking is not a substitute for proper nasal hygiene, which involves regular cleaning and maintenance of the nasal passages through gentle methods such as saline nasal rinses or blowing the nose,” the study said.

Two blue pills viagra in male hand. Medicine concept of men health, medication for erection, treatment of erectile dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Like Viagra May Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk, Study Finds

In a landmark move, Tanzania marked its first participation at the Mining Indaba, being held from February 5-8 in Cape Town, South Africa. This year&#8217;s event, the 30th edition of the conference, with the theme Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for African mining, focuses on the need for adaptation in the African mining sector in light of technological advancements and environmental concerns​​.



The Tanzanian delegation, comprising both government and private sector representatives, arrived with a clear message, encapsulated in their chosen theme: Advancing mining investment to accelerate prosperity. This move aligns with the Tanzanian government&#8217;s Vision 2030, aiming to intensify geoscientific surveys to tap into the nation&#8217;s rich mineral resources​.



​​​Anthony Mavunde, Tanzania&#8217;s Minister of Minerals, emphasized the vision at the indaba, presenting the government&#8217;s strategy to not only boost investment and economic growth but also focus on sustainable and responsible mining practices. &#8220;Our vision isn’t simply to dig up minerals, it’s to ignite the engines of prosperity,&#8221; Mavunde declared, underscoring a shift from traditional mining practices to a more sustainable and economically beneficial approach.



Tanzania&#8217;s participation in the conference is seen as a crucial step towards redefining the African narrative of mining, which has often been plagued by issues of environmental degradation and exploitation.



Key issues discussed at the conference included the role of Africa in supplying critical minerals for global electronic and automotive industries and innovative approaches to spur mining sector investment and employment. These discussions are particularly relevant for Tanzania, given its abundant reserves of critical minerals like nickel, rare earths, and graphite​​.



However, the path to mining prosperity is not without its challenges. The conference provided a platform for Tanzania to address hurdles impeding investment, such as taxation concerns and the need for equitable sharing of project returns. The government&#8217;s commitment to facilitating a conducive investment environment was evident, as noted by Kheri Mahimbali, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Minerals, who confirmed Tanzania&#8217;s dedication to responsible mining practices​​.



Tanzania&#8217;s debut symbolizes more than just participation; it represents the country&#8217;s commitment to playing a key role in the future of African mining.

Key Speakers at The Investing in African Mining Indaba

Tanzania’s Strategic Debut At Mining Indaba: Forging A New Path In African Mining

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



ESPN, Fox Corporation and Warner Bros. are coming together to create a new sports streaming service,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-06/espn-fox-and-warner-bros-join-forces-for-sports-streaming-site?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=bd&amp;cmpId=google" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a><a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/fox-warner-bros-discovery-and-disney-create-new-sports-streaming-venture-c9836792" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;outlets</a>&nbsp;reported Tuesday—in a move that will add another platform in the already-crowded streaming wars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up on the new platform that will include major college and professional sporting events, including NFL, NBA, MLB, College Sports, UFC, the FIFA World Cup and more,&nbsp;<a href="https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/02/espn-fox-and-warner-bros-discovery-forming-joint-venture-to-launch-streaming-sports-service-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to a press release.



The new service will be available to subscribers of ESPN+, Hulu and Max, and each of the three companies will own one-third of the entity.



The new platform—which doesn’t yet have a name or pricing structure—is expected to&nbsp;<a href="https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/02/espn-fox-and-warner-bros-discovery-forming-joint-venture-to-launch-streaming-sports-service-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">launch</a>&nbsp;in fall 2024 and will combine each company’s sports offerings, making them available in one place and working to give “a new and differentiated experience to serve sports fans, particularly those outside of the traditional pay TV bundle.”



Forbes has reached out to the three media companies for comment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Sports have been migrating to the streaming world in recent months as cable television viewership continues to drop. Amazon spent an estimated $1 billion in March 2021 to partner with the NFL, for example, for the streaming rights to Thursday Night Football games. In an effort to be “the most complete streaming service,” Discovery got the rights to stream the MLB playoffs, some NBA and NHL games and more on Max last year, CNN&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/19/media/max-sports/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>. Disney CEO Bob Iger has said in the past that they’re working to move ESPN from its role in linear TV to “the preeminent digital sports platform,” the Hollywood Reporter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nfl-mlb-nba-streaming-tv-sports-1235756577/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;late last year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



Earlier this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/02/06/roger-goodell-addresses-streaming-only-super-bowl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> people won’t see a streaming-only Super Bowl in his time. When asked if one could happen in the future, he said “one of the secrets of our success is we are really committed to broadcast television,” adding 90% of NFL games are on broadcast, Sports Illustrated reported.

Golden State Warriors v Brooklyn Nets

ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery Launching New Sports Streaming Platform

As the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) prepares for its first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on February 26 and 27 under the leadership of its new Governor Yemi Cardoso, he shed light on the reasons behind the postponements, citing the need for thorough groundwork to ensure the MPC&#8217;s effectiveness.



Cardoso revealed in an interview about the MPC with Arise News on Monday that “transmission was questionable”, referring to the impact of previous rate hikes on inflation figures.



The CBN&#8217;s rate hike spree since May 2022, moving from 13.0% to 18.75% during the last MPC meeting in July, has reportedly stirred debates on its efficacy, especially in light of the persistent rise in inflation rates, moving from 17.71% to 28.92% in December, the highest in 27 years.



He explained: “I didn’t want a situation where we start back on that same trajectory. It is for that same reason that we took our time to ensure that we put ourselves in a position where the MPC will be impactful and where it will complement the activities of the fiscal side.”



The MPC has twice postponed its 293rd meeting, initially set for September 25 and 26, since the nomination of Cardoso in the same month. The meeting, intended to address various issues, including the decision on interest rates, was rescheduled for the second time on November 20. While acting as CBN governor from June to September, Folashodun Shonubi oversaw two interest rate increases at the bank.



With the enactment of the new CBN Act (2007) by the National Assembly, the reconstituted MPC “meets bi-monthly, except in the event of an emergency”. The two-day meeting only occurred in January, March, May, and July 24 and 25 last year.



A tentative calendar of MPC meetings for this year posted on the CBN&#8217;s X (formerly Twitter) account indicates that the meetings have been scheduled for February, March, May, July, September, and November.



Emphasizing the importance of aligning monetary policy with fiscal measures, Cardoso underscored the goal of stabilizing prices and controlling inflation. He affirmed that the focus of the CBN under him was to stabilize prices and control inflation.



Cardoso pointed to International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts indicating a significant decrease in inflation in the coming year. &#8220;That is as a result of the tightening that we are doing,&#8221; he explained, hinting at a shift in strategy to tackle the nation&#8217;s economic challenges.



Amidst the anticipation surrounding the upcoming meeting, investors like Moses Adeolubodun are closely monitoring developments.



Speaking with FORBES AFRICA, Adeolubodun considers these delays as &#8220;a reflection of the CBN&#8217;s commitment to meticulous preparation&#8221;.



He adds: &#8220;The postponements, while unexpected, highlight the importance of thorough groundwork. In an increasingly complex economic landscape, it&#8217;s crucial for the MPC to be armed with comprehensive insights and strategies.&#8221;



He explains the need for the MPC to be fully equipped to navigate evolving economic challenges, ensuring its decisions resonate effectively in the market. &#8220;I think that Cardoso is prioritizing the MPC&#8217;s efficacy. This approach instills confidence among investors and reinforces the CBN&#8217;s commitment to prudent monetary policies.&#8221;



Nigeria, like many emerging economies, faces a myriad of economic variables, from inflationary pressures to currency fluctuations. Adeolubodun acknowledges the delicate balancing act required of the MPC in such circumstances. &#8220;The MPC&#8217;s decisions have far-reaching implications. They influence investor sentiment, shape monetary conditions, and ultimately impact economic growth.&#8221;



As the revised MPC meeting approaches, Adeolubodun remains cautiously optimistic. &#8220;While delays may raise eyebrows, they also signify a dedication to ensuring informed decision-making. Investors will be eagerly awaiting the outcomes, eager for insights into the CBN&#8217;s stance on key monetary issues.&#8221;

Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja.

Expectations High As Central Bank Of Nigeria Prepares For Twice-Postponed Policy Meeting This Month

ChatGPT and other generative AI are being widely used in higher education in school admissions. But now, students who’ve turned to AI for writing are turning back to people to make that work sound more human—and schools can’t possibly keep up.



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“Tapestry.” “Beacon.” “Comprehensive curriculum.” “Esteemed faculty.” “Vibrant academic community.”



They’re among the laundry list of colorful words, flowery phrases and stale syntax that are likely to tip off admissions committees to applicants who’ve used AI to help write their college or graduate school essays this year, according to essay consultants who students are hiring en masse to un-ChatGPT, and add a “human touch” to, their submissions.



“Tapestry” in particular is a major red flag in this year’s pool, several essay consultants on the platform Fiverr told&nbsp;Forbes. Mike, an Ivy League alum and former editor-in-chief of the Cornell Business Journal who now edits hundreds of grad school applications each cycle through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiverr.com/capitoleditors" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Capitol Editors</a>, said it’s appeared repeatedly in drafts from at least 20 of his clients in recent months. (He requested anonymity to protect their privacy.)



&#8220;I no longer believe there&#8217;s a way to innocently use the word &#8216;tapestry&#8217; in an essay; if the word &#8216;tapestry&#8217; appears, it was generated by ChatGPT,” he told&nbsp;Forbes. Though many such words, on their own, could have come from a human, when a trained eye sees them used over and over again in the same cadence across multiple essays, “it’s just a real telltale sign.”



“There will be a reckoning,” Mike added. “There are going to be a ton of students who unwittingly use the word &#8216;tapestry&#8217; or other words in their essay that [may] not be admitted this cycle.”



This winter and spring mark the first full admissions season since the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rashishrivastava/2023/12/27/how-chatgpt-and-billions-in-investment-helped-ai-go-mainstream-in-2023/?sh=c63166e7176e">explosion and broad adoption of ChatGPT</a>&nbsp;and other generative AI, and in the education world, the fast-growing use cases for the technology have far outpaced school policies. Some educators are trying to fend off the tech with “zero tolerance” policies, while others are actively embracing it in their classrooms (Arizona State University, for example, is&nbsp;<a href="https://news.asu.edu/20240118-university-news-new-collaboration-openai-charts-future-ai-higher-education" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">partnering with OpenAI</a>&nbsp;to use ChatGPT Enterprise for tutoring and coursework). But short of cohesive, consistent rules for how AI can be used in the application process, if at all—and without tools that can reliably detect whether it has been—many students have turned to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and its rivals for help. The uptake has given rise to a cottage industry of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiverr.com/categories/writing-translation/proofreading-editing/ai-content-editing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freelance consultants</a>&nbsp;who specialize in plucking out suspicious AI jargon and making essays sound authentic.



Forbes asked more than 20 public and private colleges of varied sizes across the United States, from Arizona State and Georgia Tech to Princeton and Harvard, about trends in the use of AI or ChatGPT among applications and how they are handling candidates likely to have relied on it. Many schools declined to comment or did not respond; Emory spokesperson Sylvia Carson said “it&#8217;s too soon for our admissions folks to offer any clear observations.”



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“I no longer believe there&#8217;s a way to innocently use the word &#8216;tapestry&#8217; in an essay; if the word &#8216;tapestry&#8217; appears, it was generated by ChatGPT.”Mike, essay consultant and former editor-in-chief of Cornell Business Journal
</blockquote>



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But editing consultants told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;that if they were able to spot suspected AI use having read just dozens or hundreds of essays, admissions committees reviewing many multiples more could have an even easier time picking up on these patterns. Ben Toll, the dean of undergraduate admissions at George Washington University, explained just how easy it is for admissions officers to sniff out AI-written applications.



“When you&#8217;ve read thousands of essays over the years, AI-influenced essays stick out,” Toll told&nbsp;Forbes. “They may not raise flags to the casual reader, but from the standpoint of an admissions application review, they are often ineffective and a missed opportunity by the student.”



In fact, GWU’s admissions staff trained this year on sample essays that included one penned with the assistance of ChatGPT, Toll said—and it took less than a minute for a committee member to spot it.



The words were “thin, hollow, and flat,” he said. “While the essay filled the page and responded to the prompt, it didn&#8217;t give the admissions team any information to help move the application towards an admit decision.”&nbsp;(Disclosure: One of the article’s authors, Alexandra, has occasionally shared feedback with college applicants on their essays.)



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-demand-for-human-vibes">A demand for “human vibes”</h2>



In December 2023, an unusual request popped up on Indiana Pejic’s Fiverr account: “Could you edit and proofread my personal statement, 1,000 words? I partly wrote it with ChatGPT and would appreciate it if you could make it sound less robotic.” The request was from a Korean student applying for a PhD in Renaissance Literature at the University of Cambridge.



Pejic—a freelancer in Serbia who has three master’s degrees and one PhD—has edited roughly 100 personal statements and college essays through Fiverr. Though she initially feared her business would take a hit with the onset of ChatGPT, the reality has been quite the opposite: the AI boom has fueled unprecedented demand for editors adept at making computer-generated writing sound like the real thing. “ChatGPT is extremely wordy,” she said, and “there are many abstract words that don&#8217;t really connect well.” Today, she charges up to $100 to add “<a href="https://www.fiverr.com/indyomo/manually-edit-rewrite-and-humanize-ai-chatgpt-content?context_referrer=search_gigs&amp;source=top-bar&amp;ref_ctx_id=01d2d30f7d31403ab370b9c53cce4dc0&amp;pckg_id=1&amp;pos=2&amp;ad_key=2a7efde7-d2f5-4994-9e60-2f924d873cfa&amp;context_type=auto&amp;funnel=01d2d30f7d31403ab370b9c53cce4dc0&amp;seller_online=true&amp;imp_id=92806632-babb-46aa-8a8b-fb5fc7b31dfd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human vibes</a>” to AI-written essays. (Others offering similar services through Fiverr charge anywhere from $10 to $150 depending on the length.)



Lara Cantos, an editor and translator in Mexico, said she has seen so many repetitive groups of words and sentence constructions that she’s made a glossary of terms that set off AI alarms. “It’s specific terminology and sentence structure that starts repeating itself, and the use of the same adjectives again and again,” she said. (“Tapestry,” she noted, also makes recurring appearances.)



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“I partly wrote it with ChatGPT and would appreciate it if you could make it sound less robotic.”A student applying for a PhD at the University of Cambridge
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Mike, from Capitol Editors, says he, too, has kept a running list. It includes describing something that “aligns seamlessly with my aspirations” or “stems from a deep-seated passion,” or references one’s “leadership prowess,” “entrepreneurial/educational journey” and “commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.” (One structure that’s a giveaway, he added, is “not merely X, but Y,” or “not just X, but Y.”)



All the consultants&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;spoke to said that AI tools are fairly popular among international students applying for admission abroad who turn to the likes of ChatGPT because English isn’t their first language. In some cases, they’ll feed the AI ideas or prompts in their native speech to get started with a first draft; in others, they’ll rely more heavily on the tech. “I just received an order from a student in Switzerland applying for the U.S. with a ChatGPT-generated essay,” Cantos told&nbsp;Forbes. “Some of the AI-written content sounds like literal translations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-higher-ed-wild-west">A Higher-ed Wild West</h2>



While AI tools that can write and refine large blocks of text continue to develop at a breakneck speed—becoming both&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45644-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">better at writing</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/use-of-ai-is-seeping-into-academic-journals-and-its-proving-difficult-to-detect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">harder to detect</a>—schools are struggling to keep up and reach consensus on how to address them in applications. And students, in the meantime, are both seeking out clearer policies (and pushing the limits) on what they can and cannot do with these tools.



“I don&#8217;t think there is anything even approaching a consistent approach to the problem,” said Chris Reed, executive director of admissions at Texas A&amp;M.



Each admissions office has different rules on AI use in applications—ranging from the University of Southern California’s stringent “zero-tolerance” policy, to Georgia Tech’s position that students are allowed to use AI as a “helpful collaborator,” to Texas A&amp;M’s stance that applicants can submit AI-generated content because the university has moved away from using the standard college essay as a writing sample. (In fact, one of the prompts for Texas A&amp;M’s honors program is to use an AI platform like ChatGPT or Google’s Bard to write an essay, and then&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/superamit/status/1740149257422913940" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">critique</a>&nbsp;how well it was able to present an argument.)



“So much of it just depends on the individual institution and how they&#8217;re using essays in their process,” said Reed from Texas A&amp;M, noting that some 30% of the admissions essays they now receive use AI in some capacity according to AI detection tool GPTZero.



Other universities are less flexible. At the University of California, which has 10 campuses across the state, prospective students may use AI for brainstorming and creating an outline but the final draft must be “independently written”—and answers that include an “unedited AI response” (such as a direct copy-paste from ChatGPT) could be flagged as plagiarism, spokesperson Rachel Zaentz told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;in an email. “It would be more work for [applicants] to try building a strong ChatGPT prompt than it would be to develop their own original responses to the questions,” she added.



The Common Application, used by more than a million students each year to apply to over 1,000 academic institutions, also considers “the substantive content or output of an artificial intelligence platform” a form of plagiarism under its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commonapp.org/files/Common-App-Fraud-Policy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fraud policy</a>. Common App president Jenny Rickard told&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;“we investigate all fraud allegations, and if they are substantiated, we take appropriate disciplinary steps.” She did not say how, exactly, possible instances of AI-related plagiarism are investigated, though she noted the Common App does not use AI detection tools. The consequences, however, can be severe, and the disciplinary actions include reporting the findings to all member colleges on a student’s “My Colleges” list.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detection-an-imperfect-science">Detection, an imperfect science</h2>



It’s no wonder Common App isn’t relying on tools that promise to weed out AI-generated content: it’s still&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/08/14/prove-false-positive-ai-detection-turnitin-gptzero/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">notoriously inaccurate</a>, so much so that OpenAI shuttered&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/blog/new-ai-classifier-for-indicating-ai-written-text" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its own AI detection software.</a>&nbsp;Leaders in the space like GPTZero have changed course, now offering schools high-level analysis of how AI is being used in applications rather than pinpointing problematic essays. Other creators of detection software have warned against the use of the technology in admissions altogether.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
Disciplinary actions for using AI on The Common Application&nbsp;include reporting the findings to all member colleges on a student’s “My Colleges” list.Jenny Rickard, CEO and President of Common App
</blockquote>



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Eric Mitchell, a PhD student at Stanford who built&nbsp;<a href="https://ericmitchell.ai/detectgpt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DetectGPT</a>, called it “a total minefield,” cautioning that while research into detection software is worthwhile, the resulting tools are simply not ready for primetime in higher ed. College admissions is such a critical moment in a person’s life, he said in an interview, and “the cost of falsely condemning someone&#8217;s essay is just so high, [that] I&#8217;m not sure we can accept a 2% false positive rate.” It’s unclear how widely schools are using this software in admissions, but both Mitchell and GPTZero’s CEO Edward Tian said educators have expressed interest.



Like a majority of the schools&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;contacted for this story, GWU’s dean of undergrad admissions did not say whether AI detection tools are part of its review process. But he did make a case for aspiring attendees to avoid ChatGPT and its peers altogether.



“By the time a student is filling out their application, most of the materials will have already been solidified. The applicants can&#8217;t change their grades. They can&#8217;t go back in time and change the activities they&#8217;ve been involved in,” Toll said. “But the essay is the one place they remain in control until the minute they press submit on the application. I want students to understand how much we value getting to know them through their writing and how tools like generative AI end up stripping their voice from their admission application.”

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