Newsletter 26102023

Newsletter 26102023: OpenAI to be valued At $80 billion 🤖 , MTN Nigeria to Settle $72.5m to FIRS ⚖️

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 🤖

OpenAI in Talks About Deal That Would Value Company at over $80 Billion

OpenAI is currently in discussions about a deal that could place its valuation at a staggering $80 billion or even higher. This prospective valuation signifies an impressive surge, nearly tripling its worth in less than half a year. A potential tender offer, spearheaded by the venture entity Thrive Capital, might propel OpenAI to the top spot as San Francisco’s most prestigious start-up. Global data insights from CB Insights indicate that this would also rank OpenAI among the titans of tech start-ups, trailing only behind ByteDance and SpaceX...…Continue reading

YouTube Music becomes the latest Google app to get an AI feature

The Google-owned service, YouTube Music, announced an AI feature for customizing playlist art, as part of a bunch of features focused on personalization. So for YouTube Music listeners who need the aesthetics of their playlist art to match the music, the streaming app finally has a solution for that.

YouTube Music users can now use generative AI to design custom artwork through a guided experience directly on the playlist page….Continue reading

Malawi establishes its first-ever Centre for Artificial Intelligence and STEAM

The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) recently established the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), known as CAIST, in response to the country’s growing need for technological advancements……Continue reading

LEGAL ⚖️

Appeal Tribunal orders MTN Nigeria to Settle $72.5m Tax Default to FIRS

The Lagos State Tax Appeal Tribunal has directed MTN Nigeria Communications to settle a tax default of $72,551,059 to the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS). This decision spans tax liabilities from the years 2007 to 2017. However, the Tribunal excused the telecom giant from settling a further $21,039,807, which was originally accounted for penalties and interest on the main sum….Want to know more?

PRODUCTS

Google Releases ‘About This Image’ Tool Globally for Image and Source Verification

In a bid to verify an image and its source, Google announced a feature called “About This Image” early in the year. The tech giant has now started the roll-out of the feature to English language users globally in Google Search. About this image gives people an easy way to check the credibility and context of images they see online.

Using this tool, you can discover the following about the image - an image history, how other sites use and describe the image and an image’s metadata.....….Continue reading

OTHER STORIES

• Sukhiba Connect set to expand beyond Kenya upon $1.5 million fund raise. Sukhiba Connect, a social commerce platform operating in Kenya, is set to expand beyond Kenya after raising $1.5 million in a funding round led by CRE investment, with the participation of Antler, EQ2 ventures, Goodwater Capital, Chandaria Capital and a number of angel investors..…..Continue reading

• The crowded field of X clones has just winnowed a bit, as Pebble has officially thrown in the towel. The social media site, formerly called T2 Social, was actually created by ex-Twitter employees and this announcement occurred just five weeks after the rebrand to Pebble.…….Continue reading

• Amazon sets to launch European ‘sovereign’ cloud as EU data debate rages. Amazon on Wednesday said it will launch an independent cloud for Europe aimed at companies in highly regulated industries and the public sector. Amazon Web Services European Sovereign Cloud will be located within Europe and will be separate from the U.S. technology giant’s other cloud operations.

  Customers of the new system will be able to keep certain data in the European Union and only EU-resident AWS employees who are located in the 27-nation bloc will have control of the operations and support for the sovereign cloud…..Continue reading