The Future African Space Explorer’s STEM Academy (FASESA) and Boeing have announced the launch of the second edition of the “Pathways to Space” program in Africa. The program returned to Ethiopia and Nigeria and was launched for the first time in Kenya on May 6, reaching up to 300 state school students aged 13-18. It works with local educational and government institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Boeing. This program reflects our shared dedication to building Africa’s future workforce in space and other
Three Nigerian students from Caleb University have built an app to detect ripe Fruit. Harmony Abayomi, Frida Efod, and Chibuzor Nwachukwu have developed Valor, an AI-powered app designed to detect fruit ripeness, as BBC Africa stated. The Hackathon Abayomi, Efod, and Nwachukwu recently represented the Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Software Engineering departments and took first place at Bell’s University Hackathon with their app, Valor. Writing on LinkedIn, Abayomi said, “My team from Caleb University took home the top prize with our web and mobile app, Valor. Our app uses the
King’s College London has received a $46 million donation to improve maternal, child, and lifelong health through personalized human and AI-driven interventions. Inkfish, a philanthropic research organization, donated the funds, the largest donation by a single donor in the university’s history. The Enhanced Maternal and Baby Results with AI-supported Care and Empowerment (EMBRACE) program of studies will support a diverse cohorot of women and their families from pregnancy to the child’s second birthday. EMBRACE aims to lower healthcare costs related to pregnancy by creating an “unprecedented resource” of physiological, psychological,
A new tech startup co-founded by basketball stars aims to ease the burden of funeral planning. Eazewell, an AI-powered platform created by NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, and NCAA champion Donnell Beverly Jr., offers a more compassionate and streamlined alternative to the traditionally complex and costly funeral planning process. A Response to Personal Loss The idea for Eazewell began years ago, after Beverly Jr. and Westbrook suddenly lost their high school teammate and close friend, Khelcey Barrs III. The experience revealed how few resources exist for families
A new data set, SHADES, has launched to help developers tackle AI bias, such as harmful stereotypes and other forms of discrimination, that appear in AI chatbot responses across several languages, according to MIT Technology Review. Margaret Mitchell, chief ethics scientist at AI startup Hugging Face, led the international team that built the data set. This spotlights how large language models (LLMs) internalize stereotypes and assesses if they perpetuate those biases. Spotting biases in AI SHADES differs from other AI models, as most only work on models trained in English.
Cluley, an AI tool that helps users “cheat” in real life, raised $5.3 million in seed funding backed by Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures. Chungin “Roy” Lee, CEO of Cluey, went viral in March for creating an AI tool that allegedly “cheats” in job interviews. He was suspended from Columbia for posting content from a disciplinary hearing, as stated by the university. His new venture, Cluely, allows users to analyze what’s on their screens, hear audio, and suggest answers to questions. This is all done without detection from the other
Former President Barack Obama shared his thoughts on the prevalence of AI as part of the Sacerdote Great Names Series at Hamilton College, held on Thursday, April 3, in Clinton, NY. During a talk with Steven Tepper, the school’s president, Obama gave his opinion about the roles he predicts will decline due to AI, as stated by AFROTECH. Obama said that AI is outperforming the majority of human coders and that roles involving more routine tasks will no longer be essential. AI outperforming human coders “Already the current models of AI, not
Djamo, a Francophone digital banking startup, raised $17 million in an equity funding round led by Janngo Capital. The fintech company currently serves one million customers, specifically in Ivory Coast and, more recently, Senegal, according to TechCrunch. The funding will help Djamo expand its product suite for its customers and the thousands of small businesses it has acquired over the past two years. Who are the founders of Djamo? CEO Hassan Bourgi founded the company in 2020 alongside Chief Product and Technical Officer Régis Bamba. Djamo is committed to lessening the financial
Kevin Hart’s Coramino Fund is now accepting applications for its $10,000 grant, including AI training to help small business owners learn more about AI. The fund is the brainchild of Kevin Hart and Juan Domingo Beckmann’s Gran Coramino Tequila. It is currently in its third year and is now open for its latest round of grants targeting entrepreneurs and small businesses from underserved communities, according to Fortune. Part of the grant includes “cutting-edge AI technological training and hands-on learning to responsibly and effectively incorporate into their operations.” Addressing the disparity
Nigerian fintech startup Moniepoint announced the launch of MonieWorld, a platform that offers immigrants various financial services, starting with remittances to Nigeria. The new financial product allows users to return money to Nigeria, beginning with the UK. “With MonieWorld, Nigerians in the UK can send money home in seconds directly into any Nigerian bank account. With remittances to Nigeria crossing $20B in 2023, we see this as an opportunity to support economic growth in Nigeria, while bringing families closer,” the company said in a blog post. Customers will be able
