The Nigerian government is working with Google and Apolitical, a global learning platform for government innovation, to launch a training initiative for public servants. The initiative, called the AI Government Campus, will be implemented through the Apolitical Government AI Campus. It aims to train thousands of public servants and government leaders to understand and apply artificial intelligence in public administration effectively, as reported by Techpoint Africa. The initiative is a joint effort between Google, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), and Apolitical. “We see artificial intelligence as
Apple has removed ICEBlock and several similar apps from its App Store after government officials raised concerns about safety risks linked to tools that let users track US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The growth of ICE-Tracking Apps A growing number of mobile apps are helping immigrants stay safe amid ICE deportations, providing critical information such as “Know Your Rights” guides and legal aid resources. Among them was ICEBlock, which allowed users to anonymously report sightings of ICE agents in their area, including descriptions of what the agents were wearing. ICEBlock quickly gained
NBA star Stephen Curry will team up with Google in a long-term strategic partnership, shaping the company’s hardware, features, and AI services. Curry will join the company as a “performance advisor” for Google’s Health, Pixel, and Cloud products. In his role, Curry will actively shape the future of Google Health and Fitbit products and features. Curry becoming Google’s performance advisor Curry will work with Google’s health and AI engineers to alter products, train algorithms, and craft next-generation health experiences. He will also test and provide feedback for Fitbit’s new personal
Google has removed 58 nonprofit organizations associated with DEI from a list of organizations it funds, according to a new report by tech watchdog The Tech Transparency Project. The report references the most recent public list of organizations that receive the “most substantial contributions” from Google’s US Government Affairs and Public Policy team. The majority of the groups taken away from the list had mission statements that included he words “diversity, “equity,” “inclusion,” or “race,” “activism,” and “women.” It remains unclear whether the tech giant has ended the funding or
Howard University and Google Research have released a dataset comprising over 600 hours of AAE dialects from 32 states to enhance AI’s recognition of diverse Black dialects. As part of Project Elevate Black Voices, researchers traveled across the US to capture commonly used speech patterns in Black communities that AI systems often overlook. The project aims to enhance the way Black people interact with technology. Black dialects being ignored by artificial intelligence African American English (AAE)—also known as African American Vernacular, Black English, or Black talk—is widely spoken in Black
Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled that digital platforms are responsible for the content of their users, as reported by The Rest of World. The ruling will go into effect within weeks and orders tech giants such as Google, X, and Meta to track and remove any content with hate speech, racism, and incitement to violence. Companies must clearly indicate that they’ve taken swift action to remove any harmful content. If they fail to do so, they will be held liable, as stated by the justices. Brazil’s relationship with big tech
South African tech academy WeThinkCode_ has been awarded $2 million in funding from Google’s charitable arm, Google.org, to expand its AI training programs. The programs will provide 12,000 learners in South Africa and Kenya with the necessary tools to succeed in the job market. There is a significant digital skills gap on the continent, with 90% of companies being negatively impacted by the lack of AI skills, according to a recent SAP report. WeThinkCode_ bridges the gap by providing training to unemployed youth from low-income backgrounds, helping them become software engineers. WeThinkCode_’s funding from
Join our Patreon for extra-long episodes and ad-free content. This week on Techish, host Abadesi is joined by TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis. They break down: AI blackmail, the violence that’s rocking the crypto world, and why being frugal matters, Lauren Sanchez marrying Jeff Bezos, and what big racism payouts mean for tech giants. Chapters 01:07 Anthropic’s AI Chatbot Blackmails Engineer07:15 The Violence That’s Got the Crypto Elite Shook16:23 Why Keke Palmer Lives Below Her Means27:35 Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’s Upcoming Wedding36:40 Google Settles $50M Race Discrimination Lawsuit [Patreon-Only] Listen
Lagos-based health tech company Platos Health raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round to scale its AI-driven metabolic health platform, Platos Monitor. The startup allows people to monitor their body fat and other health metrics from their homes, according to TechCrunch. Google led the round for Startups with help from Invest International and a group of angel investors from Google, Tesla, and Unicredit. The company will use the funding to roll out its hardware medical-grade device, Plato’s Body Monitor, in Nigeria. What is Platos Health? Platos Health is a preventive
Google has agreed to pay $50 million in a racial bias lawsuit against Black staff workers. On Thursday evening, a preliminary settlement covering over 4,000 Google employees in California and New York was filed in Oakland, California federal court, which requires a judge’s approval, according to Reuters. The lawsuit In 2022, the plaintiff, April Curley, proposed a class action lawsuit from the California Civil Rights Department, stating that management gave opportunities only for lower-ranked roles, paid them less, gave them lower performance ratings, and stopped them from opportunities for development
