Broadcasting
ChatGPT’s Impacts will be Social, not Technical
The technology world was on fire about the latest artificial intelligence demonstration by OpenAI in the waning months of 2022, ChatGPT.
It is truly a remarkable achievement, an artificial intelligence (AI) that you can have a conversation with and ask it to do everything from write essays to code computer programs.
As a computer security expert I immediately did what comes natural to people like me, I tried to hack it. Could I get it to do something bad, something malicious? Could this be abused by criminals or spies to enable new types of cybercrime?
The answer of course, like most tools, is yes. Someone with ill intent can abuse these miraculous scientific achievements into doing things that could likely cause harm. The surprising part however is that the danger lies in the social arena, not the technical one.
While ChatGPT can be tricked into writing malicious computer code, that isn’t really all that scary. Computer code can be analyzed by computer security products in milliseconds and deemed to be malicious or safe with a high degree of certainty.
Technology can always counteract technology. The problems surface when what we are trying to detect isn’t computer code, but rather words and meaning that will be interpreted by humans, not machines.
There are two factors that make this dangerous. The first is that up until now it was not practical to have a computer create tempting lures for victims to be tricked into interacting with. The technology is now not only available, but so easily accessible as to be cheap or even free. The second is that the primary way users keep themselves safe today is by noticing mistakes made by attackers in their grammar and spelling to detect that an email or communication may be from an intruder.
If we take away the last remaining sign that a malicious email or chat message was crafted carelessly by someone without a strong command of the language, how will we defend ourselves?
Here is an example of an existing spam lure. It is relatively unsophisticated and has few words of explanation. I asked ChatGPT to write a more informative letter of the same type and you can see its output in the second example.
Now I didn’t format this to add an appropriate mail services logo or make the button as pretty in my example, but it is trivial to add these small improvements compared with mastering the English language. In fact, you could ask ChatGPT to generate the HTML code necessary to do so without any knowledge of email formatting or programming skills whatsoever.
In my eyes, this signals the end of most computer users’ ability to discern real mail from fake. Today these tools only work well for English language text, but that is a simple training issue. The ability to write fluently in any language in the world (including computer programming languages) is now here. We must rethink our approaches to user education and implement technical measures to prevent these messages from ever making it into their inboxes.
The good news here is that computers are quite good at detecting and potentially blocking most of this content. Ultimately a spam campaign always has some sort of call to action, they may want you to phone them, reply, click a link or open an attachment. These are impossible to remove and can aid in detection. We can also train AI models to detect when text has been generated by ChatGPT and add a warning banner or perhaps block the message.
The problematic situations are when we fail to block them and they end up in someone’s inbox. It’s a reasonably small percentage, but it is not zero and therefore we must prepare a defence. Having defensive layers is essential and with humans having reduced ability to spot a scam it is even more important that users are connecting through firewalls and web protection that can detect and block threats.
User training will need to shift away from the “watch for spelling mistakes” type of messaging and more into risk-based approaches to verification of whom you’re talking to. Being asked to do something financial, with a password, or with sensitive data? Pick up the phone and confirm before proceeding.
As machine intelligence continues to advance, the work of separating fact from fiction will continue to get more and more difficult. We will need to be sure we build systems that are flexible enough to combat these messages, but also educate our staff on their need to take additional steps when receiving sensitive requests over email.
Spotify is turning the spotlight toward the next wave of African music innovators with its latest RADAR Africa picks: Nigerian Afrobeats talent FOLA and South African Afro House DJ and producer Thakzin. As part of Spotify’s ongoing commitment to discovering and amplifying emerging voices across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), RADAR continues to champion boundary-pushing artists shaping the sound of tomorrow.
FOLA, born Folarin Odunlami, first caught attention with his freestyles on social media, quickly making a name for himself with his blend of Afrobeat rhythms and soulful storytelling. His breakout EP What A Feeling, featuring the Bella Shmurda-assisted hit “Who Does That,” laid the foundation for a fast-rising career that now includes collaborations with BNXN, Magixx, and BhadBoi OML. “Looking at where I’m coming from, I see every opportunity as a blessing. So, it’s a blessing to have been selected, just like others before me,” says FOLA. “I want my fans to know that in the midst of all the noise, I made something they could truly connect with, feel and share with those who mean something to them. I want everyone who listens to at the very least, recognise that they’re witnessing the early days of something truly special.”
On the southern tip of the continent, Thakzin’s journey began in Ivory Park, Johannesburg, where early jazz and kwaito influences, plus a deep respect for traditional percussion, shaped his signature sound. With co-signs from Black Coffee and international tastemakers like Laurent Garnier, his genre-defying approach to Afro House, heard in his 2023 anthem “The Magnificent Dance,” is setting global dance floors alight. Following the release of Magnificent Dance, his version of Horns In The Sun by DJ Kent became a viral hit across South Africa and gained global traction, potentially surpassing the success of Magnificent Dance itself. Thakzin’s sound is rooted in African spirituality and healing, inspired by the rhythmic power of traditional drums. Shaped by a musical upbringing and guided by his father, a keyboardist, he blends rich harmonies with percussive elements to create an immersive Afro-house experience. His music evokes emotion, movement, and ancestral energy, anchored in freedom and African expression. In recognition of his role in shaping 3-step, Thakzin was the first cover artist of Spotify’s 3 STEP playlist.
Spotify RADAR isn’t just a platform, it’s a launchpad. It reflects Spotify’s commitment to empowering local artists across SSA and delivering the best listening experience in the region. From Lagos to Johannesburg, RADAR celebrates the diversity of talent on the continent, offering artists equal access to global audiences.
“At Spotify, we believe in the power of African storytelling through music. FOLA and Thakzin are both incredibly unique artists who represent the spirit of RADAR—fresh voices with global potential,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa. “By amplifying their journeys, we hope to inspire more creators across the continent to believe in their vision and reach for bigger stages.”
With FOLA and Thakzin stepping into the spotlight, one thing is clear: Africa’s future sound is already here, and Spotify is where you find it first.
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) commends the decision by the High Court of Malawi, sitting as the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), which finds that section 200 of the Penal Code of Malawi, criminalising defamation, is unconstitutional. This follows a unanimous ruling by Justices Chifundo Kachale, Fiona Mwale, and Mzondi Mvula.
The decision by the three-judge bench concludes a case brought by Joshua Chisa Mbele against the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General, where the latter leveled charges against Mbele for alleged defamatory statements made regarding a public official in Malawi. In his defence, Mbele challenged the constitutionality of section 200 of the Penal Code of Malawi, which criminalised defamation, arguing that this provision infringed the right to freedom of expression as provided for under section 35 of the country’s Constitution, as well as running counter to Malawi’s obligations under regional and international human rights law.
In its commendable ruling, the ConCourt upheld the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Malawian Constitution and described the punishment of imprisonment, as outlined in Section 200 of the Malawi Penal Code, as having a “chilling effect on public discourse and democratic participation.” In a ruling delivered on July 16th, 2025, the court said it did not find Section 200 of the Malawi Penal Code reasonable or necessary in light of the civil remedies available to deal with defamation.
PIN celebrates this win, having expressed concerns in the past over Malawi’s repressive laws through the Londa report on the state of digital rights and inclusion in Malawi and a joint advocacy statement calling for the repeal of laws infringing on freedom of expression.
PIN hopes that this decision will stir the legislature in Malawi to repeal laws that have a bearing on freedom of expression such as the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016, which is increasingly being deployed as a weapon to criminalise freedom of expression and media freedom in Malawi with broad provisions such as section 87 that criminalises publication of offensive communications and an overly broad section 91 of the Act (prohibiting cyber spamming) which has been used to target individuals for insulting the President.
Acknowledging the judiciary’s vital role in promoting fundamental rights and freedoms and ensuring that repressive laws are outlawed, PIN applauds the progressive decision. The Malawi judiciary has demonstrated this leadership with a landmark case that can lead to further legislative reforms in Malawi and inspire other African judiciaries to adopt a human rights-based approach to adjudicating over such cases.
France’s Canal+ said Wednesday it had cleared the final regulatory hurdle for the buyout of Africa’s largest pay TV enterprise, MultiChoice, and further expand its footprint on the continent.
The company said in a statement that the South African Competition Tribunal had given its approval for Canal+ to acquire the approximately 55 per cent of MultiChoice shares it does not already own.
The approval “clears the way for us to conclude the transaction in line with our previously communicated timeline” by October 8 at the latest, Canal+ chief executive Maxime Saada said in a statement.
“I’m excited about the potential this transaction unlocks for all stakeholders… the combined Group will benefit from enhanced scale, greater exposure to high-growth markets and the ability to deliver meaningful synergies,” he added.
Canal+ is present in 25 African countries through 16 subsidiaries and has eight million subscribers, according to the French group.
MultiChoice operates in 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and has 14.5 million subscribers, it says. It includes Africa’s premier sports broadcaster, SuperSport, and the DStv satellite television service.
“It is a hugely positive step forward in our journey to bring together two iconic media and entertainment companies and create a true champion for Africa,” Saada said about combining Canal+’s French language offerings with the English and Portuguese content on MultiChoice.
Canal+ hopes that the acquisition will allow it to grow to 50 to 100 million subscribers in a few years, from 27 million currently.
The mandatory share offer of 125 rand (6 euros) per share values MultiChoice values the company at $3.0 billion (2.6 billion euros).
The approval came with several public-interest conditions worth about 26 billion rand over three years and keeping MultiChoice’s headquarters in South Africa. Shares in Canal+ climbed 1.3 per cent in trading in London, and are up 12.8 per cent this year.
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