Telecom
Meta is Testing AI Tool for WhatsApp and Messenger
Meta is the latest social media company to jump on the artificial intelligence train according to comments shared by its Chief Executive Officer, Mark Zuckerberg, in a Facebook post published yesterday.
According to Zuckerberg, the company is working on the creation of a “top-level product group” focused on generative AI – the technology that powers the popular ChatGPT software developed by OpenAI.
To accomplish its goal, the firm is assembling a team that will solely focus on the development of such a product. According to Zuckerberg, they will focus on “building creative and expressive tools”.
In addition, the company could develop “AI personas” – which can maybe be better understood as virtual assistants – that users can rely on to better use the platforms owned by Meta.
The team may primarily work on new features that involve text prompts within platforms such as Messenger and WhatsApp. Zuckerberg, however, acknowledged that there is still “a lot of foundational work” to be done before any of these tools can be released to the public.
Meta is Not Leaving any Stone Unturned to Stay atop of the Latest Trends
The announcements come only a day after Snapchat, a fast-growing competitor to Instagram and Facebook, launched a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant called “My AI” that subscribers of its Snapchat+ program can already have access to.
For Meta, staying on top of the latest trends in the tech space seems to be a priority as the company allowed TikTok to rise to popularity by failing to catch a shift in users’ preferences that prioritized videos over images.
Zuckerberg, at some point, acknowledged that he “failed to anticipate” these changes. In a recent call with analysts and investors, the head of the Menlo Park-based social media company said that this will be a “year of efficiency” for his firm and engineers seem to have been working around the clock to launch several new features that are primarily responding to what competitors are doing.
Some examples of this include the Meta Verified subscription package that will allow users to get a blue badge on their Facebook and Instagram profiles in exchange for paying a monthly subscription. This was an idea taken from Elon Musk’s playbook at Twitter that appears to have been successful enough to catch Meta’s attention.
In addition, Meta is working on a feature that is similar to BeReal – another social media platform that became popular during the pandemic – that prompts the members of a group to share a picture of whatever they are doing at some point during the day. This trend gained momentum lately in response to the changes that Meta introduced on Instagram that made a more TikTok-like platform.
Is Meta Still Working on the Metaverse?
The metaverse has become a secondary subject lately amid the rise to stardom of generative AI solutions such as ChatGPT. The latter platform has gained significant traction and has seen its monthly active users (MAUs) grow to over 100 million according to statistics pulled by Swiss bank UBS.
Nevertheless, Meta Platforms (META) is not caving in its effort to build a virtual realm. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Reality Labs unit – the one in charge of developing this initiative – generated operating losses of $4.28 billion, meaning that it spent nearly $5 billion on that particular endeavor in a single quarter.
In its latest call with analysts, Zuckerberg emphasized that its short-term priority is artificial intelligence while the metaverse is more of a long-term play. In regards to the latter initiative, the head of Meta commented on some of the progress the company has made including the first shipments of the Quest Pro device last year and the fact that more than 200 apps within its ecosystem have already made more than $1 million in revenues.
Technology Company, Globacom, has announced significant reductions in its International Direct Dialing (IDD) rates, making international calls more affordable for its existing and new customers across Nigeria.
Effective August 10, the new rates began applying to over 15 popular international destinations, including United States which will has moved to ₦30 per minute, down from ₦35, United Kingdom is now N350 from ₦400, while India also moved down to ₦40 from N45.
The rates for China, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon however recorded major reduction moving to N75, N300 and ₦700 respectively.
The reduction was also extended to African countries including Benin Republic which goes for ₦650 per minute, Niger Republic ₦750, Ghana ₦500, and Togo ₦650. United Arab Emirates also moved from ₦450 to ₦325, Germany to ₦550, Côte d’Ivoire ₦700, Libya ₦700, while calls to Malawi is now N1,100 from ₦1,200.
Glo aims to provide more value for its customers through these revised rates, encouraging them to make Glo their preferred network for international calls. New IDD bundles will also be introduced, offering frequent international callers even more attractive deals.
Globacom, which remained optimistic that frequent international callers will benefit immensely from the reductions in IDD bundles, enjoined customers to take advantage of the new rates to stay connected with friends and business associates across the globe.
President Bola Tinubu has appointment members into the boards of the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Universal Service Provision Fund, both under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Idris Olorunnimbe was named Chairman of the NCC board, while Dr Aminu Wada will continue as Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, a position he was appointed to in October 2023 and confirmed by the Senate the following month.
Onanuga said Olorunnimbe previously served on the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund Board, where he chaired the Stakeholder and Governance Committee.
Other NCC board members are Abraham Oshidami (Executive Commissioner, Technical Services), Rimini Makama (Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management), Hajia Maryam Bayi, Col Abdulwahab Lawal (retd.), Senator Lekan Mustafa, Chris Okorie, Princess Oforitsenere Emiko, and the board secretary.
The President also approved the board of the USPF, chaired by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, with Olorunnimbe as Vice Chairman.
Other members are Oshidami, Makama, Aliyu Edogi Aliyu (representative of FMCIDE), Joseph B. Faluyi (representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance), Auwal Mohammed (representative of FMBNP), Uzoma Dozie, Peter Bankole, Abayomi Anthony Okanlawon, Gafar Oluwasegun Quadri, and the USPF secretary.
See the statement below:
PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS BOARD MEMBERS FOR NCC AND USPF
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted the boards of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), both agencies under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
Idris Olorunnimbe was appointed Chairman of NCC, while Dr Aminu Waida remains its Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer.
President Tinubu appointed Wada to the position in October 2023, and the Senate confirmed the appointment in November 2023.
Advertisement
Mr. Olorunnimbe previously served on the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) Board, where he chaired the Stakeholder and Governance Committee and drove impactful youth employment and entrepreneurship programmes.
Other members of the board are:
1. Abraham Oshidami – Executive Commissioner, Technical Services
2. Rimini Makama – Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management
3. Hajia Maryam Bayi- Former Director, Human Capital & Administration
4. Col Abdulwahab Lawal (Rtd)
5. Senator Lekan Mustafa
6. Chris Okorie
7. Princess Oforitsenere Emiko
8. Secretary of the Board.
The President also approved the Board of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), with Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, as Chairman.
Other members are :
1. Idris Olorunimbe – Vice Chairman
2. Abraham Oshidami
3. Rimini Makama
4. Aliyu Edogi Aliyu – (Rep FMCIDE)
5. Joseph B Faluyi – (Rep. of Federal Ministry of Finance)
6. Auwal Mohammed – (Rep. of FMBNP)
7. Uzoma Dozie
8. Peter Bankole
9. Abayomi Anthony Okanlawon
10. Gafar Oluwasegun Quadri and the
11. USPF Secretary
The Federal Government established the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal access and service to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural, unserved and underserved areas in Nigeria.
Anambra State ICT Agency has restated its commitment to creating a digitally inclusive environment where Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) can access and benefit from government services without barriers.
Speaking when the Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ADRC), in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme, paid an advocacy visit to his office, the Managing Director/CEO of the ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, underscored the Soludo administration’s determination to make governance work for all, including PWDs.
Mr. Agbata noted that intentional inclusion is a key part of the Governor’s technology-driven vision for the state which is why the commission recently received a wide range of digital tools to enhance their productivity.
“Technology is only truly impactful when it works for everyone, regardless of physical ability.
We are committed to removing digital barriers and making our platforms accessible to all residents of Anambra State,” he said.
CFA also disclosed that the Agency will take immediate steps to appoint a Disability Desk Officer, work with the commission to ensure that all government ICT platforms are designed to meet accessibility standards, and as well as incorporate PWD-friendly features into ongoing upgrades of the SolutionLens feedback platform.
The visit also featured presentations from ADRC’s Head of ICT, Mr. Bonaventure Umeokwonna, who outlined the Commission’s priorities, and RoLAC representatives, who pledged continued support for building capacity and strengthening the policy framework for inclusion.
Mr. Valentine Nwachukwu, Head of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Commission, gave the vote of thanks, commending the ICT Agency’s openness to collaboration.
The Anambra State ICT Agency continues to work closely with ministries, departments, and agencies to deepen digital transformation in the state, ensuring that no segment of society is left behind.
AfDB Adopts AI to Fast-track Africa’s Development Blueprint
SEC Partners Chainalysis to Tackle Rising Crypto Scams
Glo Reduces International Call Rates
Tinubu Strengthens Telecom Governance with NCC, USPF Board Appointments
Anambra ICT Agency Champions Inclusive Tech-Driven Governance
E-Financial3 days agoNBS Reports ₦6.72 Trillion VAT Haul as Tax Reforms Pay Off
Telecom3 days agoMTN Nigeria Rolls Out Network-as-a-Service and Signs First MVNO to Drive Industry Efficiency
News3 days agoNo More Leaks: FIRS Slaps ₦5m Fine on Info Disclosure
Telecom2 days agoAirtel, Vodacom sign Network Infrastructure Agreement to Drive Digital Inclusion
Telecom2 days agoNCC Bars Ex-Officials from Joining Telecom Firms for 5 Years
E-Business2 days agoFirm Shares Tips for Safer Remote Working
- Telecom3 days ago
Airtel Money Africa Partners pawaPay for Seamless International Remittances Across Africa
E-Financial3 days agoFIRS Unveils e-Invoicing, Electronic Fiscal System for Large Taxpayers