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Meta Unveils Muse Spark: MSL’s Groundbreaking People-First AI Model

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Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) unveiled Muse Spark Tuesday, its first large language model in a new Muse series, designed from scratch to deliver “personal superintelligence”—an AI assistant tailored to users’ real-world needs like complex reasoning in science, math and health.

Meta Unveils Muse Spark: MSL’s Groundbreaking People-First AI Model

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A New Model: Muse Spark

Over the last nine months, Meta Superintelligence Labs rebuilt our AI stack from the ground up, moving faster than any development cycle we have run before. Muse Spark is the first model in our new Muse series — a deliberate and scientific approach to model scaling where each generation validates and builds on the last before we go bigger. This initial model is small and fast by design, yet capable enough to reason through complex questions in science, math, and health. It is a powerful foundation, and the next generation is already in development. Muse Spark now powers the Meta AI assistant in the Meta AI app and meta.ai, built to support complex reasoning and multimodal tasks.

What’s Changed with Meta AI

The Meta AI app and meta.ai are getting an upgrade today, along with a new look. Whether you need a quick answer or help with complex problems that need strong reasoning, Meta AI now handles both. You can switch between modes depending on the task, and Meta AI can launch multiple subagents in parallel to tackle your question. Like planning a family trip to Florida where one agent drafts the itinerary, another compares Orlando vs. the Keys, and a third finds kid-friendly activities — all at the same time, giving you a better answer, faster.

Ask Meta AI: It Understands

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The real world moves fast, and most of it does not fit into a text box. That is why we built strong multimodal perception into Muse Spark, so Meta AI can see and understand what you are looking at, not just read what you type. Snap a photo of an airport snack shelf and Meta AI can identify and rank the snacks with the most protein — no label-squinting required. Scan a product and ask how it compares to alternatives. It is the difference between an AI that waits for you to explain the world and one that can simply look at the world with you. And when Meta AI powered by Muse Spark comes to our AI glasses, the assistant will be able to better see and understand the world around you.

Multimodal perception is especially valuable for health. With Muse Spark, Meta AI is now able to help you navigate health questions with more detailed responses, including some questions involving images and charts. Health is one of the top reasons people turn to AI, so we worked with a team of physicians to develop the model’s ability to provide helpful information on common health questions and concerns.

Muse Spark excels at visual coding, letting you create custom websites and mini-games straight from a prompt. Ask Meta AI to build a dashboard for planning a big surprise party, spin up a retro arcade game to chase a high score, or launch a whimsical flight simulator — and share any of them with friends.

Ask Meta AI: It’s Plugged Into What You Care About

Meta AI can now help you discover what to wear, how to style a room, or what to buy for someone you know. Shopping mode draws from the styling inspiration and brand storytelling already happening across our apps, surfacing ideas from the creators and communities people already follow.

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And when you are looking up a place to go or a topic that is trending, Meta AI surfaces rich and relevant context right alongside the conversation. Tap into a location and see public posts from locals who know the area. Ask what people are buzzing about and get the full picture, pulled from content and community posts. It is context from your people, right where you need it.

Looking Ahead

The Meta AI app and meta.ai will have the upgraded experience with Instant and Thinking modes everywhere they are available today. The new Meta AI features are starting to roll out in the US on both. In the coming weeks, we will bring these new modes and capabilities to more countries and to the places where people use Meta AI, including Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and our AI glasses — where these perception capabilities become even more powerful. We are also opening access to the underlying technology. It will be available in private preview via API to select partners, and we hope to open-source future versions of the model.

This is only the start. As we expand these features, expect richer, more visual results, with Reels, photos, and posts woven directly into your answers, with credit back to the content creators. And as our models improve, we’ll continue to build safeguards for things like safety and privacy, starting with the strengthened risk framework and other protections we’re sharing today.

The future of Meta AI is rooted in the relationships and context already at the center of your life. We are building toward personal superintelligence — an AI that does not just answer your questions but truly understands your world because it is built on it.

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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Airtel Nigeria Expands Retail Footprint to Strengthen Customer Access Nationwide

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Airtel Nigeria has strengthened its nationwide retail and distribution network as part of its continued investment in enhancing service delivery and making telecommunications and digital services more accessible to millions of Nigerians.

The company’s retail ecosystem comprises more than 4,000 exclusive Airtel shops and over 200,000 retail touch-points nationwide, including partner stores, channel partners and neighborhood agents. This network ensures that subscribers can conveniently easily access SIM registration, device purchases, airtime and data recharge, customer support and other digital solutions.

Commenting on the company’s retail distribution strategy, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, said,

“Telecommunications goes beyond the physical infrastructure, it is important that we are able to reach people where they live and work. That is why we continue to invest in a strong retail and distribution ecosystem that enables us to bring Airtel closer to our customers while delivering a consistent, high-quality experience wherever they are.”

According to Joypratip Sengupta, Director, Sales and Distribution, Airtel Nigeria, the company’s distribution network plays a vital role in ensuring seamless service delivery.

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“Our retail network is designed to ensure that our services reach customers efficiently. It is a combination of efficient logistic systems, strong partnerships and local engagement that enables us to consistently meet the needs of our customers across the country,” he said.

The strengthened distribution strategy complements the company’s ongoing investments in network infrastructure and digital innovation, recognising that customer proximity remains a critical driver of service excellence and digital inclusion.

In addition to improving customer access, Airtel’s extensive retail ecosystem continues to create economic opportunities for thousands of entrepreneurs, distributors, retailers and small business owners who form an integral part of the company’s value chain.

As demand for accessible, interconnected digital services continues to grow across Nigeria, Airtel remains committed to investing in improving its service delivery and ensuring that every subscriber enjoys quality service.

 

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Kaspersky Survey Highlights the Need for Smartphone Security

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Kaspersky’s latest global survey shows a change in how people go online: 60% of survey participants from the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region now claim their smartphone is the main device they use to access the Internet, pushing the PC into a secondary role.

But as the amount and sensitivity of data stored on these phones keep growing, cybersecurity experts warn that users’ security habits aren’t keeping up.

According to the survey* 60% of respondents from the META region consider a smartphone their primary device for accessing the Internet. The most active smartphone users are representatives of Gen Z, with 67% of all global respondents aged 18-28 choosing a mobile phone as their main device.

With mobiles as the full-fledged rivals of computers in accessing the Internet, the amount of important data stored on them has also increased significantly. Personal photos and videos are leading the pack. 60% of users in the META region store visual memories on their devices. Close behind are contact details (51%), text messages and chats history (45%) and important personal documents such as IDs and passports (43%).

At the same time, a substantial portion of users in the META region keep work‑related data on their smartphones (37% emails, 22% calendars and 17% even store access to corporate systems), blurring the line between personal and professional realms.

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Financial credentials and login details appear on 40% of devices, while emerging categories like AI chat histories (30%) and gaming accounts (26%) signal new types of personal data stored on personal devices.

“Now our smartphones serve as full‑featured assistants that touch every aspect of our lives. The data we entrust to them goes far beyond photos, phone numbers or text messages. Consequently, the main question is no longer “what we store,” but “how we protect it,” requiring security to become as integral to the device as the data it carries,” comments Anton Kivva, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.

Three keys to mobile data security

To help users navigate this new digital reality safely, Kaspersky experts have issued a three-step security plan:

  1. No data should live on your phone only

A smartphone should never be the sole repository for any type of information. While having everything at your fingertips is convenient, accidental deletions, loss or hardware failure can make recovery impossible without reliable backups or cloud sync.

The most sensitive data like passwords, ID or financial details requires special attention and preferably be kept in a protected format. Use a dedicated security solution like Kaspersky Password Manager, which apart from securely keeping credentials and bank cards, has a special secret vault functionality aimed at storing important documents, for example, scanned Passports/IDs and PDF files, addresses and notes. Thanks to the cross-device synchronisation it allows access to the data from any gadget.

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  1. Create a guard against digital threats

In Q1 2026 only, more than 2.67 million attacks utilising malware, adware or unwanted mobile software were prevented and more than 306,000 malicious installation packages were discovered.

Mobile devices require the same cyber protection as PCs. Kaspersky experts recommend cybersecurity solutions such as Kaspersky Premium that provide comprehensive protection – starting with scanning apps for potential threats upon installation, and using AI‑driven features to block malicious and phishing links in real time and prevent data or money losses, among many other security layers.

  1. The “what if” scenario planning

Phone loss always occurs unexpectedly, but a few proactive steps can dramatically reduce its impact:

Turn on location services. Both Android and iOS include built-in tools that can locate a lost phone and, if needed, wipe its data remotely. Kaspersky for Android app activates this capability through the Where Is My Device feature.

  • Enable automatic backups.Regular backups ensure that photos, videos, documents, contacts and other vital data can be restored even if the device is lost or stolen.
  • Configure instant auto‑lock.Setting the phone to lock immediately after the screen turns off keeps it inaccessible to thieves or cyber‑criminals when you’re not using it.
  • Keep the device physically safe.In public spaces, never leave your phone unattended or within easy reach, avoid placing it on tables, in back pockets or any other vulnerable spot.

“We often underestimate how much valuable information we keep on our mobile devices and how vulnerable that data truly is. Ask yourself: When was the last time I backed up my photos or notes? What’s my plan if my phone goes missing? Do I verify links before I click them? While most users automatically think of security software for their computers, phones lag behind. It’s time to give your everyday digital companion the same robust cyber‑protection it deserves,” adds Anton Kivva, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.

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Why Africa’s Top ICT Ministers Are Gathering in Abuja This Week

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Nigeria will host telecommunications, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital economy ministers from across Africa for the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26), scheduled for July 23 to July 24 in Abuja.

 

The conference, the highest decision-making body of the ATU, is expected to bring together ministers, regulators, industry leaders, development partners and other stakeholders from the Union’s 52 member states to deliberate on Africa’s digital and telecommunications agenda for the next four years.

A statement by the organisers said delegates would adopt the Union’s strategic direction, approve its 2027–2031 budget and work programme, elect a new Secretary-General and determine the composition of the Administrative Council.

The conference will also harmonise Africa’s common positions ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference scheduled to hold later this year in Doha, Qatar.

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The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, described the conference as a significant milestone for Africa’s digital future.

“Nigeria is honoured to host the 7th Ordinary Session of the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries at a defining moment for Africa’s digital future.

“As countries across the continent accelerate digital transformation, it is increasingly important to strengthen regional cooperation, develop common positions on emerging technologies, and create enabling environments that attract investment, build digital talent and expand meaningful connectivity.

“Our role as host reflects the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to building an innovation-driven economy while strengthening African cooperation on digital infrastructure, technology governance, skills development and investment,” he said.

One of the major highlights of the conference will be a ministerial dialogue on “Achieving Africa’s Meaningful Connectivity,” jointly organised by the ATU and the GSMA.

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The dialogue will explore practical strategies for expanding affordable, reliable and quality connectivity across the continent, with emphasis on infrastructure investment, service quality, affordability and ensuring that digital access delivers tangible economic and social benefits.

Also speaking ahead of the conference, the Secretary-General of the ATU, Mr John Omo, said the meeting would provide member states with an opportunity to strengthen the Union’s capacity to drive Africa’s digital ambitions.

He said the decisions to be taken in Abuja would shape the ATU’s ability to support national priorities, sustain Africa’s participation in global telecommunications forums and respond effectively to emerging technological developments over the next four years.

The conference is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Abuja Declaration, which will provide governments, regulators, industry stakeholders and development partners with a common framework for advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

According to the organisers, hosting the conference underscores Nigeria’s commitment to regional collaboration and reinforces the country’s growing leadership in digital policy, technology governance and investment promotion across Africa.

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