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QNET Launches “SAY NO” Campaign to Boost Fight Against Human Trafficking

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QNET, a lifestyle and wellness-focused direct-selling company, has launched the “Say NO” public awareness campaign. This initiative aims to educate communities about the dangers of fake job offers used by fraudsters to lure members of the public into human trafficking.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines Human trafficking as a global crime that trades in people and exploits them for profit. People of all genders, ages and backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world. Traffickers use violence, fraudulent employment agencies, and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick, coerce and deceive their victims.

Across Africa and in Nigeria, reputable companies such as QNET, Coca-Cola and even the West African Development Bank (BOAD) have fallen victim to scammers who use their reputable names to deceitfully promise non-existent jobs to members of the public for purposes of exploitation (1 2 3). The lack of awareness about such scams and about Human Trafficking are, therefore, a key challenge in the fight against the vice.

Addressing the issue of Human Trafficking and its impact on society, Mr. Biram Fall, QNET’s Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “Human Trafficking not only destroys the lives of victims and communities, and it is regrettable that scammers often use the names of reputable companies such as QNet to promise fake jobs. We therefore believe that the private sector should support the efforts of states to tackle the vice, and the “Say NO” Awareness Campaign is our contribution. It seeks to empower communities with the knowledge and awareness they need to “Say No!” to the traffickers who want to rob them of their future. “

The Nigerian Government, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has made sustained efforts to combat human trafficking. A United States Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report shows that Nigeria has been placed on Tier 2, reflecting significant governmental endeavours. The report indicates an increase in the identification of trafficking victims, rising from 935 in the previous reporting period to 1,634 in 2023.

Addressing the matter, Akeem Ajisafe, Managing Director of Transblue Limited, the Nigerian partner of QNET, said, “The Nigerian government, in collaboration with NAPTIP and other relevant agencies, have shown unwavering commitment to combating human trafficking. Their dedicated efforts can be seen in the increased identification of trafficking victims, which showcases a proactive stance in addressing this critical issue. The Say NO campaign aims to amplify these efforts by educating the youth in Nigeria on recognizing and avoiding fraudulent job offers. Empowering the younger generation with knowledge is essential in fortifying our collective stand against human trafficking, and I believe this campaign will contribute significantly to that endeavour.”

The “Say NO” campaign shall be implemented in several countries, starting with Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Senegal. It consists of a public education campaign that will use radio, billboards, pamphlets and other activities aimed at sensitizing communities, especially in regions where the prevalence of fake job scams is high.

QNET has implemented several measures to prevent the use of its platforms to perpetrate fraud. This includes the implementation of customer identification technology that blocks users from buying products or referring customers from a country different from their own. With this technology, only users with verified identity documents can refer other customers, and those who are in breach of the company code of conduct are removed from the network. Any individual found fraudulently using the company’s name shall be reported to the authorities, and QNet will seek full punishment according to the law.

In addition to these, the company trains its Independent Representatives on its products, ethical practices and entrepreneurial skills, thereby empowering them to generate income for themselves and their families by referring customers to QNet.


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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

E-Business

Schmidt, Ex Google Chief Says AI Risky in Terrorist Hands

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Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO
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Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO has expressed concerns about the extreme risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) falling into the hands of terrorists or rogue states.

Schmidt, Ex Google Chief Says AI Risky in Terrorist Hands

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO

He warned that nations such as North Korea, Iran, and Russia could adopt AI technologies to develop weapons capable of causing significant harm, including biological weapons.

Schmidt urged governments to oversee private tech companies, emphasising, “The real fears I have are not the ones most people discuss about AI, I talk about extreme risk.”

“I’m always worried about an ‘Osama Bin Laden’ scenario, where truly evil individuals take control of some aspect of modern life to harm innocent people,” he added.

With private companies driving AI advancements, he stressed the need for careful government monitoring and regulation. “It’s really important that governments understand what we’re doing and keep their eye on us,” he said.

His remarks followed a two-day AI summit in Paris, where the UK and the U.S. declined to sign a communiqué outlining the future direction of AI. The declaration on “inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet” was endorsed by 57 countries, including India, China, the Vatican, the EU, and the African Union Commission.

The UK justified its decision, stating that the agreement lacked “practical clarity” on global AI governance and national security concerns.

Schmidt supports U.S. export controls restricting the sale of advanced AI microchips to certain countries, aiming to slow adversaries’ progress in AI research.

He also highlights the importance of international collaboration on AI safety, suggesting that cooperation with nations like China is essential to addressing global AI challenges.

 

 


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OpenAI CEO Rejects $97.4Bn Takeover Bid from Elon Musk

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Sam Altman, chief executive of ChatGPT-owner OpenAI
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Sam Altman, chief executive of ChatGPT-owner OpenAI, has firmly declared the company “not for sale” following a $97.4bn (£78.4bn) takeover bid from a consortium led by Elon Musk.

OpenAI CEO Rejects $97.4Bn Takeover Bid from Elon Musk

Elon Musk

Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris, Altman emphasised OpenAI’s mission to develop AGI (artificial general intelligence) for the benefit of humanity.

Marc Toberoff, attorney for Elon Musk, confirmed the bid submission on Monday.

In response, Altman humorously offered to buy Twitter for $9.74 billion on Musk’s platform.

Unlike many tech giants, OpenAI is not publicly traded but operates through a complex partnership between non-profit and for-profit entities.

Musk aims to return OpenAI to its non-profit roots, despite owning a rival firm, xAI.

Christie Pitts, a tech investor, expressed scepticism about Musk’s intentions, noting his competitive interests.

Altman echoed this sentiment, suggesting Musk’s move disregards OpenAI’s mission.

Altman, who holds no stock in OpenAI, advocates transforming the organisation into a fully for-profit company to raise more funds for AI research.

Although the board has the final say, the $97.4bn offer falls short of OpenAI’s previous $157bn valuation and rumoured $300bn in future funding talks.

Toberoff stated the consortium might increase their bid. Meanwhile, OpenAI is collaborating with Oracle, a Japanese investment firm, and an Emirati sovereign wealth fund on “The Stargate Project,” a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative announced by President Donald Trump.

 

 

 

 


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Adobe Launches AI Video Tool to Compete with OpenAI

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Adobe yesterday released the first public version of an artificial intelligence tool that can generate video clips and revealed how much it will charge, but said it will not set pricing for major users such as studios until later this year.

The Firefly Video Model, as Adobe is calling the service, will compete against Sora, a model developed by ChatGPT creator OpenAI, and startup Runway, both of which currently offer video-generation services. Facebook owner Meta Platforms has also developed a video-generation AI model but has not given a timeline for when it will be released.

Adobe’s model differs from its rivals because it is geared toward generating clips that will fit into how film and television studios use Premiere Pro, its flagship video editing software.

To that end, many of the features that Adobe is emphasizing revolve around feeding existing shots into the video model and asking it to generate clips that fix or expand on shots that were taken on a real production set but that did not come out quite right.

Adobe said the service will generate five-second clips at 1080p resolution. While that is shorter than the clips of up to 20 seconds generated by OpenAI’s service, Adobe executives said the majority of individual clips in most productions are only three seconds.

Adobe said a user can generate 20 clips per month for $9.99 and 70 clips for $29.99. That compares with 50 videos for $20 per month with OpenAI’s plan at lower resolution and a $200 OpenAI plan that can handle longer, higher resolution videos.

Adobe is also working on a “Premium” pricing plan for studios and other high-volume video users and will release those pricing details later this year. Alexandru Costin, Adobe’s vice president of generative AI, said the company is working to generate 4K video and will remain focused on quality rather than longer clips.

“We actually think that great motion, great structure, great definition scheme, making the actual clip look like it was film, is more important than making a longer clip that’s unusable,” Costin told Reuters.

 


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