Telecom
YouTube Announces New Generative AI Products to Usher in a New Era of Creative Expression
YouTube on Friday announced new generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) products to usher in an era of creative expression.
Neal Mohan, YouTube’s Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) said in a statement that YouTube platform unveiled a suite of AI-powered capabilities that would help both new and established creators and artists create, edit, and share content in bold new ways.
Mohan said that since launching Shorts in 2020, Shorts had now climbed to more than 70 billion daily views from more than 2 billion logged-in users every month.
The CEO said that the new updates would help creators and artists push the boundaries of creative expression making the difficult things simple and impossible dreams possible.
He said that the update was making it easier for creators anywhere to create content.
According to him, these AI-powered tools will help unlock powerful new forms of creative expression, take the friction out of the creative process, and allow YouTube creators to reach more viewers.
“The key announcements include introduction of Dream Screen, a new generative AI feature to unlock creative expression on Shorts.
“The launch of YouTube Create is to help take the work out of video production, help anyone to create and share videos right to YouTube.
“Today the platform has launched a new mobile app called YouTube Create, which was designed to empower creators to get started with a suite of production tools to edit their Shorts, longer videos, or both.”
According to him again, the app offers video editing tools including precision editing and trimming, automatic captioning, voiceover capabilities and access to a library of filters, effects, transitions and royalty.
Mohan said it also offers free music with beat matching technology so that creators could produce their next YouTube video without relying on complex editing software.
“Here are more ways that YouTube is helping take the heavy lifting off creators and giving them more efficient tools to help them come up with new ideas and reach new audiences,” he said.
Global Head of Music, YouTube, Lyor Cohen said that ‘Bold and Responsible’ is YouTube mission, and the potential of AI was incredibly exciting.
Cohen added that as with any new technology, it had to be approached responsibly.
“What Artists, Songwriters, and Producers do is something that is uniquely human and cannot be replaced by technology,” he said.
He said that YouTube sees AI as a tool that could be used by artists to amplify and accelerate their creativity.
“YouTube is committed to working alongside the creative community within our AI Music Incubator, which has now expanded globally.
“We are also leaning into our superpower, our deep partnerships with the music industry, working back-to-back with them to achieve our collective goals of fueling creativity and driving business forward,” he further said.
YouTube creator, Cleo Abram, said AI tools could help shrink the gap between what was imagined and what one could make instead of shrinking ideas.
Abram said because AI helped shrink that gap, these tools could increase access to the conversation.

Telecom
Aleph Paves the Way for MSME Success in Nigeria with Launch of Aleph Express
Aleph Group, Inc, an ecosystem of global digital experts and technology-driven solutions that enables the growth of digital marketing, has announced the launch of Aleph Express, its proprietary solution for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) in Nigeria.
In one simple and intuitive app, Aleph Express provides a platform for MSMEs to create and maintain a free e-commerce website, create a product catalog, set local delivery options, manage, record and process orders while gaining meaningful insights to drive growth.
Most innovatively, Aleph Express provides one unified inbox that integrates Whatsapp, Messenger, and Instagram, to enable businesses to efficiently engage and sell – all in one place.
In addition, Aleph Express provides local payment solutions and support, creating a holistic offer for Nigeria’s thriving MSME sector.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria is home to more than 41 million MSMEs and contributed 49% of the country’s GDP in the last five years. 42% of MSMEs in the country – equivalent to more than 17 million businesses – operate within the wholesale and retail trade industry.
However, 97% of Nigeria’s retail industry is made up of traditional – largely offline – channels. Aleph Express’ solution, which takes all the heavy lifting out of starting and managing an online shop, will offer an opportunity for retailers to evolve traditional retail channels and capture online growth.
The launch of Aleph Express forms a key part of Aleph’s strategy to provide localised and actionable technology for advertisers and MSMEs alike. From its teams on the ground, Aleph offers unrivalled, local support to enable its partners to overcome in-market challenges and create valuable opportunities. Aleph, through its legacy brand Ad Dynamo, has been supporting Nigerian advertisers since 2009.
Matthieu Laporte, Vice President of SMB at Aleph, commented: “Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the Nigerian economy. With Aleph Express, we enable them to create digital storefronts to attract more customers not only in their neighbourhood but across the country and the region.
“Our dedicated local teams support businesses and entrepreneurs new to this form of commerce and aim to onboard 10,000 monthly active merchants by the end of 2023.”
Approximately 90% of MSMEs in Nigeria use social platforms in one way or another to connect to customers, Aleph Express is a one-stop shop to accelerate businesses’ outreach to clients and potential new clients across the country.
Stephen Newton, Managing Director – Sub Saharan Africa at Aleph, added: “The launch of Aleph Express is a premiere – we are proud that Nigeria has been selected by Aleph as the first market to launch.
“This also marks a milestone in our offering, as Aleph Express is specially tailored for small and medium businesses, enabling these entrepreneurs to leverage the power of social platforms for their growth. With our local team standing by and supporting SMBs, I am confident that we are spearheading a revolution in this field.”
Telecom
Maida Pledges Support Meta on Undersea Cable Initiative
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said the support of the Commission awaits law-abiding investors like Meta, (formerly Facebook), which responds positively to Nigeria’s desire for investments that promote the agenda of government to achieve a robust digital economy.
Maida, who spoke when he received a delegation of Meta, led by the company’s Vice President for Africa, the Middle-East and Turkey, Kojo Boakye, when they visited NCC’s headquarters in Abuja, said the regulatory support to all investors, including operators in Nigeria, will be predicated on their playing by the rules and regulations guiding the sector.
He said the Commission places a lot of premium on compliance to industry laws, regulations and guidelines as such will also engender a level-playing field for all licensees and other stakeholders in the industry for sustaining a healthy competition and guaranteeing a sustainable growth in the Nigerian telecoms sector.
Boakye informed NCC boss that the purpose of the visit was to congratulate the EVC on his appointment by the President and to intimate him of ongoing efforts to land 2Africa Cable in Nigeria.
At 45,000 kilometres long, Boakye said the 2Africa submarine cable will be one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), Asia (via Saudi Arabia), and Africa.
He said the system will go live in 2023, delivering more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables currently serving Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180 terabytes per second (Tbps).
Boakye stated that 2Africa will deliver much-needed Internet capacity and reliability across large parts of Africa, supplement the fast-growing capacity demand in theMiddle East and underpin further growth of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband access for billions of people, especially in Nigeria.
He solicited NCC’s support in sailing through all necessary legal and regulatory hurdles in landing the submarine cable to complement existing backbone infrastructure in Nigeria.
He also said Meta, through a consortium, plans to land 2Africa cable simultaneously in Lagos and Akwa-Ibom States “in order to ensure those not yet connected are connected while those already connected are given opportunity for enhanced and affordable access.”
Telecom
MTN PR Manager Earns a PhD as Pan-Atlantic University Convocates 11 Doctoral Graduates
Lakinbofa Goodluck, MTN Nigeria’s PR Manager, was one of 11 doctoral graduates at the Pan-Atlantic University’s (PAU) convocation on December 2, 2023.
He was awarded a PhD certificate for his laudable research thesis on Nigeria’s film industry titled ‘Defining the Christian Film in the Nollywood Film Industry’. He sought to understand the meaning-making process between the filmmaker/creative collaborators and the audience through the lens of genre.
Amidst the vibrant event, where attendees adorned varied hoodies and regalia, the university celebrated a total of 206 graduands. These individuals were acknowledged for enduring academic rigour and demonstrating mastery of knowledge and the requisite character to contribute meaningfully to society.
During his address, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia SAN, commented on the potential interference of artificial intelligence on learning. He emphasized the importance of experiential learning to foster independent analysis and thought.
“It is only in continuing to challenge students to analyse, evaluate and create that we can maintain the core essence of tertiary education and produce graduates who are equipped to navigate the complexities of the future,” he stated.
PhD is the peak of formal education and only intensely disciplined, determined and curious people dare to attain it.
Reflecting on the significance of achieving a PhD, Lakinbofa shared, “This is not just a personal achievement; it’s a tribute to the relentless pursuit of knowledge and the boundless curiosity that drives me. Exploring the intricacies of Nigeria’s film industry in my thesis was a rewarding journey into the world of genre and audience engagement.
“As one of the 11 Doctoral graduates, I stand amidst a cohort of individuals charged to contribute significantly to society. I acknowledge both the burden and the fulfilment.”
Given the rapid progress of the Nigerian film industry and its substantial contribution to the nation’s economy, Lakinbofa’s study promises to provide stakeholders with invaluable insights.
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