Tuesday, January 30, 2024

NOLLYWOOD FILM CITY is Coming Soon


















The location for the buildings of the NOLLYWOOD FILM CITY has been found in Akwa Ibom State in the south-south region of Nigeria. The land to be called Dakkada is available for my proposed development of the film city on the model of 21st century smart city with IoT and the following:

 Nollywood Plaza with Cineplex.

 Nollywood Centre with AI film and TV studio, Dolby Atmos and Vision Studio and Drylab Set Reports. 

A film commission Nollywood Estate of 500 apartments.

Artificial lake

Helipad

Regular power and water supply. The pictures are sample of the de,s,velopment plan for the layout and the types of buildings of our NOLLYWOOD CITY.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Happy New Year 2024!

 


Uli SI Naka Chi Na AFA









Uli SI Naka Chi Na AFA i s my symbolic artwork on the theme of the Uli body artform and the AFA Divination of the Igbo tribe of Eastern Nigeria. It means that the art of Uli is from yoir destiny in AFA Divination. The artwork is available on art canvas up to 12ft high; in digital art and NFT. 

 Art on canvas price - from US$500 - US$5000

 ETH Digital animation - US$1,000.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

"Breath of Life" is the Best Nigerian Film of the Year 2023



2023 has been a great year for Nollywood.
Nigerian filmmakers made outstanding movies in 2023 and several of them won notable awards locally and globally, including C. J "Fiery" Obasi's multiple award winning mythological fantasy film, "MAMI WATA", Nigeria's entry for the Best International Feature Film
Category of the 2024 annual Academy Awards; , winner of the Best Nigerian Film at the 19th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
"MAMI WATA" premiered at the annual Sundance Film Festival and the cinematographer, Lílis Soares won the Special Jury Prize in the World Dramatic Competition for the film's cinematography in black and white. The film won three awards at FESPACO; Prix de la Critique Paulin S. Vieyra (African Critics Award), Meilleure Image (Cinematography Award) and Meilleur Décor (Set Design Award). The first Nollywood film to win these highly coveted international awards.
It is nominated for the Best  International Film Category of the 39th annual Independent Spirit Awards in the United States of America; the first for a Nollywood film.

Babatunde Apalowo's "All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White" was joint winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2023 annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

“Funmilayo Ransom Kuti" by Mrs. Bolalenle Austen-Peters won the Oronto Douglas' Overall Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay awards at the 2023 annual AFRIFF.
Editi Effiong’s crime thriller, "The Black Book" for Netflix became the first Nigerian film to be number one on the Global Netflix Chart of the most watched movies on the world's largest streaming platform.

"Orah" by Nigerian Canadian filmmaker Lonzo Nzekwe premiered at the 2023 annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Finally, Funke Akindele's new film "A Tribe Called Judah.” is the icing on the cake of the best Nigerian films of 2023.

In overall assessment of all these outstanding films, Nigerians Report Online has selected BB Sasore's "Breath of Life", the Best Nigerian Film of the year 2023.

 "Breath of Life" is an Unforgettable Journey of Discovery of the Power of Faith, Love and Triumph of the Human Spirit

"Breath of Life" is a period drama set in Ibadan in the 1950s. It is about "Timi", a gifted clergyman who turns into an "old lonely curmudgeon when his family is tragically taken from him. Until Elijah, a humble man with big dreams of becoming a priest, comes into his life. Through Elijah, Timi not only learns to live again, but also realizes purpose for all his gifts and wealth."

The Oscar performance of Wale Ojo as "Timi" has proven that he is indeed  more than an actor of actors, but also an auteur of genius in his excellent interpretation of one of the greatest portraits of unique and unforgettable characters in Nigerian drama.
No other actor in Nollywood would have been able to play a better  challenging role of such an iconic character of "Timi" as Wale Ojo did exceptionally well.
He is among the best actors in the world in the same class with Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins of Hollywood for his mastery of being absorbed in the personality of every character he has played the leading role in different movies. This is a rare  accomplishment among actors in Nigeria, because only few of them have such command in characterization and intellectual depth.

Overall, in concise and precise analysis, the "Breath of Life" is a breathtaking cinematic drama of intellectual and spiritual insights on the triumph of faith, love and the human spirit in the conquest of the existential realities of life in the world. The survival, triumph and victory of the human spirit in the vicissitudes of the trials of life.

The director, producer, cinematographer, screenwriter, composer of the soundtracks and production designer have made a film that will become one of the timeless classics of filmmaking in Nigeria. "Breath of Life" is more than the typical Nollywood movie. It is a beautiful story in motion picture that will resonate with people in different societies in the world, because it is a universal journey of discovery of the true essence of human existence on Earth.
It would be more appreciated dubbed in other languages for the rest of the world to share in the beauty of this drama of the worth of every breath of life.

"Breath of Life" is one of the best films of the year and the kind of Nigerian film that should have been in the Official Selection of the annual Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or.

Principal cast:
Wale Ojo, Bimbo Manuel, Sam Dede, Tina Mba, Sambasa Nzeribe, Genoveva Umeh, Chimezie Imo, Demola Adedoyin, Melly Atari and others.

Produced by
Eku Edewor and Aderinola Adeyokunnu.
Written and directed by BB Sasore, Ola Cardoso is the Director of Photography and Kelechi Odu is the Creative Director.


More details on
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Breath-of-Life/0MAIUKK9AP09W0F2HQ99XWI0DD

A must on the watchlist of everyone who loves great movies.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013, printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers in paperback, hardcopy and Amazon Kindle.
"





Saturday, December 30, 2023

2023 in Review: International Digital Post Network Limited - A Potential Unicorn in Nigeria


2023 in Review: International Digital Post Network Limited: A Potential Unicorn 

2023 has been an awesome year of rough economic challenges of tough times.

Inspite of the odds against me, my duly incorporated International Digital Post Network Limited (IDPNL) has been able to remain totally debt free and has never borrowed since the incorporation in September, 2009.

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2023/06/international-digital-post-network.html

Personally, the total amount I have owed in my life so far is $600 (six hundred dollars) only.

International Digital Post Network Limited has been a success story with highly valuable assets and products and international partnerships in the digital media industry, blockchain, mobility, e-commerce and entertainment industry making it a potential Unicorn by the total valuation of the assets, products and partnerships for the Big Picture of the future of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry and creative economy.

IDPNL has partnerships with companies in America, India and Singapore in the global film industry in film acquisition, distribution, production and exhibition.

I am still having 100% ownership of the International Digital Post Network Limited and the subsidiaries. Because, I am the still the sole funder of the company.

Thanks to Almighty God for great is His faithfulness, goodness and mercies and loving kindness.

I trust Almighty God for the best in 2024.

Cheers!
Best regards,
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Founder/CEO,
International Digital Post Network Limited,
King of Kings Books International,
Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema, SOOAC
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

#digitalmedia 
#blockchain 
#mobility 
#ecommerce 
#fintech 
#finearts 
#filmindustry 
#entertainment 
#partners 
#partnership 
#assets 
#products 
#publishing 
#fashion
#lifestyle 
#Nigeria
#india
#singapore
#newyear
#2024
#nollywood
#bollywood


Friday, December 15, 2023

The Dualism of Being 2

 


Dualism of Being is in available as digital art, static painting on art canvas and as an NFT.

Digital art price : US$3,000

Painting on art canvas : US$10, 000

NFT : 10ETH

By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.




Free delivery to every location ahere the UP and DHL can reach in the world.




"Breath of Life" is an Unforgettable Journey of Discovery of the Power of Faith, Love and Triumph of the Human Spirit


A breathtaking masterpiece of  storytelling in motion picture.


"Breath of Life" is a period drama set in Ibadan in the 1950s. It is about "Timi", a gifted clergyman who turns into an "old lonely curmudgeon when his family is tragically taken from him. Until Elijah, a humble man with big dreams of becoming a priest, comes into his life. Through Elijah, Timi not only learns to live again, but also realizes purpose for all his gifts and wealth."

The Oscar performance of Wale Ojo as "Timi" has proven that he is indeed  more than an actor of actors, but also an auteur of genius in his excellent interpretation of one of the greatest portraits of unique and unforgettable characters in Nigerian drama. 
No other actor in Nollywood would have been able to play a better  challenging role of such an iconic character of "Timi" as Wale Ojo did exceptionally well.
He is among the best actors in the world in the same class with Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins of Hollywood for his mastery of being absorbed in the personality of every character he has played the leading role in different movies. This is a rare  accomplishment among actors in Nigeria, because only few of them have such command in characterization and intellectual depth.

Overall, in concise and precise analysis, the "Breath of Life" is a breathtaking cinematic drama of intellectual and spiritual insights on the triumph of faith, love and the human spirit in the conquest of the existential realities of life in the world. The survival, triumph and victory of the human spirit in the vicissitudes of the trials of life.

The director, producer, cinematographer, screenwriter, composer of the soundtracks and production designer have made a film that will become one of the timeless classics of filmmaking in Nigeria. "Breath of Life" is more than the typical Nollywood movie. It is a beautiful story in motion picture that will resonate with people in different societies in the world, because it is a universal journey of discovery of the true essence of human existence on Earth.
It would be more appreciated dubbed in other languages for the rest of the world to share in the beauty of this drama of the worth of every breath of life.

"Breath of Life" is one of the best films of the year and the kind of Nigerian film that should have been in the Official Selection of the annual Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or.

Principal cast:
Wale Ojo, Bimbo Manuel, Sam Dede, Tina Mba, Sambasa Nzeribe, Genoveva Umeh, Chimezie Imo, Demola Adedoyin, Melly Atari and others.

Produced by 
Eku Edewor and Aderinola Adeyokunnu.
Written and directed by BB Sasore, Ola Cardoso is the Director of Photography and Kelechi Odu is the Creative Director.

A must on the watchlist of everyone who loves great movies.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013, printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers in paperback, hardcopy and Amazon Kindle.






Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The Creative Economy is Driven by the Digital Economy

Image credit: 
https://city.cri.cn/20210507/633e86e4-7cc0-92c5-a18c-439c6dec1d4b.html

The development of the Creative Economy is hinged on the development of the Digital Economy in the 21st century.

The creative industry in the 21st century is driven by digital technology from the street to the internet. 
Monetization of every format of intellectual property (IP) is mostly generated by digital applications of production, acquisition, distribution, collection and exhibition of which the transactions for the revenues are through fintech applications and services.

We cannot have a robust creative
economy without the support of the digital economy. Both economies have become interlocked as can be seen in Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, X and the new developments by the MultiChoice Group in Africa. 

The largest revenues of the entertainment industry are online.
Where else can we have billions of downloads and views of content?

Recommended:
THE ROLE OF DIGITAL ECONOMY IN ADVANCING CREATIVE INDUSTRIES-CREATIVITY 2030 SEMINAR
https://city.cri.cn/20210507/633e86e4-7cc0-92c5-a18c-439c6dec1d4b.html

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Founder/CEO,
International Digital Post Network Limited,
Lagos, Nigeria.



Friday, December 8, 2023

Tony Elumelu Convenes Global Leaders and Calls for Immediate Climate Action for Africa at COP28 in Dubai

 


Tony O. Elumelu C.F.R. in conversation with Dr. Ngozi Okonji-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation, at the TEF-UBA high level Roundtable, at the ongoing COP28 conference in Dubai
(Source: The Tony Elumelu Foundation)


PRESS RELEASE
Tony Elumelu Convenes Global Leaders and Calls for Immediate Climate Action for Africa at Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai
With African youth set to make up one third of global population later this century, the future of Africa’s youth, entrepreneurial, ambitious, resilient, needs to be given the highest priority

Access Multimedia Content

LAGOS, Nigeria, December 8, 2023/ -- Tony Elumelu Foundation (https://www.TonyElumeluFoundation.orgHosts US Administration, WTO, UNDP, IFC, UNICEF, Rockefeller Foundation Leaders; Champions equitable partnerships to catalyse a new generation of green entrepreneurs; Announces partnership to fund young African entrepreneurs in Green sector with Ikea Foundation, Dutch Government, and UNICEF Generation Unlimited; Secures commitments to support Africa’s youth to drive climate resilience from World Trade Organisation, World Bank, UNDP, Government of Sweden, IFC, US State Department, and others.

At a series of events across COP28, Tony Elumelu delivered a single message to world leaders: Africa needs to be heard, Africa’s future is the world’s future and the continent that is most impacted by and the least contributor to climate change, needs our attention. With African youth set to make up one third of global population later this century, the future of Africa’s youth, entrepreneurial, ambitious, resilient, needs to be given the highest priority.

Elumelu offered the infrastructure and experience of his own Foundation’s 10 year $100m entrepreneurship programme to partners, to catalyse a further generation of African entrepreneurs; entrepreneurs who can address climate change and drive the broader wealth creation that Africa requires. Reaching and funding young entrepreneurs in every African country, the Elumelu approach of sector agnostic seed funding, mentoring, and networking has delivered robust impact.

The annual COP UN Climate Change Conferences unites the world to assess progress in combatting climate change. Elumelu is one of Africa’s leading advocates for an equitable agenda for climate action and through the Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered thousands of green entrepreneurs, shaping a more sustainable future for Africa.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation, in partnership with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), hosted a high-level session, bringing together Africans, and key players in the Gulf, Europe, and Americas, where UBA operates, underscoring the urgent need for innovative approaches to climate adaptation and mitigation, while fostering sustainable development, and bringing attention to Africa’s unique position.

Speakers included Dr. Okonjo Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization; Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP, Kevin Frey, CEO, UNICEF Generation Unlimited; Sergio Pimenta, VP Africa, IFC; Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative, World Bank; Adam Wang-Levine, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate; Joseph Nganga, Vice President, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Rockefeller Foundation; Hassan Al Hashemi, VP International Relations, Dubai Chambers; Serge Ekué, Chairman, West African Development Bank (BOAD); Muyiwa Akinyemi, Deputy Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa; and Mattias Frumerie, Swedish Climate Ambassador and Head of Delegation, UNFCCC.

“Addressing climate change is the paramount challenge of our era. The urgency is unmistakable.”  Elumelu stated. “It is critical that Africa, as a continent, and African voices, play a key role in global climate conversations, as meaningful participants, and no longer as bystanders. Africa is least responsible and is disproportionately impacted by climate change. I am investing in a generation of green entrepreneurs, and we are extending the hand of partnership, so that others can benefit and use the infrastructure and platform we have created to reach entrepreneurs across Africa.”

Elumelu represented the African private sector at the 2023 New Global Financing Pact in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum in London, at the invitation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and U.S. President Biden. At the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) in New York, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) launched a first-of-its-kind Green Entrepreneurship Programme, the #BeGreenAfrica Initiative, in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, Dutch Government and UNICEF GenU, to support green entrepreneurship and youth development.

Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur from Madagascar in the green economy, Marie-Christiana Kola, shared a compelling impact story.  “As a beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship programme, I was able to create a recycled and 100% biodegradable hand soap made with waste cooked oil - the number one water polluter of water in African urban cities. These soaps do not only protect the environment, but they are also solidarity soaps.  I was also able to attend the COP27 conference in Egypt, where I won the Innovation Prize. Today, I have employed over 30 people because of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.”

Speaking at the TEF #COP28 high-level event, Dr. Okonjo Iweala, DG, World Trade Organisation stated, “I am proud of what my brother, Tony Elumelu, has done in empowering and inspiring so many young entrepreneurs. We have no choice; the future is green. The future of growth is two things – it is green, and it must be inclusive. I am very interested in partnerships with organisations like TEF.”

Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP added, “The reason why UNDP associated itself with the Tony Elumelu Foundation years ago is because of the leadership and courage of the Foundation to trust and invest in young Africans. It was one of the first organisation to do so at that scale.”

The Foundation partnered with the UNDP to empower thousands in the Sahel, with an ambitious project to impact the lives one million young Africans.

Sergio Pimenta, VP, Africa at the IFC, also stated, “Tony, I salute you and your Foundation for what you have been doing to support young entrepreneurs in Africa. The IFC has deployed $2billion in funding for African SMEs in the last fiscal year and we are very excited to be able to do more, working with you.”

Kevin Frey, CEO UNICEF Generation Unlimited added, “With TEF, we have moved in a concerted way into the entrepreneurial space. Generation Unlimited now have a flagship programme with the Tony Elumelu Foundation called #BeGreenAfrica, launched in Kenya, and now with the support of the IKEA Foundation and the Dutch Government, we have scaled to Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa, and Senegal. We will train and seed 500 green entrepreneurs this year in the pilot project across those countries. So Tony, thank you so much, you are right it is all about partnerships.”

Wendy Teleki, Head of the Women Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative at the World Bank, announced, “Our women-focused initiative has been able to secure $3.6 billion to finance women entrepreneurs in 67 countries across the world, and is set to launch a new programme focused on financing African women entrepreneurs to drive the continent’s green energy transition, and we are keen to work with the Tony Elumelu Foundation.”

Mattias Frumerie, Swedish Climate Ambassador and Head of UNFCCC Delegation stated, “My Government and I commend the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s incredible impact across Africa, and will facilitate connections between the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the Swedish embassies across Africa to drive innovation, digitalisation, and green-energy transition, which promises to bring about new jobs and growth.”

Adam Wang-Levine, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate, added” Before coming to the United States Treasury, I was working in venture capital, and I know first-hand that it is incredibly important what the Tony Elumelu Foundation is doing. I have seen two pillars of their work – financing and the mentorship – just as I have seen with Silicon Valley, which helps to drive innovation and jobs creation. We are excited to begin partnership conversations.”

Muyiwa Akinyemi, Deputy GMD, United Bank for Africa, announced, “For us, UBA, we give market access into 20 geographies in Africa.  Everything that we do is around Africa, and that is why we have partnered with the Afrexim Bank to launch the $6billion fund for SMEs with a focus on import substitution, working in four key areas including climate emission reduction.”

Earlier in the day, Tony Elumelu joined Ajay Banga, President of World Bank Group; Brian Moynihan, Chair of the Board and CEO of Bank of America; Ms. Ruth Porat, President, Alphabet and Google; and Ms. Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder & President of Emerson Collective as a panelist in a session titled “Big, Audacious and Green: A Convergence of Visionaries”, moderated by Børge Brende, President of World Economic Forum.

On Sunday December 3 Mr. Tony Elumelu, also participated in a fireside conversation with Ms. Teresa Ribera, Vice President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Change, moderated by Sec. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and with closing remarks from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.
 
Contact Information:
Moyo Awotile

Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications
Tony Elumelu Foundation
Email: moyo.awotile@tonyelumelufoundation.org
Phone: +234 809 975 1482

About the Tony Elumelu Foundation:
The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation in all 54 African countries, and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment. Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has connected over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed nearly USD$100 million in direct funding to 18,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.

SOURCE
The Tony Elumelu Foundation




Wednesday, December 6, 2023

The Artificial intelligence Hit List: 6 Biggest Threats

 


PRESS RELEASE
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) hit list: Six menacing threats you need to know
Just like any other technology, artificial intelligence has its own set of risks that users and organisations should know

Access Multimedia Content

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 6, 2023/ -- By the end of this year already, the market for artificial intelligence (AI) in South Africa is projected to reach (https://apo-opa.co/481NZ3n) a size of $2.4 billion, showing an annual growth rate of 21% between now and 2030. Locally, the technology has the potential to mitigate security risks, enhance decision-making, address legacy challenges, and have a significantly positive societal impact. Despite the impressive applications and implications, Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA (https://www.KnowBe4.com), warns of the associated risks that need to be considered.

“Generative AI models are trained on data from various sources,” she explains, highlighting that these sources are not all verified, lack sufficient context, and are not regulated. “AI is incredibly helpful in handling the mundane administrative tasks associated with spreadsheets and statistics. However, it becomes concerning when we rely on it to make decisions that have the potential to influence people’s lives.”

AI is an algorithmic construct built on the bones of human creative endeavours and data that is often flawed and biased. “As Kate Crawford, a professor at the University of Southern California and Microsoft researcher, pointed out (https://apo-opa.co/3GwCPYK), AI is not truly artificial or intelligent. This poses risks that can have long-term consequences if users are unaware of them,” explains Collard.

Here are six of the most concerning risks:

01: AI hallucinations: Earlier this year, a New York attorney used a conversational chatbot for legal research. The AI deceitfully incorporated six fabricated precedents into his filing, falsely attributing them to prominent legal databases. This is a perfect example (https://apo-opa.co/3uJjW2e) of an AI hallucination, where the output is either fake or nonsense. These incidents happen when prompts are outside of the AI’s training data and so the model hallucinates or contradicts itself in order to respond.

02: Deepfakes: The implications of fake images extend to various areas. With the rise of fake identities, revenge porn, and fabricated employees, the range of potential misuse for AI-generated photographs is expanding. One particular technology called Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) (https://apo-opa.co/481j1Zi) is a type of deep neural network capable of producing new data and generating highly realistic images by using random input. This technology opens up the realm of deepfakes, where sophisticated generative techniques manipulate facial features and can be applied to images, audio, and video. This form of digital puppetry carries significant consequences in political persuasion, misinformation or polarization campaigns.

03: Automated and more effective attacks: This taps directly into the potential of GAN mentioned before, as cybercriminals make use of deepfakes in more sophisticated attacks. They use it in impersonation attacks, where fake voice or even video versions of someone can be used to manipulate victims into paying or following other fraudulent instructions. Cybercriminals also benefit from jailbroken generative AI models to help them automate or simplify their attach methods, such as for example automating the creation of phishing emails.

04: Media equation theory: This refers to the fact that human beings have a tendency to attribute human characteristics to machines and develop feelings of empathy towards them. This tendency becomes even stronger when the interactions with machines seem intelligent. Although this can positively impact user engagement and support in the service sector, it also carries a risk. People become more vulnerable to manipulation, persuasion, and social engineering because of this over-trust effect. They tend to believe and follow machines more than they should. Research has shown (https://apo-opa.co/3RvGVqg) that people are likely to alter their responses to queries in order to comply with suggestions made by robots.

05: The manipulation problem: AI, through the use of natural language processing, machine learning, and algorithmic analyses, can both respond to and simulate emotions. By gathering information from various sources, agenda driven AI chatbots for example can promptly react to sensory input in real time and utilise it to accomplish specific objectives, such as persuasion or manipulation. These capabilities create opportunities for the dissemination of predatory content, misinformation, disinformation, and scams.

06: Ethical issues: The presence of bias in the data and the current absence of regulations regarding AI development, data usage, and AI application all raise ethical concerns. Global efforts are underway to tackle the challenge of ethics in AI and reduce the risks of AI poisoning, which entails manipulating data to introduce vulnerabilities or biases. “However, South Africa currently lacks momentum in addressing these issues. This must change, as managing and detecting the risk of polluted AI data before it causes long-term harm is essential.” Says Collard.

“It is important to be mindful of the information we share with AI chatbots and virtual personal assistants. We should always question how our data is being used and by whom,” concludes Collard. “There is a risk of sharing sensitive personal and business information with data training models. While AI is a valuable tool, it is crucial to use it with critical thinking and mindfulness, and only rely on it in situations where it provides the most value and has been fact checked.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.

SOURCE
KnowBe4