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Parliament passes key Bills
The National Assembly on Tuesday passed several Bills, including the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill, the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill.
The Bills were passed during the House's plenary sitting.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Amendment Bill
The NPA Amendment Bill amends the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998, by providing, among others, for the establishment of an Investigating Directorate against Corruption (IDAC) as a permanent entity within the NPA.
It also provides for the appointment of IDAC investigators to ensure greater investigative capacity and capability.
Parliament said this will enhance the NPA's independence and ability to prosecute high-level crimes.
“The Investigating Directorate was established by a presidential proclamation in 2019, meaning that it can also be disbanded at any time in a similar way.
“The National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill seeks not only to ensure its permanence but makes provision for the appointment of permanent investigators. It also establishes an appeals mechanism through the appointment of a retired judge,” Parliament said.
The appointment of permanent investigators will ensure the probing and prosecuting of high level and often complex crimes of corruption in the country.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Amendment Bill
This Bill amends the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Act, 2011 by, among others, providing that the Directorate must be independent, impartial and must exercise its powers and functions without fear, favour, prejudice, or undue influence.
The Bill also proposes the IPID executive director be appointed by the Minister of Police with the concurrence of Cabinet, for a non-renewable period of at least seven years and not longer than 10.
The Minister would thereafter, in terms of the Bill, report the appointment of the executive director to Parliament within 14 days.
Parliament said both Bills will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence.
Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) last month passed the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill with proposed amendments. The Bill was sent back to the National Assembly to consider the Council’s proposed amendments.
“The Bill marks a significant step towards the protection of all people in South Africa against hate crimes and hate speech, particularly those based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other form of discrimination,” Parliament said.
Section 3 of the Bill defines a hate crime as an offence committed where the offender is motivated by prejudice or intolerance towards the victim of the crime because of specified characteristics or perceived characteristics of the victim or another person associated with the victim.
The Bill lists these characteristics as grounds that could constitute a hate crime. They include age; albinism; birth; colour; culture; disability; ethnic or social origin; gender or gender identity; HIV status; language; nationality, migrant or refugee status; occupation or trade; political affiliation or conviction; race; religion; sex, which includes intersex or sexual orientation.
In Section 4 of the Bill, hate speech is defined as the intentional publishing or communicating of anything that can incite harm or promote hate based on grounds, including age, sexual orientation, and race, among others.
“The Bill also provides for penalties such as fines, imprisonment, or both for those who are convicted of the offences. The Bill will now be sent to the President for assent,” Parliament said.
Other Bills the NA approved include the National Youth Development Agency Amendment Bill and the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Amendment (PDAL) Bill.
National Youth Development Agency Amendment Bill
The NYDA Bill seeks to amend the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Act of 2008 as it relates to the objects of the NYDA and amends its functions, among others.
The Bill provides for inclusion of additional NYDA Board members and provides that the term of a Board member may not be for more than two consecutive terms. The Bill also requires the submission of financial disclosures by the Board members and seeks to amend matters pertaining to the meetings of the Board and the funding of the Agency. It also authorises the Minister to make regulations.
“Given the inputs received from members of the public, insights from further deliberations as well as advice from the Parliamentary Legal Adviser, the Committee realised that there was a need to amend a provision of the principal Act which was not included in the Bill when it was introduced.
“This proposed amendment sought to align the NYDA Act of 2008 to the Public Finance Management Act of 1999, to reflect that NYDA is listed in Part A of Schedule 3 of the latter Act,” Parliament said.
The committee amended the principal Act guided by the National Assembly Rule 286(4)(c), which provides for the legislative process of bills in the committee as follows:
“The committee – if the Bill amends provision of legislation, must, if it intends to propose amendments to other provisions of that legislation, seek the permission of the Assembly to do so.”
The committee sought permission and was subsequently granted permission by the National Assembly to amend Section 2 of the NYDA Act by inserting a new clause in the Bill which read as follows:
“(2) The Agency is a national public entity as [defined in section 1] listed in Part A of Schedule 3 of the Public Finance Management Act.”
Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Amendment (PDAL) Bill
The PDAL Bill, in turn, seeks to address the shortcomings of the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act (SALA) of 1970 by facilitating cooperative governance in the administration of the Act.
It also aims to address other identified weaknesses such as the fact that SALA is only applicable to privately owned land, which inadvertently prevents the protection of high-value agricultural land owned by the state, statutory bodies, communal land, and land administered by traditional authorities.
The Bill also intends to harmonise the need for use of agricultural land for agricultural purposes and non-agricultural uses in line with local authorities’ spatial planning.
“Both the PDAL Bill and the NYDA Amendment Bill will be sent to the NCOP for concurrence,” Parliament said. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 09:50
The Social Craft is changing the talent narrative in South Africa, for the 3rd year in a row. Turning three in 2023, The Social Craft is celebrating its birthday with remarkable statistics and a growing client list. With a 241% increase in 2023 alone, the company has also seen an impressive 3x employee growth in …
South Africa: On Saturday, 9 December, people across the country will unite in local actions against oil and gas drilling off the South African coastlines. Multinational corporations, including Shell, Qatar, Total Energies and contractors such as CGG and Searcher, are amongst the focal points of the latest round of public outrage. Recent authorisations which have …
Fusion Centre's efforts pay off
National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, has outlined the progress and successes achieved by the Fusion Centre in its bid to prevent and combat corruption.
“Since May 2020 to date, the Fusion Centre has achieved a significant number of successes in arrests, prosecution, freezing orders and recoveries. These significant achievements serve to amplify that government’s sharp focus on capacitating the agencies focused on fighting crime and corruption is yielding results,” Lebeya said, while addressing a media briefing in Pretoria, on Wednesday.
The centre was established in May 2020 by the Anti-Corruption Task Team (ACTT) and the National Priority Committee on Organised Crime (NPCOC) as a multi-disciplinary and collaborative effort by all corruption-fighting agencies that are actively involved in the prevention and combating of corruption.
It follows an intelligence-driven approach in investigating corruption and uses comprehensive data and information analysis. It also fast tracks and expedites the processing of cases, thus reducing delays in the pursuit of justice.
"The Fusion Centre broadens the scope of investigations by combining the expertise of multiple agencies, working within their legislative mandates and enhancing the quality and depth of each inquiry. This results in improving the quality of investigations, and increasing prosecution successes," he said.
Progress made
The Fusion Centre has achieved successes relating to the following cases:
Lebeya explained that some of the cases handled by the Fusion Centre are complex commercial crimes, involving networks of organised criminal syndicates.
“The investigators from the Fusion Centre had to trace the networks and the syndicates in order to arrive at conclusive evidence of wrongdoing. The first case involved an accountant who defrauded the COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) [of] over R11 million by claiming relief funds on behalf of a number of companies without their knowledge.
“The investigators uncovered a network of 17 persons, 26 entities, 53 banking accounts and 983 transactions involved in the flow of the financial proceeds from the accountant. The funds were used to purchase immoveable and moveable assets such as houses and a car,” he said.
Preservation orders against two accountants to the value of R3 065 114.08 were obtained as well as four immoveable properties valued at R2 662 986.60. One vehicle was bought with an amount of R665 000.
The accused accountant, Lindelani Bert Gumede, was arrested and convicted for fraud, theft, and money laundering. He was sentenced in 2022 to 135 years imprisonment.
“The second case also involved an accountant who, using the names of six companies, defrauded the TERS scheme to the amount of R884 308.06. Crime analysis revealed that the accountant was behind the companies that claimed the funds.
“This accountant was charged and an amount of R482 258.71 was recovered in an FNB account registered under the name of the accountant. Through the recovery process by the Fusion Centre, he agreed to refund the funds derived from defrauding the scheme. The accountant, Mark Voster, was sentenced to six years imprisonment,” Lt-Gen Lebeya said.
The third case involved an Eastern Cape Taxi Association, which fraudulently claimed R220 million from the TERS scheme using 66 accounts.
The Fusion Centre issued Section 34 directives on the 26 bank accounts securing a preservation order of R26.9 million against the taxi association.
The personal protective equipment (PPE) contract of the taxi association was declared irregular and unlawful. The criminal trial is still proceeding.
In terms of the freezing orders and recoveries, the following successes were achieved:
Lt-Gen Lebeya said public officials were involved in some of the cases of maladministration or did not follow the legislative frameworks in the appointment of service providers, and payments made to service providers and third parties.
“There were 97 referrals for disciplinary and executive actions against officials in government departments and state-owned entities. So far, 11 public officials have been dismissed for various cases of maladministration, fraud and corruption. Three have resigned, eight were suspended, 71 pending and one has received a written warning,” he said.
Other referrals include 58 cases to the Competition Commission, 57 to the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and 29 companies referred to National Treasury to blacklist them on the Central Supplier Database (CSD).
In addition, 47 referrals from the SIU to the National Prosecuting Authority and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) were made.
Fusion Centre's Mandate
The operationalisation of the Fusion Centre coincided with the need to identify and stem misappropriation of funds set aside by government for social and economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially it focused on money laundering, corruption and other financial crimes related to procurement of personal protective equipment and other COVID19 related procurement.
However, since the success of the collaborative approach, the mandate of the Fusion Centre has been expanded to include organised crime, money laundering, fraud, maladministration, terrorist financing and other serious financial crimes both in public and private institutions
“We are calling upon the business sector, specifically, to partner and collaborate with the Fusion Centre and support the enhancement of forensic investigation skills and other critical skills which will lead to a higher rate of prosecution for commercial corruption crimes.
“The Fusion Centre contributes towards the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan in respect of South Africa in addressing deficiencies in the anti-money laundering system,” he said. –SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 11:59
Bonani Ngamlane auditioned in his tiny shack for Netflix’s latest South African film The Queenstown Kings
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Pieter Vlok has been promoted to Acting Division Head of Strategic Facilities Projects (SFP) at Afroteq Advisory. Before this, he was the Senior Project Manager – a position he has filled since 2017. Pieter is currently pursuing his MBA degree through the University of Stellenbosch Business School. He earned a B.Sc in Construction Management and …
Stage set for Durban Open Streets Family Fun
Fashion, food, music, cycling, and a fun walk or run will be the order of the day at the upcoming Open Streets Family Fun to be held in Walnut Road, Durban, on Sunday.
The Open Streets concept encourages the free and safe movement of people, enabling them to experience their space in new and exciting ways – car free.
In a statement, the eThekwini Municipality said following the resounding success of the pilot Open Streets: Florida Road in March, the City is taking further steps to encourage active mobility by hosting a bigger, better and more exciting Open Streets in Walnut Road.
The one-day programme will see a portion of Walnut Road closed off to vehicles converting the street into a walkable space for families to enjoy.
eThekwini Transport Authority Acting Head, Bethuel Manthoadi said Open Streets: Walnut Road will be transformed into a family-oriented precinct displaying an array of cultures co-existing along the stretch.
“By closing the street to cars, opening them to people, and coordinating an engaging programme, Open Streets: Walnut Road facilitates the re-imagination of streets as places that are safe, healthy and fun,” Manthoadi said.
The public is encouraged to support the free event by attending in large numbers.
“We have considered the positive feedback received about the pilot Open Streets in Florida Road, and we are working with various stakeholders to ensure that the event is another fun and memorable experience.
“Durbanites and visitors can look forward to a City cycle ride and walk/run, bike-share programme, local market, fashion, cultural and heritage tours, playground-style games, live music, food offerings, public art and much more.”
To enter the cycle and fun run/walk go to: https://racepass.com/za/races/durban-openstreet.
“Entries are limited to 500 cyclists and 500 participants in the fun run/walk. The first 200 entrants will receive a free t-shirt,” Manthoadi said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 14:20
Algoa FM will be getting even closer and more personal with listeners and businesses in the Garden Route following the opening of its purpose-built studio on Courtenay Street in George. “The drive show on weekdays between 3 and 7pm, hosted by Simon Bechus, has been aired from Algoa FM’s headquarters in Nelson Mandela Bay while …
Dear Editor The latest Green and Blue Drop Reports released yesterday confirm our worst fears about the devastating consequences of the ANC’s policy of Cadre Deployment. It is crystal clear that a massive failure in water and sanitation services is being manifested in most parts of South Africa. For years now the DA has warned …
Johannesburg, 6 December 2023 – Proudly African bank, Absa, is pleased to announce that the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY campaign, titled Together, we can do more, Siyabangena has won the Active and Wellness Award at the recent 2023 Sports Industry Awards. The campaign encouraged Absa colleagues, customers and community members to be an active …
South African outsourcing firm Sigma Connected has announced its expansion into the United States in a move which hopes to deliver 500 new jobs in Western Cape by 2025. The company, which offers ‘white label’ customer contact centre and debt collection services across the financial services, telecommunications, energy and retail sectors, will deliver its customer …
Dear Editor The DA expresses deep concern over the reported excessive spending by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on the funeral arrangements for Chief Logistics Lt Gen Xolani Ndlovu. Despite clear directives from the National Treasury to exercise fiscal restraint, it is disconcerting to learn that over R5 million was allocated for the …
Loosehead prop Boan Venter has put pen-to-paper on a new two-year deal with Edinburgh Rugby. Venter, 26, has been a standout and consistent performer in the front-row since joining from Cheetahs in February 2021, with the prop’s new contract keeping him in the Scottish capital until June 2026. The 6ft 2in, 124kg former Junior Springbok …
Dear Editor In response to a DA parliamentary question, the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, revealed that while his October holiday to the Rugby World Cup in France was sponsored by an unnamed “private company”, it was the taxpayers who funded the trip of his executive assistant – to the tune of R446 339.43. His …
KZN Premier calls for practical solutions to address climate change
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has reiterated her call for adequate funding of vulnerable and developing nations to support technology and other practical solutions to address climate change.
Dube-Ncube made the call when addressing various platforms at the COP 28 Climate Summit, currently underway in Dubai.
Being held from 30 November to 12 December 2023, the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28) focuses on four paradigm shifts, including fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030, and transforming climate finance by delivering on old promises and setting the framework for a new deal on finance.
The conference also focuses on putting nature, people and livelihoods at the heart of climate action, and mobilising for the most inclusive COP ever.
Dube-Ncube joined other leaders in calling for a speedy implementation of commitments made in previous climate change summits.
“We must deepen our resolve and accelerate the implementation of the resolutions and commitments that have been taken in previous conferences and engagements.
“Poor nations and regions are feeling the brutal effects of climate change everyday, and gatherings like this must bring practical meaning to such commitments,” Dube-Ncube said.
Dube-Ncube also emphasised the inclusion of the subnational and local governments in the climate change talks in order to strengthen the international agreements implementation, and for them to be meaningful and incorporated into provincial and local strategies.
The Premier said climate-related disasters hit people on the ground the most, with provinces and municipalities tasked to respond.
“This requires a lot of focus on inclusion and funding. In KwaZulu-Natal, we are still recovering from the devastating effects of the April 2022 floods and this is felt at local level where people live.
“It is for these reasons that we call for more funding for developing nations and inclusion of subnational and local governments in planning and implementation of agreements,” the Premier said.
Dube-Ncube was speaking for the African continent in the climate change engagements in her capacity as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and as Co-Chair of the Under2Coalition, seeking to advocate for the inclusion of subnational and local government in climate talks.
The Under2Coalition is the largest network of subnational governments striving towards reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and connecting them to potential funding streams.
The Premier has been engaging with her Co-Chair counterparts on various issues ranging from vertical integration between national, provincial and local governments and in particular, the state of readiness for any disasters that may hit KwaZulu-Natal, given its vulnerabilities.
The Premier encouraged accountability and transparency for disaster relief and recovery programmes. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 11:32
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The Joburg Crisis Alliance is outraged by the City of Joburg’s secretive reappointment of Floyd Brink as city manager, flouting a court order The Joburg Crisis Alliance is outraged by the council’s secretive reappointment of Mr Floyd Brink as the city manager for the City of Johannesburg, flouting the recent high court ruling that the …
South Africans are turning to Suzuki in ever-greater numbers. The Japanese vehicle manufacturer sold 4 381 vehicles in November, recording a 2% rise over November 2022, and bucking the trend that has seen the overall vehicle market decline by 13.4% in the same month. More importantly perhaps, was the massive jump in dealer sales. Of …
Earlier this year, the DO MORE FOUNDATION, founded by RCL FOODS, joined forces with their local implementing partner, Khululeka, to launch the ground-breaking ‘Everyone Gets to PLAY’ (EGTP) collective impact model in Molteno. This initiative aims to boldly address the pressing issues of malnutrition, stunted growth, and poor development outcomes affecting our most precious demographic …
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Mchunu reaffirms commitment to deliver quality water services
Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has reaffirmed the department’s commitment to continue efforts to ensure that citizens receive quality water services.
This comes as the department released the 2023 full Blue Drop and No Drop reports on drinking water quality, provision and wastewater management in the country.
The reports were released simultaneously with the awards for the best performing municipalities ceremony held on Tuesday to recognise the top-performing Water Services Authorities (WSAs) of 2023.
The Blue Drop Report evaluated all 958 water supply systems (WSSs) across 144 water services authorities. The evaluations considered factors such as infrastructure conditions, maintenance, operation, treatment processes, and staff expertise.
The No Drop Report focused on water losses and non-revenue water in all municipalities in the country.
The reports revealed a decline in drinking water quality and an increase in non-revenue water since the last reports issued in 2014.
Decline in water supply systems
According to the Blue Drop Report, only 26 water supply systems were able to achieve scores above 95% and qualified for the prestigious Blue Drop Certification. This is an overall decline from 2014, where 44 WSSs were awarded Blue Drop status.
The report revealed that the number of water supply systems in a critical state of performance increased from 174 in 2014 to 277 in 2023, indicating a significant decline in excellence between 2014 and 2023.
Drinking water systems in the major metropolitan areas were found to be generally performing well in terms of the Blue Drop key performance areas, with Gauteng having the highest percentage of drinking water systems with excellent or good performance (62%), followed by the Western Cape (50%).
In Gauteng, three municipalities have received National Blue Drop Certification.
These include Meyerton water supply system (provided by Rand Water Bulk Water Service) in Midvaal Local Municipality; Ekurhuleni water supply systems (provided by Rand Water Bulk Service), and the Greater Johannesburg water supply system (provided by Rand Water Bulk water supply systems).
“The water supply disruptions, which have been experienced in Gauteng in recent months, are caused by the demand for treated water occasionally exceeding the available supply of treated water,” Mchunu said.
The Northern Cape has the highest percentage of drinking water systems with poor or critical performance (87%), and this has deteriorated from 48% in 2014.
In the Free State, the percentage of drinking water systems with poor or critical performance has also deteriorated markedly between 2014 (31%) and 2023 (59%).
Based on water quality tests carried out by municipalities during the 2021/2022 municipal financial year, the report showed that 54% of water supply systems achieved excellent or good microbiological water quality compliance, while 46% achieved poor or bad microbiological water quality compliance.
While only 5% of water supply systems achieved poor or bad microbiological water quality compliance in 2014, the report noted a generally good drinking water quality in the major metropolitan areas.
The Blue Drop assessment further found that 85% of drinking water systems were in an average or better infrastructure condition. It noted that Gauteng has the lowest shortfalls of qualified staff, while the Northern Cape has the highest shortfalls of qualified staff.
Increase in non-revenue water
The 2023 No Drop assessment found that the national non-revenue water (NRW) increased from 37% in 2014 to 47% in 2023. The international average for non-revenue water is 30%.
The report attributed this to physical losses, including water leaking out of pipes above or underground, poorly functioning or non-existent water meters, illegal connections, and poor billing and revenue collection.
Four WSAs scored more than 90% and qualified for the prestigious No Drop Certification.
In order to reduce non-revenue water, Mchunu said municipalities need to improve the operation and maintenance of their infrastructure; repair leaks; improve metering, billing, revenue collection and debtor management; improve pressure management, and engage in community education and awareness, among other measures.
Mchunu said the department is working collaboratively with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, including the Municipal Infrastructure Agency, Department of Human Settlements and National Treasury to address the findings of the Drop reports, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDG6) by 2030.
“Action plans have been developed to address the key findings in the worst performing municipalities. These action plans include the provision of grants worth more than R20 billion per annum to municipalities, technical and engineering support and assistance, capacity building and training, and financial management advice and support,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 10:23
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.