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By Pieter Nienaber (Compliance Africa at Crown Records Management South Africa) Pieter Nienaber from Crown Records Management, a global leader in information management, is acutely aware of the paramount importance of data security and privacy in today’s interconnected world. In the realm of global mobility, where individuals and organisations traverse borders for various reasons, safeguarding …
The survey, which spanned 1,300 respondents in ten African and Middle Eastern countries, revealed that 63% of users are open to sharing their personal information, while an impressive 83% expressed confidence in the accuracy and reliability of these AI tools. “While the results clearly show that generative AI tools are widely used, they also highlight the need for increased user training and awareness regarding the potential risks associated with this powerful new technology,” says Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA (https://www.KnowBe4.com).
Upon its introduction in late 2022, ChatGPT revolutionised the way people work. The highly adept chatbot, known for its natural and impeccable English, swiftly won over critics. Business teams discovered they could create marketing campaigns in a matter of minutes instead of hours, and effortlessly generate content in various forms, such as text and images. However, some argue that the world has embraced generative AI too hastily.
“The adoption of genAI offers tremendous opportunities for African users and organisations but we also need to consider the associated risks,” says Collard. “Our survey - which runs across users owning smartphones in 10 African countries - indicates that all respondents are using generative AI in their personal and professional lives, with many using it on a daily or weekly basis.” The primary purposes for using generative AI are research, information gathering, email composition, creative content generation, and document drafting. Respondents highlighted several benefits of using generative AI, including time-saving, assistance with complex tasks, increased productivity, and enhanced creativity.
“Despite the hype about job losses and various industries being negatively affected by generative AI, 80% of respondents didn't feel that it threatened their job security, although 57% believed it has the potential to replace human creativity,” says Collard. “What is interesting in the findings is the disconnect between what people think and the reality, particularly when it comes to cybersecurity.”
Too willing to share sensitive data
The survey, carried out across South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Mauritius, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, revealed that almost two-thirds of users are at ease sharing their personal information with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. The comfort level in sharing sensitive data varied across countries. For example, in South Africa, only 54% of users were comfortable sharing their personal information with generative AI tools, while in the UAE it was 67%, and in Nigeria, it was 75%.
According to the survey, 83% of users feel confident about the accuracy and reliability of generative AI, showing an excessive level of trust. Collard comments that it is important to encourage critical thinking and be aware of our psychological biases that make us blindly trust content that is synthetically generated. “For example, research shows that people overestimate their abilities to detect deepfakes (Köbis et al., 2021) and in fact perceive AI-synthesized images as more trustworthy than real faces (Nightingale and Farid, 2022)”
Another concerning finding is the lack of comprehensive policies in organisations to address the challenges associated with generative AI. Almost half of the respondents (46%) reported having no generative AI policy at work, and 8% stated that they were prohibited from using it. “Employees are already using generative AI, so attempting to ban it is futile. Instead, it is crucial to establish policies that protect both organisations and their employees, ensuring responsible and safe usage,” asserts Collard.
Deepfakes - one of the most concerning uses of AI
A previous KnowBe4 AFRICA survey found that almost half of consumers do not know what deepfakes are, while a recent survey of South African IT managers by KnowBe4 and ITWeb showed that 60% of organisations do not provide training on deepfakes. “Scammers can trick people into believing that their loved ones are being held hostage by using fake voice and video messages created with this technology,” explains Collard. Because they are so convincing, many people are falling for these scams, including organisations which stand to lose both money and their sensitive data. With elections coming up in South Africa, the US and many other countries, the World Economic Forum has ranked disinformation as one of the top risks for this year. Previous research has shown deepfakes as one of the most worrying uses of AI (https://apo-opa.co/49Co9o9), particularly when used for political manipulation.
“A zero-trust mindset needs to be cultivated to help people overcome the threats of malicious use of generative AI,” concludes Collard. “Companies should provide more training and implement comprehensive policies to help their employees navigate this exciting and daunting new technology.”
To read the full report on generative AI usage in Africa and the Middle East, click here (https://apo-opa.co/4bW7b5E).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.
Today marks a significant milestone for DARJYO as it announces a strategic move into the agricultural space, embracing the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving world of Agritech. Founder and Technical Co-founder, Darshani Persadh, shared insights into the startup’s motivation for this transition, emphasizing the potential for technology to revolutionize traditional agricultural practices. “In …
In today’s world, where security threats are increasingly sophisticated, businesses and institutions are continually innovating to safeguard their assets and protect against potential risks. Among the array of security measures employed, specialised security doors and equipment play a crucial role. From anti-bandit doors to high-security safes, these components form the frontline defence against unauthorised access and …
In today’s fast-paced business environment, integrating sophisticated software solutions is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity. Among these, a Document Management System (DMS) stands out for its ability to streamline the storage, retrieval, and management of documents, significantly reducing paper clutter and enhancing organisational efficiency. Similarly, a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) revolutionises the …
AI in the context of contract analysis and management refers to the use of machine learning and natural language processing technologies to automate and improve various aspects of contracts, transforming the way contracts are analysed, managed, and enforced. AI has become an indispensable tool in contract analysis and management, offering significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy, …
The financial technology (fintech) law and regulatory landscape is constantly evolving and could present first-mover fintech opportunities for those who keep up-to-date with these developments. In this article we delve into strategies and best practices for asset protection for those venturing into the realm of fintech investments. The Fintech Landscape Fintech has revolutionised the financial …
A 2012 court judgment ordered the municipality to provide clean water. It has still not complied
By Jonathan Duncan, technical director, Africa at Vertiv Johannesburg, South Africa – Digital transformation means organisations are becoming increasingly reliant on information technology to run almost every aspect of their business. The creation of more data – which needs to be processed and stored – brings with it the corresponding need for more compute power …
Most of Cape Town’s sewage treatment works are failing, including the city’s largest one which releases effluent straight into the sea
IEC publishes seats determination for provincial legislatures
The Electoral Commission has published the seats determination for provincial legislatures ahead of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.
The seats are determined in accordance with Section 105(2) of the Constitution Act 108 of 1996 and item 3(1) of Schedule 3 to the Electoral Act No.73 of 1998.
“The provincial legislatures’ seats determination takes into account scientifically based data on the population in each province, as well as representation by interested parties.
“The total number of seats to be contested in provincial legislatures is 445, subject to the finalisation of the Western Cape province,” the Electoral Commission said in a statement on Friday.
Seat determination is as follows:
|
PROVINCE 2022 |
CENSUS DATA POPULATION FIGURES |
2024 SEAT DETERMINATION |
|
Gauteng |
15,1 million |
80 |
|
Limpopo |
6,4 million |
64 |
|
Mpumalanga |
5,1 million |
51 |
|
North-West |
3,8 million |
38 |
|
Free State |
3,0 million |
30 |
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
12,4 million |
80 |
|
Northern Cape |
1,4 million |
30 |
|
Eastern Cape |
7,2 million |
72 |
|
Western Cape
|
7,4 million |
Still to be finalised in accordance with the provincial constitution. |
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce the date for the 2024 national elections soon.
- SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Fri, 02/16/2024 - 14:30
SA records an increase in research and development expenditure after COVID-19
Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) has increased in real terms for the first time in four years.
GERD as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 0.62% in 2021/22, up from 0.60% in the previous year, indicating a slight improvement in research and development (R&D) intensity.
This represents a 6.9% year-on-year increase from R25.965 billion in 2020/21 to R27.756 billion in 2021/22, in terms of 2015 prices.
This is according to the latest South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) conducts an annual survey for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology.
Chief Research Specialist and Principal Investigator at the HSRC, Dr Nazeem Mustapha, observed that countries that invest in research and development (R&D) at a high intensity are more likely to lead in global competitiveness.
“South Africa is striving to reach higher levels of R&D intensity by increasing expenditure on R&D, which in turn can lead to new industries and boosting of existing ones, job creation, increased productivity, and sustained economic growth,” Mustapha said.
GERD encompasses all spending on R&D on national territory in a given year and includes domestically performed research and development, which is funded from abroad but excludes funds paid abroad, such as to international agencies.
Key indicators highlight positive economic growth in South Africa for the period under review.
According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), South Africa’s GDP increased by 4.7% in 2021/22 after a 6% decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21.
“The growth in R&D expenditure is reassuring, although this comes off a very low base. The previous year’s decline in growth represented the biggest fall in R&D expenditure in the 20 years that the HSRC has been conducting the survey. We expect the next survey’s result to provide us with a better sense of what the trend is,” Mustapha added.
Data shows that R&D expenditure, funding and personnel movements’ nominal R&D expenditure rose across all five institutional sectors.
Funding
The study identified the R3.480 billion increase in business sector R&D expenditure as the main contributor to the increase in GERD.
The higher education sector increased R&D expenditure by R446 million, the government sector increased by R235 million and the not-for-profit sector increased R&D expenditure by R31 million.
The government remains the largest funder of R&D, accounting for 52.5% of total funding, followed by business (29%) and foreign sources (14.5%).
Meanwhile, foreign funding has increased significantly over the past decade, with most investments directed towards higher education and business sectors.
Personnel
R&D staff increased by 2 857 individuals (3.5% year-on-year) in 2021/22, including 1 716 researchers (a 2.8% increase).
Notably, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) increased their R&D expenditure, with R&D personnel numbers rising in various sectors.
Enterprises in the business sector employed 917 new R&D personnel, which includes technicians as well as researchers, however shed 140 researchers.
R&D personnel increased by 1 657 in the higher education sector, 155 in the government sector, and 79 in the science councils’ sector.
The non-profit sector recorded an increase in the R&D personnel headcount of 49.
In 2021/22, 1.9 full-time equivalent researchers were employed for every 1 000 R&D workers, an increase of 0.1%.
Gender
The ratio of female researchers as a percentage of total researchers rose by 0.4 percentage points to 47%.
Key sectors
R&D activity has increased in the manufacturing and financial services sectors, which drive most R&D expenditure.
Meanwhile, medical and health sciences, along with social sciences, continue to receive the highest R&D expenditure, at 22.8% and 18.4% respectively.
The field of research with the third-highest R&D expenditure in South Africa is information, computer, and communication technology (13.1%), which surpasses the engineering sciences field (11.7%), while growth in social sciences is stagnant.
“A longitudinal analysis of shifts in the proportions of researchers and technicians, as well as the overall movement of R&D personnel, is of value,” said Dr Glenda Kruss, Executive Head of the HSRC Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII).
She said such analysis, which is now possible with time series data covering the past two decades, can inform future investments to grow skills and capabilities for the national system of innovation. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 02/16/2024 - 10:48
In the age of the fourth industrial revolution, control rooms will be the nerve centres that ensure safety, protect critical infrastructure and assets and ensure efficiency and quality. However, while they will rely on everything from the internet of things (IoT) to artificial intelligence (AI), it is important to design environments that look after people, …
The ‘Removing the Trigger’ Campaign was launched at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children on Wednesday.
Pensioners often carry households at the expense of their own needs
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Introduction As we venture into 2024, the landscape of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Staying abreast of the latest trends, algorithm updates, and best practices is more crucial than ever for businesses and marketers aiming to maintain and enhance their online visibility. With search engines becoming increasingly sophisticated, a …
Troubled adverse audit described. And over 36,000 student beds still to be accredited
Cape Town, 13 February, 2024—Founders Foundation today announced that it has partnered with the Silulo Foundation and global technology company, Zoho to train and equip township entrepreneurs enrolled in the Silulo Foundation entrepreneurship programme throughout the greater Cape Town area. As part of this collaboration, a group of entrepreneurs attended specialised training at the Zoho …
Gauteng Health cautions against risky sexual behaviour as STI infection rises
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has cautioned the public against engaging in risky sexual behaviour, as this increases the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV infection.
Between April and December 2023, 167 109 males presented at public health facilities across the province and 67 400 (40%) were treated for male urethritis syndrome (MUS).
According to the provincial department, the MUS data accurately reflect newly acquired STIs.
Symptoms of MUS include discharge from the penis and burning urination.
If left untreated, complications can include pain and swelling of the testes, while gonorrhoeae and chlamydia are the most predominant cause of MUS in South Africa.
In 2020, the MUS incidence in the province was recorded at 12% and has increased over the years to 15% in 2023.
The department said it has noticed a peak of STI incidence in sub-districts E (Alexandra and Sandton) and F (Inner City, Braamfontein and Hillbrow) in Johannesburg.
Some areas include the Merafong sub-district in the West Rand, Katlehong, Ekurhuleni South, Germiston, Katlehong and Vooslorus, Lesedi in Sedibeng and Bronkhorstspruit in Tshwane.
Sub-districts E and F in Johannesburg have tertiary institutions and high-risk individuals such as sex workers and people who inject drugs.
Meanwhile, Merafong is a mining area with a majority male population. Region 7 has farming areas, where cultural norms hinder the uptake of services, especially amongst men.
Ekurhuleni South and Lesedi have technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, informal settlements, truck stops and hostels.
The GDoH has implemented a combination of prevention intervention approaches, which incorporate STI components in these areas such as the promotion of consistent use of male and female condoms, which are free and available in health facilities.
The interventions also involve encouraging the reduction in the number of sexual partners, increased uptake of HIV counselling and testing, STI screening, delayed sexual debut, as well as the promotion of sexual wellbeing.
The MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has urged people who are sexually active to use male and female condoms, which they can access free at their local healthcare centres to protect themselves against STIs and HIV.
She said the rise in MUS is attributed to high rates of unsafe behaviour such as non-use of condoms while engaging in vaginal or anal sex, multiple sexual partners, inconsistent condom use, high levels of substance use and cultural norms.
“Our clinics provide free condoms and STI and HIV prevention, testing and treatment services. We should not let STIs go untreated, as they increase the risk of HIV infection and transmission, which will hamper the province’s goal to reduce new HIV infections by 2030,” emphasised Nkomo-Ralehoko.
In addition, the MEC encouraged women to start early antenatal care as soon as they realise that they are pregnant for thorough screening of any STI, and appropriate and timely treatment for those who test positive.
Between April and December 2023, she said 1 255 out of 66 377 pregnant women who presented at our facilities for antenatal care for the first time tested positive for syphilis.
“If left untreated in pregnant women, syphilis can have adverse outcomes for the growing baby as well as increased morbidity in the mother. It can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy (congenital syphilis), leading to stillbirths, health complications, congenital deformities and even infant death,” said the concerned MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The MEC also said that there has been a noticeable increase in women who are presenting at health facilities to be initiated on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which is an antiretroviral drug prescribed for HIV-negative people to prevent them from becoming infected with HIV.
Between April and November 2023, 38 305 females aged 15 to 49 years were initiated on PrEP, compared to 11 988 males.
“We believe that the high uptake of PrEP among women has led this group to have unprotected sex resulting in a high incidence of MUS. The studies have reported that STI incidence is also high among young women receiving PrEP.
“We would like to encourage more males to get initiated on PrEP to protect themselves against STIs. Additionally, both men and women who are on PrEP should use condoms to protect themselves against STIs, HIV and unwanted pregnancies,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Mon, 02/12/2024 - 11:29
Your “hot date” may be a hotline to becoming a scam victim: Technology has disrupted many aspects of traditional life. When you are sitting at dinner and seeing a couple going out on a “first date”, consider that this may be their first in-person date and that they have been interacting (dating) online for months. According …
CAPE TOWN, 30 January 2024: Africa’s Green Economy Summit, taking place from 21-23 February 2024 in Cape Town, not only features the continent’s major sustainability thought leaders, but also provides a springboard for companies operating in the green sector to sell themselves to investors. The event brings together key African stakeholders – including investors, project …
In an era of rapid technological change, software development companies are not just participants but pioneers, shaping the digital landscape. They blend cutting-edge technology training and development with the implementation of sophisticated cloud-based solutions, playing a vital role in digital transformation across industries. These companies offer a wide range of services, from cloud computing and data intelligence …
