AI interviews leave job candidates in the dark

An increasing number of startups are now using AI to conduct video job interviews, often without making this clear to applicants. Senior software developers are finding themselves unknowingly engaging with automated systems instead of human recruiters.

Applicants are typically asked to submit videos responding to broad interview prompts, including examples and case studies, often without time constraints or human engagement.

AI processes these asynchronous interviews, which evaluate responses using natural language processing, facial cues and tone to assign scores.

Critics argue that this approach shifts the burden of labour onto job seekers, while employers remain unaware of the hidden costs and flawed metrics. There is also concern about the erosion of dignity in hiring, with candidates treated as data points rather than individuals.

Although AI offers potential efficiencies, the current implementation risks deepening dysfunctions in recruitment by prioritising speed over fairness, transparency and candidate experience. Until the technology is used more thoughtfully, experts advise job seekers to avoid such processes altogether.

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Grok AI chatbot suspended in Turkey following court order

A Turkish court has issued a nationwide ban on Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, following recent developments involving the platform.

The ruling, delivered on Wednesday by a criminal court in Ankara, instructed Turkey’s telecommunications authority to block access to the chatbot across the country. The decision came after public filings under Turkey’s internet law prompted a judicial review.

Grok, which is integrated into the X platform (formerly Twitter), recently rolled out an update to make the system more open and responsive. The update has sparked broader global discussions about the challenges of moderating AI-generated content in diverse regulatory environments.

In a brief statement, X acknowledged the situation and confirmed that appropriate content moderation measures had been implemented in response. The ban places Turkey among many countries examining the role of generative AI tools and the standards that govern their deployment.

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FlySafair introduces AI interface for smarter bookings

South African airline FlySafair has introduced Lindi, an AI-powered interface to assist customers with booking and travel management. Accessible 24/7 via WhatsApp, Lindi can handle single-passenger flight bookings, seat or name changes, and provide travel details.

FlySafair is the first South African carrier to implement a free AI travel assistant capable of managing bookings and setting a new benchmark for customer service. The initiative reflects the airline’s commitment to affordable, efficient, and tech-driven travel experiences.

Chief marketing officer Kirby Gordon said the technology offers a scalable way to provide each passenger with a virtual assistant. The airline aims to expand Lindi’s capabilities to improve service quality and customer satisfaction further.

FlySafair hopes Lindi’s human-like interaction will redefine digital engagement in the aviation industry and demonstrate practical value as AI becomes more embedded in everyday life.

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Student builds AI app to help farmers tackle crop issues

A student is developing an AI-powered app designed to help farmers detect and address crop problems. Soj Gamayon, a communications technology management student at Ateneo de Manila University, was inspired by his family’s farming struggles and his experiences abroad to build AgriConnect PH.

The app uses smart sensors to monitor conditions such as water levels, moisture, and pests, then sends the data to the cloud where it is analysed by AI. Farmers receive real-time alerts with a colour-coded system indicating the severity of risks, helping them respond before crops are damaged.

Gamayon aims to move farmers from reactive responses to proactive management. With updates available at least twice a day and instant alerts for urgent threats, the system offers timely intervention to reduce losses.

Currently supporting cereal crops like rice and corn, the app is set to expand to vegetables and livestock. While the technology is still in development, Gamayon believes AI can revolutionise agriculture and provide Filipino farmers with better tools for resilience.

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IGF 2025: Africa charts a sovereign path for AI governance

African leaders at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 in Oslo called for urgent action to build sovereign and ethical AI systems tailored to local needs. Hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the session brought together voices from government, civil society, and private enterprises.

Moderated by Ashana Kalemera, Programmes Manager at CIPESA, the discussion focused on ensuring AI supports democratic governance in Africa. ‘We must ensure AI reflects our realities,’ Kalemera said, emphasising fairness, transparency, and inclusion as guiding principles.

Executive Director of Policy Neema Iyer warned that AI harms governance through surveillance, disinformation, and political manipulation. ‘Civil society must act as watchdogs and storytellers,’ she said, urging public interest impact assessments and grassroots education.

Representing South Africa, Mlindi Mashologu stressed the need for transparent governance frameworks rooted in constitutional values. ‘Policies must be inclusive,’ he said, highlighting explainability, data bias removal, and citizen oversight as essential components of trustworthy AI.

Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, called for urgent action to avoid digital dependency. ‘We cannot be passively optimistic. Africa must be intentional,’ he stated. Over 1,000 African startups rely on foreign AI models, creating sovereignty risks.

Koné emphasised that Africa should focus on beneficial AI, not the most powerful. He highlighted agriculture, healthcare, and education sectors where local AI could transform. ‘It’s about opportunity for the many, not just the few,’ he said.

From Mauritania, Matchiane Soueid Ahmed shared her country’s experience developing a national AI strategy. Challenges include poor rural infrastructure, technical capacity gaps, and lack of institutional coordination. ‘Sovereignty is not just territorial—it’s digital too,’ she noted.

Shikoh Gitau, CEO of KALA in Kenya, brought a private sector perspective. ‘We must move from paper to pavement,’ she said. Her team runs an AI literacy campaign across six countries, training teachers directly through their communities.

Gitau stressed the importance of enabling environments and blended financing. ‘Governments should provide space, and private firms must raise awareness,’ she said. She also questioned imported frameworks: ‘What definition of democracy are we applying?’

Audience members from Gambia, Ghana, and Liberia raised key questions about harmonisation, youth fears over job loss and AI readiness. Koné responded that Smart Africa is benchmarking national strategies and promoting convergence without erasing national sovereignty.

Though 19 African countries have published AI strategies, speakers noted that implementation remains slow. Practical action—such as infrastructure upgrades, talent development, and public-private collaboration—is vital to bring these frameworks to life.

The panel underscored the need to build AI systems prioritising inclusion, utility, and human rights. Investments in digital literacy, ethics boards, and regulatory sandboxes were cited as key tools for democratic AI governance.

Kalemera concluded, ‘It’s not yet Uhuru for AI in Africa—but with the right investments and partnerships, the future is promising.’ The session reflected cautious optimism and a strong desire for Africa to shape its AI destiny.

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Bridging the digital divide through language inclusion

At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Norway, a high-level panel of global experts highlighted the urgent need to embed language inclusion into internet governance and digital rights frameworks.

While internet access has expanded globally, billions remain excluded from meaningful participation due to the continued dominance of a few major languages online.

Moderated by Ram Mohan, Chief Strategy Officer of Identity Digital and Chair of the newly formed Coalition on Digital Impact (CODI), the session brought together speakers from ICANN, the Unicode Consortium, DotAsia, DOTAU, the National Telecom and Regulatory Authority of Egypt, and other institutions. The consensus was clear: true digital inclusion is not possible without linguistic inclusion.

‘There are over 7,000 languages in the world, yet nearly half of online content is still in English,’ said Jennifer Chung, Vice President of Policy at DotAsia Organisation. ‘This creates barriers not just to access, but to culture, safety, and economic opportunity.’

Toral Cowieson, CEO of the Unicode Consortium, explained how foundational technical issues still limit language access. ‘Digital inclusion begins with character encoding. Things like date formatting or currency symbols work seamlessly for majority languages, but often break down for minority ones.’

Manal Ismail of Egypt’s National Telecom and Regulatory Authority stressed the importance of government involvement. ‘Language remains a fundamental axis of inequality online,’ she said. ‘We need multilingual access to be treated like other digital infrastructure, alongside cybersecurity and connectivity.’

IGF 2025, Norway, Language inclusion, Diversity
A man and woman sitting in chairs

Sophie Mitchell, Chief Communications Officer at DOTAU, drew attention to the challenges in Australia, where 30% of the population is born overseas and Indigenous languages face extinction. ‘Digital access alone isn’t enough. Without relevant content in native languages, people can’t participate meaningfully,’ she noted.

Theresa Swinehart, representing ICANN, described how historical bias in internet design continues to limit multilingual adoption. ‘We’ve made technical progress, but implementation lags due to awareness gaps. It’s time to lead by example,’ she urged.

Christian Dawson, Executive Director of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition and CODI co-founder, echoed this sentiment. ‘We’re not lacking technology—we’re lacking coordination and motivation. CODI was created to connect those doing good work and help them scale.’

The panel called for a shift from the prevailing ‘English-first’ approach to a ‘multilingual by design’ philosophy, where language accessibility is embedded in digital systems from the start rather than added later. As Chung put it, ‘It’s not just about preserving language—it’s about preserving culture, enhancing security, and enabling rights.’

Audience members also offered insights. Mohammed Abdul Haq Onu from the Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum highlighted successful efforts to promote Bangla language support. Elisabeth Carrera of Wikimedia Norway noted that 88% of traffic to Northern Sami Wikipedia comes from bots and language models, not humans—signalling both the promise and risks of AI in language preservation.

As part of the session’s outcome, each participant committed to concrete follow-up actions, including raising awareness, fostering collaboration, and supporting open data initiatives. The session closed on an optimistic note, with Mohan emphasising, ‘Technology should serve languages—not the other way around.’

The panel’s discussion marked a turning point, framing multilingual internet access not as a luxury, but as a fundamental digital right with far-reaching implications for cultural preservation, cybersecurity, and inclusive economic development.

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Global digital funding crisis takes centre stage at IGF 2025 session in Norway

At the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 in Norway, a pivotal session hosted by the APNIC Foundation gathered global experts to address widening digital funding gaps in the developing world.

The discussion spotlighted the shrinking resources for internet development just as 32% of the world’s population remains unconnected, mainly in the Global South.

Neeti Biyani, from the APNIC Foundation, opened the discussion by framing the urgency of transforming digital development into a vehicle for broader socioeconomic outcomes. ‘We need to shift our mindset from infrastructure delivery to meaningful transformation,’ she said, highlighting the need for collaboration beyond traditional donor-recipient models.

Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, Executive Director at the Tech Global Institute, warned of an ‘unhealthy tension between digital development and human rights,’ particularly as governments impose internet shutdowns while touting digital progress. ‘We’re not only leaving people unconnected, we’re actively disconnecting them,’ she said. Diya also called for communities to take greater ownership of digital transformation, moving beyond imposed solutions from the Global North.

Raj Singh, CEO of the APNIC Foundation, expressed concern over the persistent duplication of efforts in digital development. ‘We keep talking about collaboration, but the reality is, there’s very little of it,’ he observed. Singh called for a shift from capacity-building to capability-building and from output-based to outcome-based funding. ‘Without structural change and a supportive ecosystem, we’re just repeating old mistakes,’ he added.

Remy Friedmann of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs stressed that digital inclusion must be treated as a cross-sectoral development priority, not a standalone infrastructure issue. ‘Meaningful internet access is not a luxury—it’s fundamental for economic participation and resilience,’ he said.

GIZ’s Franz von Weizsäcker highlighted the challenges of maintaining development momentum amid declining official development assistance (ODA) and restrictive investment climates. He raised concerns about monopolised satellite infrastructure and the need for open ecosystems. ‘Without proper regulation and procurement capacity, many countries won’t benefit from connectivity, even if the cables are laid,’ he noted.

Speaking remotely, ICANN board director Maarten Botterman emphasised the need for local ownership and multistakeholder collaboration. ‘We can’t just push digital transformation down people’s throats. Local communities need to know what to ask for and be part of shaping it,’ he said.

The session also heard from audience members, including Molly Pugh-Jones from the Digital Health and Rights Project, who highlighted challenges in tracking donor investments and called for transparency in digital development funding. A Norwegian entrepreneur expressed frustration with market access barriers, reflecting a broader distrust of private sector actors in development contexts.

Participants agreed that digital development must become a collective effort driven by cooperation, accountability, and locally defined priorities. ‘We’ve solved harder problems before—think polio eradication,’ Diya concluded. ‘It’s time we applied the same collaborative ambition to digital inclusion.’

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WSIS+20 review highlights gaps in digital access and skills

Experts gathered at the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Norway to assess progress since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was launched two decades ago. The session, co-hosted by the Government of Finland and ICANN, offered a timely stocktake ahead of the WSIS+20 negotiations in December 2025.

Panellists emphasised that WSIS has successfully anchored multistakeholder participation in internet governance. Yet, pressing challenges persist, particularly the digital divide, gender gaps, and lack of basic digital skills—issues that remain just as urgent now as in 2005.

Yu Ping Chan of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stressed that WSIS principles are ‘just as relevant today,’ calling for precise language in negotiations and continued commitment to digital capacity development. She highlighted the disconnect between New York diplomatic processes and those who’ve worked on technical implementation for decades.

Jarno Syrjälä, Undersecretary of State at Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, said WSIS and the Global Digital Compact must be implemented in sync. ‘A strong focus on trusted, open and secure connectivity is vital for ensuring the internet remains a driver for rights, trade, and sustainability,’ he noted.

Fiona Alexander from American University reminded attendees that WSIS’s hallmark was opening internet governance to all stakeholders. She urged continued pressure to maintain that openness: ‘Don’t accept the status quo—show up, speak up, and stay at the table.’

ICANN CEO Kurtis Lindqvist spotlighted tangible successes such as DNSSEC, root server deployments, and internationalised domain names. ‘We risk forgetting that global internet standards have worked phenomenally well. That’s why we must protect the multistakeholder model that delivered them,’ he said.

Smart Africa’s Director General Lacina Koné outlined four digital development gaps for Africa: meaningful connectivity, regulatory harmonisation, skills development—including AI literacy—and digital sovereignty. He explained, ‘WSIS gives us the vision; Smart Africa is building the bridge.’

The group reflected on emerging issues like AI and the need for interoperable legal and technical frameworks. A live poll during the session revealed that capacity development remains the top global priority. Speakers called on governments, civil society, and the technical community to stay engaged in shaping WSIS+20 outcomes. As Koné put it, ‘Multipolarity is a fact, but multilateralism is a choice.’

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LACNIC launches regional internet skills program

LACNIC has launched the Research and Development (R&D) Ambassadors Program to improve internet infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean. That initiative is designed to identify and support emerging technical leaders who can help address persistent connectivity challenges in the region.

The program focuses on enhancing expertise in areas such as internet measurement, routing, and IPv6, to build stronger local digital ecosystems. The first cohort of ambassadors, presented during LACNIC 43, showcased projects demonstrating strong local involvement, such as the expansion of the RIPE Atlas measurement network in Chile and increased active probes in Bolivia.

The ambassadors actively engaged their communities to promote best practices and build technical skills, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing at the local level. However, despite these promising initiatives, the program’s long-term effectiveness remains uncertain.

Challenges, such as limited resources and uneven technical expertise across countries, raise questions about whether these efforts can scale or lead to broader improvements in regional connectivity. Sustainability remains a key concern, especially in uneven infrastructure development areas.

Despite challenges, the program is key in promoting digital inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean, where internet access remains limited. LACNIC’s efforts support global goals to close the digital divide by empowering local leaders and building capacity. Continued investment in infrastructure and skills is essential for lasting impact and regional digital growth.

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Ghana to bridge the digital divide with fairer data pricing

Ghana will boost mobile data bundle values starting July 2025 to improve affordability and bridge digital divides. The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations announced that all major mobile network operators in Ghana: AirtelTigo, Telecel, and MTN, will implement a minimum 10% increase in data bundle volumes.

MTN will go further, increasing bundles by 15% and reinstating its popular GHC399 Social Media bundle. These changes aim to address consumer concerns about data pricing and improving value for money.

To support this initiative, telecom providers have pledged significant investments. AirtelTigo, Telecel, and MTN will collectively invest around $150 million in network upgrades by the end of 2025. The National Communications Authority (NCA) will step up its oversight, conducting a nationwide quality of service assessment in the final quarter of 2025.

Additionally, quarterly billing integrity tests will be introduced to ensure that users are charged fairly and accurately. Operators failing to meet service standards will face sanctions. Furthermore, the Minister noted that tax rationalisation could lead to future reductions in data prices. A new telecom tariff framework is under development, which may result in additional cost savings for consumers.

The reforms target steep, uneven data prices that still block many Ghanaians from online services, especially in rural areas. By raising bundle values and tightening oversight, authorities aim to make internet access fairer and more affordable nationwide.

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