Most artificial intelligence bots are trained outside the continent, raising questions of bias
This content is restricted to subscribers only.
Join the M&G Community
Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently.
Subscribe
Subscription enables:
- – M&G community membership
- – independent journalism
- – access to all premium articles & features
- – a digital version of the weekly newspaper
- – invites to subscriber-only events
- – the opportunity to test new online features first
Already a subscriber?
Login here.
State disinvestment in public services, infrastructure and manufacturing ensured that millions would remain trapped in cycles of poverty, with or without immigration
The battle against this manipulation is collective, requiring unified action from all who seek to preserve democracy and human rights
Democracy’s advantages must be articulated in the face of false information but delivering benefits is the best way to secure democratic governance
Recent events highlight how bigots cherry-pick information to suit their own purposes
The public broadcaster has rejected the party’s demand that it not refer to the ruling coalition as a government of national unity as an attack on media freedom
Innovative solutions are needed to meet the rise and spread of fake news in Africa
As 29 May approaches, we must find a way to separate the wheat from the chaff
Allowing independent candidates to contest the next general election in South Africa is a boon for democracy. Prof. Colin Thakur asks if it is time to move to an electronic voting system?
Elections are being held in 19 countries across the African continent in 2024. Tom Mboya considers the rise in foreign disinformation campaigns.
Social media has changed the status quo in politics. In an election cycle, interaction between politicians and the electorate has evolved to near-real-time communication.
Combating deliberately wrong information that intends to mislead and misinformation in election year is a civil duty
The company said it would not allow its technology to be used for ‘political campaigns’
Actively ignoring low-quality information online can free up your limited resources of time and attention.
If diplomatic efforts cannot avert further conflict between Ukraine and Russia, a dramatic shift in international relations could occur
Facebook’s micro-targeting algorithms have been used to spread disinformation and sow distrust in democratic institutions around the world. It has a responsibility to act
It’s not only Big Pharma that uses people’s fears and illness to boost profits. A company’s billboard on the M5 near Cape Town is doing the same
Is Gates a superhero or a supervillain? That’s the wrong question. The right question is: How it is that one person can have so much influence over world health?
Disinformation — turbocharged by social media algorithms — buries lies and propaganda in ‘facts’.
Refuting lies about vaccines from people in leadership positions may be less about changing their minds and more about protecting those listening
The pandemic has helped to expose the dire state of Sudan’s healthcare system, which lacks both equipment and medical personnel
More people have died in South Africa from Covid-19 than have been murdered. This hasn’t stopped a misinformation pandemic from trying to misrepresent that reality
The Ethiopian government has created its own ‘fact-checking’ unit — and it is not the only government to do so.
The rumour mill can shape politics — and reveal uncomfortable truths