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Reimagining the Digital Architecture of Global Development: How Big Tech Can Bring the Sector into the Modern Age
The global development sector has grown into a sprawling ecosystem, including powerful multilaterals and millions of community-level NGOs worldwide. In the process, as social innovation advisor Rajat Ray explains, it has repeatedly reinvented its tools and techniques to handle the growing scale and depth of its work. But he argues that the reductions in traditional aid, the growing strain of modern operational demands and the emergence of advanced technologies like AI have brought the sector to a defining inflection point. He explores how its legacy tools and processes are falling short, and calls for a complete reimagining of the digital architecture that underpins global development, driven by multilateral leaders and Big Tech.
- Categories
- Technology
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US Agency to Invest $155 Million in African Digital Infrastructure Firm WIOCC
Washington has increasingly backed telecommunications and digital infrastructure projects in Africa as it seeks to provide alternatives to Chinese technology providers like Huawei, including through a $100 million loan to U.S.-owned telecoms operator Africell.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Report: GSMA Warns of Growing AI Divide as Smartphone Costs Rise in Emerging Markets
The report highlights a growing threat to digital inclusion: a sharp increase in the cost of smartphone memory and chipsets, driven by global demand for AI infrastructure and data centres.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: The Turbulent AI Era Is Here. The Choices We Make Now Are Critical.
The transition to the AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history. Right now, we are not preparing adequately for that transition. If the world takes the right steps, AI will be a force for good and leave everyone better off.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Global
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AI’s Impact on the Environment Is Absolutely Horrifying, New Paper Finds
It’s reached the point that AI is giving the fossil fuel industry a substantial leg up, as a new paper published in the journal NPJ Climate Action details.
- Categories
- Environment, Technology
- Region
- Global
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Civil Rights Groups Urge a Halt to South Africa Data Centers Boom Amid Water and Power Fears
With South Africa positioning itself as Africa’s main data hub and U.S. technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Equinix increasingly setting up digital infrastructure in the country, civil society organizations have raised the alarm about the lack of transparency around the projects.
- Categories
- WASH
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Zankore Expands Southeast Asia’s AI Compute Infrastructure With NVIDIA
ZanKore is building an AI cloud platform to expand AI computing infrastructure from Indonesia across Southeast Asia and beyond.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Vodafone, Cassava and Elsewedy Electric form Africa Data Centers Egypt
Africa Data Centres Egypt aims to leverage Vodafone Business’ expertise in cloud and enterprise services, Elsewedy Electric’s capabilities in energy, infrastructure and project execution, and Cassava Technologies’ experience in data centres across Africa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
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