February's Leaps in AI, Synapsers at the forefront
Hello, everyone!?
Looks like this leap year is about to give us the next leap in AI! February marked another milestone month in the tech industry; from the unveiling of Gemini 1.5, Sora, to V-JEPA, alongside the shocking development of a class action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, things are moving fast.
On the home front, our team kicked off the month with an exciting strategic partnership agreement, followed by plenty of panels and conferences, from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, to New York City! With wide accessibility to AI as their mission, our Synapsers have undeniably been at the forefront this month. The main takeaway? Awards, features, and interviews do not detract from the hard work but only serve to underscore the dedication ???
As part of the Synapse community, you get to be right in the thick of it.
Let’s leap right in!
In this issue: ?
1. InVision Partnership Announcement
First things first, we are thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with NovaPeeks . With the democratization of AI in mind, this collaboration aims to empower the Middle East landscape through our AI video analytics platform #Azkavision. The plug and play platform that enables your surveillance system to capture a wealth of information allowing for better data driven decisions.
2. FOUNDER FEATURES!
I. Galal Elbeshbishy at Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference and MENA Conference.
This month our Co-Founder and COO, Galal Elbeshbishy, was invited to speak at Harvard's HBS Africa Business Conference organized by HBS Africa Business Club . In this engaging panel discussion, he explored and discussed AI’s potential in Africa, addressing both the vast opportunities and the significant challenges. Galal also provided some insight into his outlook on the future of AI in Africa, alongside incredible panelists?Kate Kallot, Melindi Britz, Leonida Mutuku, and Diana Mongare.
That’s not all, Galal has also been invited to speak at the Harvard Business School MENA conference on the 3rd of March. He will be discussing how Synapse Analytics has been fueling growth in the MENA region through AI & ML as well as what it takes to build, deploy, and maintain machine learning models in real-life applications and highlight the key factors that made our products successfully decide on over 2.5 million applications and facilitate over $150 million in granted loans.
II. Ahmed Abaza receiving Hub71's Connector Award, participating in AUC School of Business Business Forward Event, sneak peak into the '5 Essentials He Cannot Live Without'
Join us in congratulating our Co-Founder and CEO, Ahmed Abaza! This month, he received the Connector Award from the Hub71 family alongside his fellow connector Deniz Tekerek .?
As part of AUC School of Business’ Annual Business Forward event, Ahmed Abaza was also invited to speak on a panel titled “Maximizing Fintech AI-Driven Growth”. One of the key questions asked at the panel was “Is AI essential to fintech to maximize growth in the region?” Ahmed and the esteemed panelists dove deep into the underlying challenges in today’s ecosystem and discussed how companies are adopting AI to accelerate decision-making processes in order to meet the demands of modern-day customers.?
Did you Ahmed Abaza once played bass in a heavy metal band? The man truly wears many hats!
A couple of weeks ago, Ahmed Abaza blessed our feeds with a video he cocreated with Hub71 where he unveils the 5 (well, actually 6) essentials he simply can't do without.
From the iconic timepiece favored by James Bond to humorous, conversation-starting funky socks, the video offers a unique glimpse into Ahmed's personal tastes and interests. He opens up about his passion for gaming and how the legendary Metal Gear Solid was an inspiration for his love for AI, and surprises us with a fun fact: he once played bass in a heavy metal band.
Watch the full video here:
3. techQualia in the spotlight: Aliah Yacoub representing at Cairo Design Week x Creative Industry Summit, interviewed by The American University in Cairoabout Ethical AI, and lending insights to Fast Company Middle East about the (im)possibility of AGI in MENA
Lights, camera, and AI? We were thrilled to take part in yet another incredible iteration of Cairo Design Week x Creative Industry Summit . Our AI Philosopher and head of techQualia, Aliah Yacoub , moderated a panel discussion about challenging the notion of AI as a threat within the creative industry. Alongside industry leaders Timmy Mowafi , Hani Mahfouz , and Mohamed Abbas , Aliah discussed the challenges and implications of leveraging AI in design.
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Aliah Yacoub was also interviewed by AUC Today and got to shed light on the crucial topic of Ethical AI alongside the remarkable Mona Diab . In their discussion, Mona and Aliah delved into the pressing need for Ethical AI, emphasizing the importance of incorporating ethics into tech development to address systemic inequalities and biases.
Finally, Aliah was featured in Fast Company Middle East 's riveting piece about AGI adoption in MENA. While AGI shows promise in transforming industries, it’s crucial to approach discussions critically due to current AI limitations, says Aliah. Current AI systems are narrow and far from human-level intelligence. Sensationalism and overhype can lead to unrealistic expectations and detract from addressing immediate challenges. Prioritizing incremental advancements and responsible integration of AI across industries is essential.
You can read the full article here:
4. techQualia visual guides
Can AI be your valentine? A tQ guide to the automation of affection and the grave socio-ethical concerns of outsourcing care-work to SARs and chatbots
It is suggested that technology plays a pivotal role in fostering loneliness, engendering a disconnected mode of inter-human connection. However, technology may also provide a solution by connecting with people in a way considered more meaningful to them.
As intimate AI chatbots and Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) redefine the boundaries between human and machine, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Striking a balance requires a proactive approach to digital literacy and regulation, in a way that centers the pressing socio-ethical concerns.
To learn more about the automation of affection, click the link below to read some of techQualia’s thought pieces by Luke Sweeney, Farah Ghazal, Habiba Salaheldin, and Aliah Yacoub:
5. GUC Startup Career Fair, LEAP, and more announcements!
Our Synapsers were at the GUC Startup Career Fair on the 24th of February. They got to discuss what it’s like to have a career in AI with amazing students and graduates. It’s always a great opportunity to meet people with such great potential.
Is there room for another Leap year pun? Because we're coming to @LEAP!! We’re excited to announce that the Synapse Analytics team will be present at the upcoming LEAP conference? to showcase our decisioning and analytics engines for financial services and retailers. We’ll be present alongside our partner CREALOGIX will also be? showcasing their Loan Origination Hub that allows for no-code, customizable loan policies.
Don't miss the opportunity to meet both teams and learn more about the future of credit underwriting through the power of AI.
Want More Synapse Analytics x techQualia?
Visit our website to see what we’re working on right now:
You could also visit techQualia to read all our previous articles and publications: