Assailants killed at least 32 people in attacks on villages in northwest Nigeria, while the US military reportedly used an AI model in a Venezuela operation, and experts continue to raise alarms about the risks of artificial intelligence. These events, along with a recent election in Bangladesh and calls for African representation in the UN Security Council, dominated headlines this week.
In Nigeria, armed assailants on motorbikes targeted three villages, resulting in the deaths of at least 32 residents and the burning of homes and shops, according to residents who escaped the violence, as reported by The Guardian. Military personnel were deployed to the affected areas, and the government faces mounting pressure to restore stability amid ongoing insecurity.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal revealed that the US military utilized Anthropic's AI model, Claude, during an operation in Venezuela. Anthropic, the AI model's developer, declined to comment on the specific use of Claude but stated that any use would need to comply with its policies, according to The Guardian. This marks a high-profile instance of AI being used in military operations.
The rapid advancement of AI continues to spark concern among experts. Researchers from prominent AI companies have resigned and publicly warned about the risks posed by the technology's fast-paced development, Al Jazeera reported. Experts are sounding the alarm about the potential for AI to be used for malicious purposes, including deepfakes, cyberattacks, and even encouraging self-harm.
In Bangladesh, a recent election saw the long-established Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) triumph, despite a youth-led uprising in 2024 that triggered the vote. The youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP), born from the uprising, secured only six parliamentary seats out of 297, according to Al Jazeera.
Adding to the week's international developments, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Al Jazeera that Africa should have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Leaders gathered in Ethiopia's capital for the African Union summit to discuss regional challenges, highlighting the ongoing discussions about global representation.
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