CNN’S Anna Stewart talks metaverse, crypto, artificial intelligence and more

CNN’S Anna Stewart talks metaverse, crypto, artificial intelligence and more
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Updated 24 February 2023
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CNN’S Anna Stewart talks metaverse, crypto, artificial intelligence and more

CNN’S Anna Stewart talks metaverse, crypto, artificial intelligence and more
  • She said her experiences presenting tech show “Decoded” have turned her from a cynic to a firm believer in the potential of new technologies
  • ‘Sometimes we worry too much about change. People worried the mobile phone would have a similar impact (on real life interaction) and I don’t believe it has,’ she said

DUBAI: Anna Stewart, a CNN reporter at the news channel’s bureau in London, is the host of its shows “Decoded” and “Marketplace Europe.”

In the former, she explores the latest trends in technology, from cryptocurrencies to wearables, so Arab News sat down with her for an exclusive chat about the latest developments in the tech sector.

The metaverse has been a hot topic for the past year or more yet it remains hard to define exactly what it means and encompasses.

“It’s always difficult to define something that is still evolving and people really differ in their opinions on this one,” Stewart said. “At its most broad definition, I would say the metaverse is the internet gone three-dimensional.”

As Stewart has gotten to know the ideas behind the metaverse better, she said she has been most surprised by the fact that there is more than one metaverse, “and they all look and feel very different.”

She told how she has experienced several metaverses, including a virtual nightclub in Somnium Space, a virtual reality experience on the Ethereum blockchain, where she danced with strangers, and buying a pet lion in Second Life and then flying with it, because “why not?”

Some metaverse platforms aim to enhance human connections, such as Meta’s Horizon Workrooms. 




Anna Stewart

“I was skeptical that this would be any better than Skype or Zoom,” said Stewart. “I like to meet people IRL (in real life) but, of course, that’s not always possible and the VR experience brings you ever closer.”

The “Decoded” team often holds production meetings in the metaverse, she explained.

“When I’m wearing my VR headset in London, I am able to interact with the team around a virtual desk and even view the latest episode on the big virtual screen,” she said.

“It makes us feel like we are together and collaborating in a way that a video call just can’t.”

Although some people have voiced concerns that the metaverse might be detrimental to real-life connections and interactions, Stewart is not too concerned about that.

“Sometimes we worry too much about change,” she said. “People worried the advent of the mobile phone would have a similar impact and I don’t believe it has.”

The rise of the mobile phone, the internet and, consequently, social media did, however, have implications for privacy and online safety. Even now, more than a decade after the dawn of social media, regulation remains a challenge.

“I worry deeply that hate speech, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment could be even more invasive if people can hide behind the anonymity of an avatar,” said Stewart.

The question of user privacy is something Philip Rosedale, the founder of virtual world Second Life, has been pondering since its inception. One of his biggest concerns is how future metaverse platforms will make money.

He told Stewart: “It has to be a business model that doesn’t include surveillance, targeting and advertisement.”

If metaverse platforms fail to self-regulate, governments might have to step in and define the rules, which will be no easy task, Stewart said.

Jane Thomason, a futurist and author on the subject of digital ethics, told Stewart: “Typically, regulation has been done on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, and yet some of these metaverses will be multijurisdictional, and even virtual in that they don’t have any particular geography that is their home.”

Another important area in which regulation is still under development is cryptocurrency. Following the FTX scandal, crypto adoption has slowed globally. Dubai, however, has embraced cryptocurrency, “so it’s little surprise you’ll find well-known crypto influencers living there,” Stewart said.

“You’ll also find you can buy a car or even an apartment using cryptocurrency; two of the region’s largest property developers, Damac and Emaar, appear to be embracing a crypto future,” she added.

More importantly, she said, Dubai is seeking to regulate the sector through its Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. Additionally, crypto exchanges such as BitOasis and Binance have secured licenses to operate in the UAE.

The future of cryptocurrencies, according to Stewart, will probably be different from what many people think.

“I think a truly decentralized currency, like Bitcoin, could revolutionize financial transactions in some parts of the world and is a useful method of payment for cross-border transactions,” she said.

But she added: “I don’t think buying Bitcoin in the hope its value will go up and make you a Bitcoin billionaire is a good strategy or one that’s likely to work.”

In addition to the metaverse and crypto industries, artificial intelligence is another topic that has sparked controversy and discussions about regulation, especially the emergence of bots and deepfake technology for manipulating digital images.

Stewart was deepfaked, with her consent, for an episode of “Decoded” and the process “was fairly easy, which is hugely worrying,” she said.

Selina Wang, another CNN journalist, recently reported on deepfaked anti-US newscasts spread by pro-China bot accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

“These realistic newscasts feature AI-generated anchors that are difficult to tell apart from the real thing,” said Stewart.

“This technology is spreading rapidly around the world and would have major consequences on trust and reliability.”

Although AI is not without its share of controversy, and concerns about the disruption it might cause to some jobs, its proponents believe it holds great promise in terms of reshaping society and education, and creating new industries. One report predicted that 85 percent of jobs that will exist in 2030 have not even been invented yet.

Despite fears about AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT, which has been used for a wide range of activities, from writing essays to creating recipes, Stewart believes they could in time prove to be an “incredible sounding board for creatives.”

She said she uses them herself to find the right words or metaphors for her scripts, or to generate new ideas for her show.

“Even if what it spits out is no good, it may spark a different idea in my brain,” she explained.

While new technologies often seem threatening and dangerous at first, they could revolutionize the future, Stewart added.

The experiences she has had talking with guests on “Decoded” and trying some of the innovations for herself have converted her “from a cynic to a firm believer that this technology has an important role to play in the future.”


Spotify highlights rising talents by naming Zena Emad as September’s EQUAL Arabia Ambassador

Spotify highlights rising talents by naming Zena Emad as September’s EQUAL Arabia Ambassador
Updated 21 September 2023
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Spotify highlights rising talents by naming Zena Emad as September’s EQUAL Arabia Ambassador

Spotify highlights rising talents by naming Zena Emad as September’s EQUAL Arabia Ambassador
  • Digital music service celebrated the Saudi talent ahead of the Kingdom’s National Day

LONDON: Spotify announced Saudi songstress Zena Emad as its EQUAL Arabia Ambassador for September. 

As an extension of Spotify’s global Women in Music Program, EQUAL Arabia is devoted to elevating the narratives of Arab women artists by offering support on and beyond the platform.

“I can’t express how thrilled I am to join the Spotify family,” said Emad in a statement.

“I’m incredibly proud and amazed by the number of people who enjoy hearing my voice, and even more delighted that Spotify will be the platform connecting me to my fans and admirers.”

Emad was picked for the cover of the EQUAL Arabia playlist for the month of September, and her recent hit, “Habeetah,” can be found on the EQUAL Arabia playlist and the global EQUAL playlist.

She is also celebrated on Spotify’s billboard in Times Square, New York City, ahead of Saudi National Day.   

With songs like “Land of Heroes,” “Habeetah,” and “Ya Awali,” Emad has become a standout figure in the Saudi music scene, blending pop with global rhythms to gain a significant following.

“I also want to speak about the wonderful opportunity my beloved country has given me as a young Saudi woman with big ambitions, helping me fulfill my dreams and aspirations,” Emad added.

“I look forward to more support and anticipation from the audience, as the best is yet to come.”


BBC Cairo staff reaches agreement on wages and benefits after multiple strikes

BBC Cairo staff reaches agreement on wages and benefits after multiple strikes
Updated 21 September 2023
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BBC Cairo staff reaches agreement on wages and benefits after multiple strikes

BBC Cairo staff reaches agreement on wages and benefits after multiple strikes
  • Agreement has been reached over salaries, transportation allowance, and health insurance
  • BBC Cairo’s staff staged a series of strikes to protest discriminatory behavior by London management

LONDON: In a negotiation process, BBC’s London management has agreed to ensure higher salaries and essential benefits to its staff at the Cairo office.

The agreement was reached after a series of protests started in June 2023 against discriminatory behavior in BBC’s financial policies.

The head of the Egyptian Journalist Syndicate, Khaled El-Balshy, present in the negotiation process, confirmed to Ahram Online that “the new regulations would provide compensation increases ranging from 75 to 142 percent for entry-level positions, as well as equal transportation allowances for all employees and double allowances for night shift workers.”

Under the agreement, “each employee’s BBC-sponsored health insurance will be increased to cover an extra family member,” noted Khaled El-Balshy.

In addition, BBC management decided to reconsider its “volatile markets” policy to tackle economic recessions in nations where it operates.

According to the syndicate, the review will be finished by December 2023, but it will be implemented in BBC Cairo with immediate effect.

BBC News operates in 58 locations across 44 countries and adjusts salaries accordingly to account for inflation.

Egypt is in the grip of a financial crisis, with around one-third of its 109 million population living in destitution.

According to data from the state-run Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics, the annual inflation rate hit 36.8 percent in June, up from 33.7 percent in the last few months.

BBC Cairo staff began a gradual strike that started in June this year, followed by a three-day strike in July and a 10-day strike in August 2023.


French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation

French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation
Updated 21 September 2023
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French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation

French journalist arrested over document leaks of alleged France-Egypt spy operation
  • Report found that French intelligence information had been hijacked by Egypt to target smugglers
  • Ariane Lavrilleux was released on Wednesday after public outcry

LONDON:  French journalist Ariane Lavrilleux was arrested and her home searched earlier this week for reporting on the alleged hijack of French intelligence information by Egypt two years ago, according to Disclose and Lavrilleux’s lawyer.

Investigative website Disclose published a series of articles authored by the Lavrilleux in November 2021 based on hundreds of secret documents.

It said they showed how information from a French counter-intelligence operation in Egypt intended to track jihadist militants, codenamed “Sirli,” was used by the Egyptian state for “a campaign of arbitrary killings” against smugglers operating along the Libyan border.

Lavrilleux, an investigative reporter working in the Middle East and based in Cairo, was released Wednesday evening after nearly two days in police custody.

Virginie Marquet, the lawyer for Lavrilleux and Disclose, condemned the arrest saying the published information is of public interest and “a new, unacceptable attack on the confidentiality of sources.”

Marquet said: “I am appalled and worried about the escalation in attacks on the freedom to inform and the coercive measures taken against the Disclose journalist. This search risks seriously undermining the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.”

Rights groups denounced the arrest and called for the investigation against her to be dropped, saying that questioning “reporters about their confidential sources places them under unwarranted pressure and could have a chilling effect on defense reporting.”

The initial Disclose articles said French forces were complicit in at least 19 bombings against smugglers between 2016 and 2018 in the region.

The documents showed there were warnings from officials within the French government, but the operation was not called into question, Disclose said.

Its publication prompted France’s armed forces minister to call for an investigation for “violation of national defense secrecy,” and a case was opened in July 2022 by the Paris prosecutor’s office that was then placed in the hands of France’s domestic intelligence agency, DGSI.

With AFP


Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp
Updated 21 September 2023
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Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox, News Corp
  • His son, Lachlan Murdoch, to replace him

LONDON: Rupert Murdoch has stepped down as the chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp, ending a more than seven-decade career during which he created a media empire spanning from Australia to the United States.
His son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become the sole chairman of News Corp. and continue as the chair and CEO of Fox, the companies said on Thursday.
The news comes just months after Murdoch, 92, scrapped a plan that would have reunited his media empire by merging Fox and News Corp.
Murdoch, who has near-controlling stakes in both the companies, will be appointed chairman emeritus of both the companies.


Huawei to launch voice and video call app

Huawei to launch voice and video call app
Updated 21 September 2023
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Huawei to launch voice and video call app

Huawei to launch voice and video call app
  • GoChat Messenger will offer users free international calls, money transfers, other services

LONDON: Huawei Mobile Services announced on Thursday the addition of GoChat Messenger to the HUAWEI AppGallery, in collaboration with etisalat by e&.

GoChat Messenger is a free global voice and video calling app that offers a wide range of features, including free worldwide communication.

“The integration of GoChat Messenger, offered by etisalat by e&, into the Huawei Mobile Services’ ecosystem has been a remarkable achievement,” said William Hu, managing director of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa Eco Development and Operation.

“This latest addition further enriches our array of products, catering to the escalating need for enhanced connectivity in the digital era.”

The GoChat Messenger, which officially debuted by the UAE telecom operator in 2022, is extended to both Huawei users and etisalat by e& customers.

The all-in-one app provides users with a wide range of services such as high-definition video call, secure money transfers, entertainment, news updates, and access to attractive deals and home services, as well as a new artificial intelligence feature called GoChat GPT.

In a statement, Huawei said that the collaboration with etisalat by e& is a testament to the growing popularity of Huawei devices in the Gulf region and Huawei’s commitment to providing its users with innovative solutions.