BRICS nations reshaping global perspectives through media and think tank cooperation
RIO DE JANEIRO (July 18): The BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum, convened this week in Rio de Janeiro, brought together voices from across the Global South to jointly reshape the narrative system and enhance the representation of developing countries in international affairs.
The event served as a pivotal gathering for over 250 delegates from media outlets, think tanks, government institutions, and enterprises representing 36 countries, including BRICS member states, partner nations and regional organizations.
Based on the broad consensus of the attendees, the forum delved into a range of critical topics under the theme 'BRICS United: Forging a New Chapter for the Global South.' Discussions focused on BRICS' role in leading the Global South's development, building a new digital future, and amplifying the voice of the Global South on the international stage.
Building a shared digital future
An initiative on artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation and development was unveiled at the forum, following extensive discussions among attendees on the roles and responsibilities of media and think tanks in advancing AI collaboration, shaping governance frameworks, and establishing technical standards for the Global South.
Highlighting AI's significant momentum in global communication, industrial cooperation and knowledge sharing, the initiative noted that the BRICS media and think tanks, as a community of collective wisdom among emerging markets and developing countries, must ground their efforts in the realities of the Global South. It called for fostering a collaborative approach to R&D, standards and governance to ensure AI benefits are shared globally.
Though AI has great potential to improve the quality of life worldwide, the enthusiasm for its benefits should not overshadow the potential risks posed by both intentional and unintentional use of its applications, said Edson Prestes e Silva Junior, a full professor at Institute of Informatics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
'Therefore, we need to strengthen collaboration between our countries and between the different segments of our societies, and that is exactly what we are doing right now,' he said at the forum. 'Only then will we be able to make the AI domain beneficial to our societies, now and in the future.'
Shaping global governance
In a world marked by geopolitical tensions, persistent inequalities and the urgent need for more representative global governance, the BRICS group has emerged as a key platform for engaging with rising economies, said Luis Rene Fernandez Tabio, a full professor at the International Economic Research Center at the University of Havana, Cuba.
Echoing his view, Jose Juan Sanchez, chief of Brazil's financial and agricultural information provider CMA Group, said that despite their political and economic differences, BRICS countries share some strategic advantages that can be leveraged to advance the Global South's development and amplify its influence in global affairs.
BRICS countries possess strong economic clout, abundant natural resources, development experience and financing capacity, positioning them as natural leaders in supporting the Global South, Sanchez noted. He added that by acting collectively and promoting cooperation, BRICS can reshape the global order to be more multipolar, inclusive and just.
Ali Muhammad Ali, managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria, said BRICS is 'not just a grouping of emerging economies; we are a force to be reckoned with, and our influence is growing by the day.'
'For Nigeria, joining BRICS is a no-brainer. We are strategically positioned in Africa, and we are eager to reshape global governance, challenge Western-dominated institutions, and push for systemic reforms,' he added.
Amplifying Global South's voice
'We are living through a transformative era — one in which global power dynamics are shifting, and the overlooked voices of the Global South are finally gaining clarity, strength and recognition,' said Datuk Wong Chun Wai, chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama).
BRICS offers an alternative voice — one that champions multipolarity, sovereignty and fairness in global governance, Wong noted. 'The rise of BRICS is not an isolated phenomenon. It is part of a broader awakening of the Global South, which is asserting itself as a central force in international affairs.'
Mikhail Gusman, first deputy director-general of TASS, said the global media is grappling with unprecedented challenges: a deluge of disinformation, historical revisionism, and technological disruptions eroding the very foundations of truth.
As a dynamic alliance embodying the voice of emerging economies and civilizational diversity, BRICS plays a decisive role in advancing the objective of strengthening a fair, multipolar and rules-based international order, Gusman added.
The BRICS voice is 'loud and clear,' said Ali, the managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria, who noted that it represents a growing influence beyond the Global South and is shaping global governance, economic development, and international relations.
'We envision a prosperous Global South and a more just and equitable world,' he concluded. — Xinhua BRICS Media and Think Tank Forum Global South
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 minutes ago
- The Star
AI-powered app accurately identifies pre-dementia seniors, to be available in Singapore in 2026
SINGAPORE: A new locally developed digital application powered by artificial intelligence (AI) takes less than five minutes to identify seniors with early memory problems or pre-dementia, with an accuracy rate of up to 93 per cent. Patients can use Pensieve-AI to draw pictures on a tablet with a stylus and the app's AI will check different areas of thinking and memory before analysing the drawings for signs of pre-dementia. It will soon replace current screening tools doctors use to assess for dementia, which include using pen and paper to draw a clock and recalling three random unrelated words, such as banana, sunrise and chair. A nationwide study of the app completed in September 2024 found that it achieved an accuracy of 93 per cent in detecting pre-dementia, a result that is as good as the current gold standard of detailed cognitive testing. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications at the end of March. Pensieve-AI was developed by the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech), and is slated to be rolled out in 2026. Dr Liew Tau Ming, a senior consultant in the department of psychiatry at SGH, said the Pensieve-AI test, which comprises four drawing tasks including a clock, can be done by seniors themselves with little or no help in 3½ minutes. The current test can take up to 30 minutes to complete, depending on the patient's literacy skills, and needs trained staff to administer. 'It was in June 2020 when we started to discuss and develop the app. A year later, in June 2021, we started our study on whether the AI would be able to detect pre-dementia. We recruited nearly 1,800 seniors aged 65 and above for the study,' Dr Liew said. Pensieve-AI may become available at community sites, in the form of tablets. It cannot be downloaded to smartphones, to prevent people from learning to draw the images by rote. 'Mild cognitive impairment, or more commonly referred to as pre-dementia, is often missed because it can be mistaken as part of normal ageing. But pre-dementia can show up as more frequent memory lapses, trouble finding the right words, or increasing difficulty managing day-to-day tasks,' he said. This is worrying for the authorities, as the number of people living with dementia will rise as Singapore's population ages. By 2030, about 80,000 of the almost one million seniors in Singapore are projected to have dementia. One participant of the Pensieve-AI study was Madam Tan Yew Tee, 84, who was found to have early dementia after she was tested using the app. 'My mother has a penchant for bringing home brochures and it was a blessing that she brought the one on Pensieve-AI back from the (active ageing centre) which she was attending,' said her daughter and caregiver Nancy Hoon, 59. 'That was how we found out her condition. Otherwise, I would have thought she was getting older and her forgetfulness and memory lapse were all part of ageing. She kept asking me what day it was every five minutes. It was exasperating. (It was) only after I found out that she has early dementia that I became more understanding towards her,' she said. Today, Madam Tan continues to go to an active ageing centre and her daughter also schedules activities for her to engage in with other seniors, such as arts and craft. 'The socialisation seems to have helped stave (off) the condition. She seems happier and is no longer the woman who sat and daydreamed in front of the television every day,' Ms Hoon said. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Google and OpenAI's AI models win milestone gold at global math competition
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of Alphabet logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google and OpenAI said their artificial-intelligence models won gold medals at a global mathematics competition, signaling a breakthrough in math capabilities in the race to build powerful systems that can rival human intelligence. The results marked the first time that AI systems crossed the gold-medal scoring threshold at the International Mathematical Olympiad for high-school students. Both companies' models solved five out of six problems, achieving the result using general-purpose "reasoning" models that processed mathematical concepts using natural language, in contrast to the previous approaches used by AI firms. The achievement suggests AI is less than a year away from being used by mathematiciansto crack unsolved research problems at the frontier of the field, according to Junehyuk Jung, a math professor at Brown University and visiting researcher in Google's DeepMind AI unit. "I think the moment we can solve hard reasoning problems in natural language will enable the potential for collaboration between AI and mathematicians," Jung told Reuters. The same idea can apply to research quandaries in other fields such as physics, said Jung, who won an IMO gold medal as a student in 2003. Of the 630 students participating in the 66th IMO on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, 67 contestants, or about 11%, achieved gold-medal scores. Google's DeepMind AI unit last year achieved a silver medal score using AI systems specialized for math. This year, Google used a general-purpose model called Gemini Deep Think, a version of which was previously unveiled at its annual developer conference in May. Unlike previous AI attempts that relied on formal languages and lengthy computation, Google's approach this year operated entirely in natural language and solved the problems within the official 4.5-hour time limit, the company said in a blog post. OpenAI, which has its own set of reasoning models, similarly built an experimental version for the competition, according to a post by researcher Alexander Wei on social media platform X. He noted that the company does not plan to release anything with this level of math capability for several months. This year marked the first time the competition coordinated officially with some AI developers,who have for years used prominent math competitions like IMO to test model capabilities. IMO judges certified the results of those companies, including Google, and asked them to publish results on July 28. "Werespected the IMO Board's original request that all AI labs share their results only after the official results had been verified by independent experts and the students had rightly received the acclamation they deserved," Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said on X on Monday. However, OpenAI, which did not work with the IMO, self-published its results on Saturday, allowing it to be first among AI firms to claim gold-medal status. In turn, the competition on Monday allowed cooperating companies to publish results, Gregor Dolinar, president of IMO's board, told Reuters. (Reporting by Kenrick Cai in San Francisco and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
How prepared are we for an AI-first future?
THE impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labour market and economy as a whole is a topic of debate. It is both a disruptor and collaborator. Technological revolution, enabled by AI has the potential to reshape the labour market, shape the nature of work, job roles, the skills required to thrive, the available opportunities and employment dynamics across various industries. With AI advancing at a rapid pace, the labour market and workforce will undergo significant transformation unlike any before. The impact of AI on the labour market is multifaceted and complex; while it enhances productivity and increases process efficiency as well as creates opportunities, it comes with threats and challenges. AI has the potential to automate tasks, enhance the decision-making process, and create new job opportunities in fields such as data analytics, machine learning and AI development. Nevertheless, it raises concerns about jobs displacement, particularly in industries that rely heavily on routine and repetitive tasks; skill polarisation; and ethics. Many established organisations and institutions have predicted the likelihood that jobs will be replaced by AI. The findings and survey are striking: The United Nations Trade and Development estimated that up to 40% of all jobs could be affected by AI. The International Monetary Fund analysis showed that almost 40% of global employment is exposed to AI, with about 60% of jobs may be impacted in advanced economies, and in emerging markets and low-income countries, by contrast, AI exposure is expected to be at 40% and 26%, respectively. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, by 2025, AI will have displaced 75 million jobs globally, but will have created 133 million new jobs. This means that there will be a net gain of 58 million jobs globally. A report by McKinsey & Co says that AI is expected to create 20 million to 50 million new jobs globally by 2030. These new jobs will be in a range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing and finance. AI is already spreading through the Malaysian economy. The scale of its impacts is potentially significant. The uptake of AI technologies could occur in waves and at different phases of the AI development. While a different forms of AI-powered tools and applications could be deployed across different occupations and sectors, there could be push-back by those whose businesses or employment are disrupted by the AI-based innovations. Malaysia TalentCorp's impact study indicated that approximately 1.8 million Malaysian employees are expected to be affected by the transition to AI, digitalisation and green economy, with varying levels of exposure. Of this, around 620,000 workers (18%) are projected to be highly impacted within the next three to five years, while another 1.2 million (35%) are expected to face moderate impact. Together, these groups account for roughly 53% of the 3.5 million skilled and semi-skilled employees who are directly engaged in the core operations across key sectors. The study focusses on 10 key sectors chosen for their significant contributions to Malaysia's gross development product, and they were aerospace, Chemicals, electrical and electronics, energy and power, food manufacturing and cService, global business services, ICT, medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade. The Ipsos AI Monitor 2025 revealed that 62% of adults in Malaysia in 2024 think that AI will replace their current job in the next five years. According to the Human Resources Ministry response in Parliament, between 2020 and September 2024, a total of 293,639 workers in Malaysia have already lost their jobs due to automation and AI. The impact of AI on the workforce will vary by industry and state. The transition to AI's transformative force in the labour market isn't seamless. Policymakers, society, businesses, employers, and employees must adapt to the changes and disruptions AI generates, ensuring its challenges are responsibly addressed. Policymakers should proactively prepare their workforce and labour markets so that they are equipped to ride on the AI's disruption through education, training and skills development and adaptable labour market policies. So, what roles should the Malaysian government play at this stage of AI uptake and development? The government must act now and prepare our workforce for a more radical future. We should outline the following action plans to prepare our students, graduates and youth as well as workforce for adapting to the AI era. > It begins with the integration of AI in our education system to future-proof Malaysia's next generation of workforce. Schools curriculum must focus on AI-complementary skills, adapting to the changing landscape of AI, incorporating AI literacy, digital skills and critical thinking skills into the education system. The application of AI-powered tools is being used for adaptive learning platforms, automate elements of lesson learning and grading, and intelligent tutoring systems as well as personalise the learning experience. China will integrate AI applications into teaching efforts, textbooks and the school curriculum as it moves to overhaul education. Integrating AI into Technical and Vocational Education and Training and apprenticeship programmes offer a powerful way to enhance learning, improve employability, and prepare students for the reality of the modern workplace. > The most essential five skills that Malaysians must be equipped to survive and thrive in this dynamic, technology-infused work landscape are analytical skills, functional and job-specific skills, project management skills, creativity and innovation skills, and advanced digital skills. > Combining research and development tax credits, research and development grants and a free, open-source products can support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to adopt AI in their business operation, including incentivise a broader uptake of AI training assistants to help increase process efficiency. AI assistants can significantly boost the productivity and performance of lower-performing workers by automating repetitive tasks, providing data-driven insights, and offering personalised learning opportunities Dedicated public institutions can significantly facilitate the adoption and spread of AI within firms. Firms have cited uncertainty over the return on AI investment as a critical obstacle for considering adopting AI. These institutions can help SMEs find the information and give advice and guidance for the adoption of AI, for instance, provide guidelines or a framework to help SMEs navigate the vendor selection process, as well as create networking and collaborative platforms between public and private sectors to help businesses build AI capabilities. > Encourage the broad adoption of AI across all firms, regardless of size through the development of a new AI-pathfinder or AI Accelerator programme – a structured initiative designed to support and accelerate the growth of startups and businesses focused on AI technologies. These programmes typically offer mentorship, technical support, access to resources, and networking opportunities to help participants develop and scale their AI-driven products and services. We can draw on the successful schemes in Singapore and Germany supporting business transformation through a new AI-powered personalised service. For example, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Pathfinder Programme for financial sector AI adoption, is a collaborative initiative between MAS and the financial industry that fosters knowledge exchange in AI implementations. Participating financial institutions share their experience implementing AI solutions while also gaining insights from the collective experiences of their peers. > An interactive labour market system to create early awareness and opportunity that helps our workforce to reskilling and upskilling equipped with required new skillset to better handle AI-driven task and take up new job opportunities created by AI. This system provides real-time analysis of demand and supply of AI jobs, including the job roles that will be displaced by AI, the industries that will create new source of employment, what skills that will be in demand, and also which training courses that are suitable. > Upskilling and reskilling programmes critical for facilitating workers transition to new employment opportunities, and equip individuals with the necessary skills to thrive in an AI-enhanced economy. What is important is that the workers receive the right training and skills for transformation development. The government and the private sector can collaborate to identify emerging skills gaps and develop targeted training programmes. Lee Heng Guie is executive director of the Socio-Economic Research Centre. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
