Latest news with #CapeTown-based
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Fujifilm's GFX Challenge open to South African creators
The program is a global initiative designed to support and nurture aspiring creatives in bringing their imaging projects to life. Fujifilm has announced the launch of the GFX Challenge Grant Program 2025, with applications now open to creatives worldwide, including South Africa. The program is a global initiative designed to support and nurture aspiring creatives in bringing their imaging projects to life. South Africans have been encouraged to apply, following the success of Cape Town-based Jodi Windvogel, a Global Grant recipient of the challenge in 2023. Prize Creatives have the chance to receive a US$10 000 Global Grant Award or a US$5 000 Regional Grant Award, helping to transform their creative ideas into reality. Winners also receive access to a Fujifilm GFX System camera body and two GF lenses for the duration of their project, as well as mentoring and technical assistance from Fujifilm technicians and product experts. In total, there are five Global Grant Awards available, with 10 Regional Grant Awards in place. ALSO READ: Fujifilm launches X Half camera to make photography fun again Amateur and professional The GFX Challenge Grant Program 2025 is open to amateur and professional photographers and videographers who are residents of South Africa, with the submission period closing on 31 August 2025. The award recipients will be announced in January 2026, with the final projects to be exhibited in various countries as well as on the website. What to shoot? Windvogel was announced as a Global Grant recipient for her project 'The Body at Risk'. The project was a harrowing look at the landscapes in South Africa where incidents of gender-based violence took place. 'Start with a strong concept that is close to your heart – one that is well-researched, timely and meaningful. Ask yourself: why this story, why now and why you? Let your proposal reflect your commitment and the urgency of the narrative,' Windvogel said. 'The panel is not just looking for beautiful images; they're looking for work that moves, educates and sparks dialogue. Be honest, passionate and prepared to immerse yourself in the process.' Photographers and videographers looking to enter the GFX Challenge Grant Program 2025 are able to do so until 31 August 2025. NOW READ: Huawei unveils Pura 80 series smartphones with innovative camera system [VIDEO]
NDTV
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Most Empathetic Voice": Neurodivergent People Find New Support In AI Tools For Social Navigation
For Cape Town-based filmmaker Kate D'hotman, connecting with movie audiences comes naturally. Far more daunting is speaking with others. "I've never understood how people [decipher] social cues," the 40-year-old director of horror films says. D'hotman has autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can make relating to others exhausting and a challenge. However, since 2022, D'hotman has been a regular user of ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot from OpenAI, relying on it to overcome communication barriers at work and in her personal life. "I know it's a machine," she says. "But sometimes, honestly, it's the most empathetic voice in my life." Neurodivergent people - including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other conditions - can experience the world differently from the neurotypical norm. Talking to a colleague, or even texting a friend, can entail misread signals, a misunderstood tone and unintended impressions. AI-powered chatbots have emerged as an unlikely ally, helping people navigate social encounters with real-time guidance. Although this new technology is not without risks - in particular some worry about over-reliance - many neurodivergent users now see it as a lifeline. How does it work in practice? For D'hotman, ChatGPT acts as an editor, translator and confidant. Before using the technology, she says communicating in neurotypical spaces was difficult. She recalls how she once sent her boss a bulleted list of ways to improve the company, at their request. But what she took to be a straightforward response was received as overly blunt, and even rude. Now, she regularly runs things by ChatGPT, asking the chatbot to consider the tone and context of her conversations. Sometimes she'll instruct it to take on the role of a psychologist or therapist, asking for help to navigate scenarios as sensitive as a misunderstanding with her best friend. She once uploaded months of messages between them, prompting the chatbot to help her see what she might have otherwise missed. Unlike humans, D'hotman says, the chatbot is positive and non-judgmental. That's a feeling other neurodivergent people can relate to. Sarah Rickwood, a senior project manager in the sales training industry, based in Kent, England, has ADHD and autism. Rickwood says she has ideas that run away with her and often loses people in conversations. "I don't do myself justice," she says, noting that ChatGPT has "allowed me to do a lot more with my brain." With its help, she can put together emails and business cases more clearly. The use of AI-powered tools is surging. A January study conducted by Google and the polling firm Ipsos found that AI usage globally has jumped 48%, with excitement about the technology's practical benefits now exceeding concerns over its potentially adverse effects. In February, OpenAI told Reuters that its weekly active users surpassed 400 million, of which at least 2 million are paying business users. But for neurodivergent users, these aren't just tools of convenience and some AI-powered chatbots are now being created with the neurodivergent community in mind. Michael Daniel, an engineer and entrepreneur based in Newcastle, Australia, told Reuters that it wasn't until his daughter was diagnosed with autism - and he received the same diagnosis himself - that he realised how much he had been masking his own neurodivergent traits. His desire to communicate more clearly with his neurotypical wife and loved ones inspired him to build Neurotranslator, an AI-powered personal assistant, which he credits with helping him fully understand and process interactions, as well as avoid misunderstandings. "Wow ... that's a unique shirt," he recalls saying about his wife's outfit one day, without realising how his comment might be perceived. She asked him to run the comment through NeuroTranslator, which helped him recognise that, without a positive affirmation, remarks about a person's appearance could come across as criticism. "The emotional baggage that comes along with those situations would just disappear within minutes," he says of using the app. Since its launch in September, Daniel says NeuroTranslator has attracted more than 200 paid subscribers. An earlier web version of the app, called Autistic Translator, amassed 500 monthly paid subscribers. As transformative as this technology has become, some warn against becoming too dependent. The ability to get results on demand can be "very seductive," says Larissa Suzuki, a London-based computer scientist and visiting NASA researcher who is herself neurodivergent. Overreliance could be harmful if it inhibits neurodivergent users' ability to function without it, or if the technology itself becomes unreliable - as is already the case with many AI search-engine results, according to a recent study from the Columbia Journalism Review. "If AI starts screwing up things and getting things wrong," Suzuki says, "people might give up on technology, and on themselves." Baring your soul to an AI chatbot does carry risk, agrees Gianluca Mauro, an AI adviser and co-author of Zero to AI. "The objective [of AI models like ChatGPT] is to satisfy the user," he says, raising questions about its willingness to offer critical advice. Unlike therapists, these tools aren't bound by ethical codes or professional guidelines. If AI has the potential to become addictive, Mauro adds, regulation should follow. A recent study by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft (which is a key investor in OpenAI) suggests that long-term overdependence on generative AI tools can undermine users' critical-thinking skills and leave them ill-equipped to manage without it. "While AI can improve efficiency," the researchers wrote, "it may also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI." While Dr. Melanie Katzman, a clinical psychologist and expert in human behaviour, recognises the benefits of AI for neurodivergent people, she does see downsides, such as giving patients an excuse not to engage with others. A therapist will push their patient to try different things outside of their comfort zone. "I think it's harder for your AI companion to push you," she says. But for users who have come to rely on this technology, such fears are academic. "A lot of us just end up kind of retreating from society," warns D'hotman, who says that she barely left the house in the year following her autism diagnosis, feeling overwhelmed. Were she to give up using ChatGPT, she fears she would return to that traumatic period of isolation. "As somebody who's struggled with a disability my whole life," she says, "I need this." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
‘It's the most empathetic voice in my life': How AI is transforming the lives of neurodivergent people
-For Cape Town-based filmmaker Kate D'hotman, connecting with movie audiences comes naturally. Far more daunting is speaking with others. 'I've never understood how people [decipher] social cues,' the 40-year-old director of horror films says. D'hotman has autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can make relating to others exhausting and a challenge. However, since 2022, D'hotman has been a regular user of ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot from OpenAI, relying on it to overcome communication barriers at work and in her personal life. 'I know it's a machine,' she says. 'But sometimes, honestly, it's the most empathetic voice in my life.' Neurodivergent people — including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other conditions — can experience the world differently from the neurotypical norm. Talking to a colleague, or even texting a friend, can entail misread signals, a misunderstood tone and unintended impressions. AI-powered chatbots have emerged as an unlikely ally, helping people navigate social encounters with real-time guidance. Although this new technology is not without risks — in particular some worry about over-reliance — many neurodivergent users now see it as a lifeline. How does it work in practice? For D'hotman, ChatGPT acts as an editor, translator and confidant. Before using the technology, she says communicating in neurotypical spaces was difficult. She recalls how she once sent her boss a bulleted list of ways to improve the company, at their request. But what she took to be a straightforward response was received as overly blunt, and even rude. Now, she regularly runs things by ChatGPT, asking the chatbot to consider the tone and context of her conversations. Sometimes she'll instruct it to take on the role of a psychologist or therapist, asking for help to navigate scenarios as sensitive as a misunderstanding with her best friend. She once uploaded months of messages between them, prompting the chatbot to help her see what she might have otherwise missed. Unlike humans, D'hotman says, the chatbot is positive and non-judgmental. That's a feeling other neurodivergent people can relate to. Sarah Rickwood, a senior project manager in the sales training industry, based in Kent, England, has ADHD and autism. Rickwood says she has ideas that run away with her and often loses people in conversations. 'I don't do myself justice,' she says, noting that ChatGPT has 'allowed me to do a lot more with my brain.' With its help, she can put together emails and business cases more clearly. The use of AI-powered tools is surging. A January study conducted by Google and the polling firm Ipsos found that AI usage globally has jumped 48%, with excitement about the technology's practical benefits now exceeding concerns over its potentially adverse February, OpenAI told Reuters that its weekly active users surpassed 400 million, of which at least 2 million are paying business users. But for neurodivergent users, these aren't just tools of convenience and some AI-powered chatbotsare now being created with the neurodivergent community in mind. Michael Daniel, an engineer and entrepreneur based in Newcastle, Australia, told Reuters that it wasn't until his daughter was diagnosed with autism — and he received the same diagnosis himself — that he realised how much he had been masking his own neurodivergent traits. His desire to communicate more clearly with his neurotypical wife and loved ones inspired him to build Neurotranslator, an AI-powered personal assistant, which he credits with helping him fully understand and process interactions, as well as avoid misunderstandings. 'Wow … that's a unique shirt,' he recalls saying about his wife's outfit one day, without realising how his comment might be perceived. She asked him to run the comment through NeuroTranslator, which helped him recognise that, without a positive affirmation, remarks about a person's appearance could come across as criticism. 'The emotional baggage that comes along with those situations would just disappear within minutes,' he says of using the app. Since its launch in September, Daniel says NeuroTranslator has attracted more than 200 paid subscribers. An earlier web version of the app, called Autistic Translator, amassed 500 monthly paid subscribers. As transformative as this technology has become, some warn against becoming too dependent. The ability to get results on demand can be 'very seductive,' says Larissa Suzuki, a London-based computer scientist and visiting NASA researcher who is herself neurodivergent. Overreliance could be harmful if it inhibits neurodivergent users' ability to function without it, or if the technology itself becomes unreliable — as is already the case with many AI search-engine results, according to a recent study from the Columbia Journalism Review.'If AI starts screwing up things and getting things wrong,' Suzuki says, 'people might give up on technology, and on themselves." Baring your soul to an AI chatbot does carry risk, agrees Gianluca Mauro, an AI adviser and co-author of Zero to AI. 'The objective [of AI models like ChatGPT] is to satisfy the user,' he says, raising questions about its willingness to offer critical advice. Unlike therapists, these tools aren't bound by ethical codes or professional guidelines. If AI has the potential to become addictive, Mauro adds, regulation should follow. A recent study by Carnegie Mellon and Microsoft (which is a key investor in OpenAI) suggests that long-term overdependence on generative AI tools can undermine users' critical-thinking skills and leave them ill-equipped to manage without it. 'While AI can improve efficiency,' the researchers wrote, 'it may also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI.' While Dr. Melanie Katzman, a clinical psychologist and expert in human behaviour, recognises the benefits of AI for neurodivergent people, she does see downsides, such as giving patients an excuse not to engage with others. A therapist will push their patient to try different things outside of their comfort zone. "I think it's harder for your AI companion to push you," she says. But for users who have come to rely on this technology, such fears are academic. 'A lot of us just end up kind of retreating from society,' warns D'hotman, who says that she barely left the house in the year following her autism diagnosis, feeling overwhelmed. Were she to give up using ChatGPT, she fears she would return to that traumatic period of isolation. 'As somebody who's struggled with a disability my whole life,' she says, 'I need this.' (Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Sharon Singleton)
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Activist launches bold movement to confront systemic injustice and restore human dignity
Social Impact With Pearl Walsh launched a bold movement to confront systemic injustice and restore human dignity while protesting outside the Western Cape High Court. Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media A new justice‑led movement is taking shape in South Africa's legal corridors as human‑rights advocate Pearl Walsh unveiled Social Impact With Pearl, an initiative that vows to expose judicial dysfunction, protect the vulnerable and 'bring humility back to humanity through human dignity'. Walsh, 37, is a Cape Town-based activist whose decade-long track record spans court-reform campaigns, gender-justice litigation, and anti-corruption drives aimed at the Legal Practice Council, the Ministry of Justice, and Parliament. Known for her uncompromising stance and direct challenges to authority, she says the movement is 'not about politics, it's about people'. 'Constitutional rights are not optional. Humanitarian values are not negotiable. Justice must work for everyone or it works for no one,' Walsh told reporters on the Western Cape High court steps, flanked by survivors of domestic violence and parental‑rights disputes. The campaign's launch manifesto pledges to confront 'corruption in the courts, failure in the legal system and injustice committed in the name of law'. It commits to amplifying survivor stories, mentoring youth activists and offering rapid legal‑literacy workshops in communities cut off from legal assistance. Among those standing with Walsh was Belinka Unger, who said a 2013 custody ruling has effectively confined her to Cape Town for 12 years. 'I have tried to protect my daughter and pursue work outside the province, but every time I leave, I'm charged with contempt,' Unger said. 'Meanwhile, her father, a judicial officer, owes maintenance and faces no consequences.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Charmalaine Zwiegelaar, embroiled in a five‑year divorce and eviction battle, described repeated abuse. 'My teeth were damaged during assaults, yet I'm the one left homeless,' she said. 'I want justice for myself and my children.' Walsh argues such cases illustrate 'a justice system that serves the few at the expense of the many' and believes public pressure can force institutional change. 'Silence enables harm. Accountability begins with truth,' she said. Raised in Retreat, Walsh traces her activism to witnessing court delays in her mother's domestic violence case. After completing paralegal studies, she worked with women's shelters before launching a court-watch program that logged hundreds of delayed maintenance hearings. Her slogan, 'bringing humility back to humanity through human dignity' now anchors the new movement's branding. Social Impact With Pearl will file an open‑access report on alleged lapses by the Legal Practice Council next month and plans a national listening tour to gather testimony from litigants, beginning in KwaZulu‑Natal on 5 August. Walsh is also lobbying Parliament's Justice Portfolio Committee for public hearings into 'systemic breaches of Section 34 rights to access courts'. She urged citizens to 'rise with us, protect rights, demand truth and rebuild trust', adding that the movement would track institutional responses and publish scorecards online.
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
How did 25 Cape Town teens leave SA on one-way tickets to Europe?
How did 25 schoolchildren from Cape Town found themselves stranded in Europe after travelling to Spain on one-way tickets for an international soccer tournament? A group of 25 schoolchildren from Cape Town were left stranded in Europe after travelling to Spain on one-way tickets for an international soccer tournament - with no confirmed return flight home. The young players, aged between 13 and 18, represented BT Football Academy, a Cape Town-based youth development club, at the Donosti Cup 2025 in San Sebastián, Spain. While they were scheduled to return home on July 15, it was soon discovered that their tickets only covered the outbound journey. This left the children stranded in Portugal, reportedly with no food, accommodation, or funds to secure their return to South Africa. This left many of us wondering how exactly this happened The tickets were allegedly booked by the club's founder, Brandon Timmy, who is said to have purchased the one-way flights at Cape Town International airport. Timmy also operates his own travel company, BT Travel - which means that he has knowledge of loopholes in the system that most travellers are not aware of. While Timmy and his wife returned to South Africa on their return tickets, the children were left behind in Europe, prompting concerns and confusion over how such a trip was allowed to proceed without proper travel documentation.
