Daily Archives: September 11, 2022

Ilya Feige Joins Cerberus Technology Solutions as Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning – Business Wire

Posted: September 11, 2022 at 1:57 pm

NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (together with its affiliates, Cerberus) today announced that Ilya Feige, Ph.D., has joined as Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Cerberus Technology Solutions (CTS).

Launched in 2018, CTS is an operating subsidiary of Cerberus focused exclusively on applying leading technologies and advanced analytics to drive business transformations. Today, CTS has more than 80 in-house and partner technologists organized across practice areas, including technology strategy, digital and e-Commerce, solutions architecture, data management and operations, advanced analytics and business intelligence, and cyber security. Dr. Feige will lead the platforms artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) practice to apply data-driven solutions across Cerberus portfolio of investment as well as analyze value creation opportunities during diligence processes.

Our platform brings together top experts across the technology and data domains that are fundamental to an organizations operations and growth, said Ben Sylvester, Chief Executive Officer of CTS. Beyond his expertise, Ilya has an impressive track record of harnessing data to apply innovative solutions. We are excited for the global impact he will have on our partners in helping to unlock value across their businesses.

Dr. Feige was an executive with Faculty, one of Europes leading AI companies, and most recently served as Director of AI. During his tenure, he founded the companys AI research lab and subsequently built and led a team of 25 applied AI and ML practitioners. In this role, he spearheaded the expansion of Facultys AI platform and go-to-market strategy. Dr. Feige graduated McGill University with the highest honors and received a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Harvard University, where he was awarded the Goldhaber Prize as the top Ph.D. student in physics. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications on AI safety, ML, and physics.

Dr. Feige commented: The use of technology is only becoming more critical to companies across all industries and Ive seen firsthand how the right technical solutions can be transformative to an organizations performance. CTS is a world-class platform that is truly unique. Their integration and deployment of technology expertise at scale helps partners not only improve their businesses, but also become more competitive. Im looking forward to joining this great team and the broader Cerberus family.

John Tang, Head of EMEA for CTS, added: We are thrilled to welcome Ilya to our CTS team. This addition underscores our platforms commitment to integrating cutting edge capabilities, including in next generation AI/ML technologies.

About CerberusFounded in 1992, Cerberus is a global leader in alternative investing with approximately $60 billion in assets across complementary credit, private equity, and real estate strategies. We invest across the capital structure where our integrated investment platforms and proprietary operating capabilities create an edge to improve performance and drive long-term value. Our tenured teams have experience working collaboratively across asset classes, sectors, and geographies to seek strong risk-adjusted returns for our investors. For more information about our people and platforms, visit us at http://www.cerberus.com.

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Ilya Feige Joins Cerberus Technology Solutions as Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning - Business Wire

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Artificial intelligence created these images of iconic Colorado scenes – Out There Colorado

Posted: at 1:57 pm

Artificial intelligence is making big waves in the world of art, with savvy creators turning to the technology to build images like never before. Curious how an artificial intelligence would approach building images of Colorado, we plugged a few Centennial State-themed prompts into our AI program. Here's what we got:

Note: You'll notice these images look kind of like the place they're supposed to depict, but not quite. The artificial intelligence program does its best to create sometimes it hits the mark and sometimes it doesn't (...the Boulder Flatirons collection is a good example of that).

These images were created using a program called Stable Diffusion and are completely unique images compared to anything else found online, originating from our direct input of prompting.

1. Garden of the Gods

2. Black Canyon of the Gunnison

3. Denver

4. The Boulder Flatirons

5. Pikes Peak

6. Breckenridge

7. The Great Sand Dunes

8. Telluride

9. Maroon Bells

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Artificial intelligence created these images of iconic Colorado scenes - Out There Colorado

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate Market Scope and overview, To Develop with Increased Global Emphasis on Industrialization 2029 | IBM, Cape…

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New Jersey, United States, Sept. 4, 2022 /DigitalJournal/ AI in real estate can also allow companies to know the best time to buy or sell a property and forecast future sale or rental prices. You can also employ a regression algorithm that considers property characteristics such as size, age, number of rooms, and home decor to arrive at a workable price range. AI in real estate can help prospects make the right decisions by narrowing their search down to fewer key criteria. This is because AI real estate suggestion engines work the same way as other product suggestion engines, such as the recently launched Amazon Personalize.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate Market research report provides all the information related to the industry. It gives the markets outlook by giving authentic data to its client which helps to make essential decisions. It gives an overview of the market which includes its definition, applications and developments, and manufacturing technology. This Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate market research report tracks all the recent developments and innovations in the market. It gives the data regarding the obstacles while establishing the business and guides to overcome the upcoming challenges and obstacles.

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Competitive landscape:

This Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate research report throws light on the major market players thriving in the market; it tracks their business strategies, financial status, and upcoming products.

Some of the Top companies Influencing this Market include: IBM, Cape Analytics, Baidu Inc., Engel & Volkers, Skyline AI, PwC

Market Scenario:

Firstly, this Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate research report introduces the market by providing an overview that includes definitions, applications, product launches, developments, challenges, and regions. The market is forecasted to reveal strong development by driven consumption in various markets. An analysis of the current market designs and other basic characteristics is provided in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate report.

Regional Coverage:

The region-wise coverage of the market is mentioned in the report, mainly focusing on the regions:

Segmentation Analysis of the market

The market is segmented based on the type, product, end users, raw materials, etc. the segmentation helps to deliver a precise explanation of the market

Market Segmentation: By Type

Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision

Market Segmentation: By Application

Large Enterprises, Small and Mid-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

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An assessment of the market attractiveness about the competition that new players and products are likely to present to older ones has been provided in the publication. The research report also mentions the innovations, new developments, marketing strategies, branding techniques, and products of the key participants in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate market. To present a clear vision of the market the competitive landscape has been thoroughly analyzed utilizing the value chain analysis. The opportunities and threats present in the future for the key market players have also been emphasized in the publication.

This report aims to provide:

Table of Contents

Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate Market Research Report 2022 2029

Chapter 1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Real Estate Market Forecast

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The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning In The Music Streaming Market Is Gaining Popularity As Per The Business Research…

Posted: at 1:57 pm

LONDON, Sept. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to The Business Research Companys research report on the music streaming market, artificial intelligence and machine learning in music streaming devices are the key trends in the music streaming market. Technologies like artificial intelligence and Machine learning enhance the music streaming experience by increasing storage and improving the search recommendations, improving the overall experience.

For instance, in January 2022, Gaana, an India-based music streaming app introduced a new product feature using artificial intelligence to enhance the music listening experience for its listeners. The app will modify music preferences using artificial intelligence to suit a person's particular occasion or daily mood.

Request for a sample of the global music streaming market report

The global online music streaming market size is expected to grow from $24.09 billion in 2021 to $27.24 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.08%. The global music streaming market share is expected to grow to $45.31 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.57%.

The increasing adoption of smart devices is expected to propel the growth of the music streaming market. Smart devices such as smartphones, and smart speakers have changed the way of listening to music. They include smart features like the ability to set alarms, play music on voice command, control smart devices in-home, and stream live music, as they are powered by a virtual assistant. For instance, according to statistics from Amazon Alexa 2020, nearly 53.6 million Amazon Echo speakers (smart speakers) were sold in 2020 which increase to 65 million in 2021. Therefore, the increasing adoption of smart devices will drive the music streaming market growth.

Major players in the music streaming market are Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Gaana, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, Pandora, Sirius XM Holdings, iHeartRadio, Aspiro, Tencent Music Entertainment, Google, Idagio, LiveXLive, QTRAX, Saavn, Samsung, Sony Corporation, TuneIn, JOOX, NetEase, Kakao and Times Internet.

The global music streaming market is segmented by service into on-demand streaming, live streaming; by content into audio, video; by platform into application-based, web-based; by revenue channels into non-subscription, subscription; by end-use into individual, commercial.

North America was the largest region in the music streaming market in 2021. The regions covered in the global music streaming industry analysis are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Music Streaming Global Market Report 2022 Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026 is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provide music streaming market overviews, music streaming market analyze and forecast market size and growth for the whole market, music streaming market segments and geographies, music streaming market trends, music streaming market drivers, music streaming market restraints, music streaming market leading competitors revenues, profiles and market shares in over 1,000 industry reports, covering over 2,500 market segments and 60 geographies.

The report also gives in-depth analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the market. The reports draw on 150,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders. A highly experienced and expert team of analysts and modelers provides market analysis and forecasts. The reports identify top countries and segments for opportunities and strategies based on market trends and leading competitors approaches.

Not the market you are looking for? Check out some similar market intelligence reports:

Music Recording Global Market Report 2022 By Type (Record Production, Music Publishers, Record Distribution, Sound Recording Studios), By Application (Mechanical, Performance, Synchronization, Digital), By End-User (Individual, Commercial), By Genre (Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, Jazz) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026

Content Streaming Global Market Report 2022 By Platform (Smartphones, Laptops & Desktops, Smart TVs, Gaming Consoles), By Type (On-Demand Video Streaming, Live Video Streaming ), By Deployment (Cloud, On-Premise), By End User (Consumer, Enterprise) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026

Smart Home Devices Global Market Report 2022 By Technology (Wi-Fi Technology, Bluetooth Technology), By Application (Energy Management, Climate Control System, Healthcare System, Home Entertainment System, Lighting Control System, Security & Access Control System), By Sales Channel (Online, Offline) Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026

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The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning In The Music Streaming Market Is Gaining Popularity As Per The Business Research...

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Artificial Intelligence Is Being Used To Make A Movie – Giant Freakin Robot

Posted: at 1:57 pm

Artificial intelligence continues to evolve and it is now being used to create an entire feature movie on its own.

By Nathan Kamal| Published 6 days ago

The advent of artificial intelligence promises to change nearly every aspect of human existence, so it makes sense that we will begin with our movie-going experience. We joke, of course. Artificial intelligence has already been here for some time and is constantly growing and changing in unexpected (but often regrettably racist) ways, so its not like filmmaking was first on the docket for this sea change in technology. However, people are beginning to experiment with just how they can use this new aspect of computer technology to create art and a German entrepreneur thinks he has found at least one way.

According to The Byte, German tech entrepreneur Fabian Stelzer is working to create an (almost) entirely artificial intelligence-made movie titled Salt. By using freely available online image-generating software like Midjourney, DALL-E 2, and Stable Diffusion and voice-generators like Murf, Stelzer is building a science fiction movie in serial installments. Basically, Stelzer gives text prompts to these artificial intelligence programs, they build images and voices, and those are edited together to create a narrative. Stelzer views it as a community choice driven story, in which the suggestions of viewers are used to build the next step of the plot. In a sense, it is similar to a Choose Your Own Adventure story, except that rather than human ghostwriters under the employ of Bantam Books, artificial intelligence is creating imagery that feeds to human imagination, which loops it back to the machines for the next step. Neat, right? You can actually see part of what is being developed here:

Salt appears to take its visual cues from lo-fi science fiction films of the 1970s like Silent Running and Dark Star. In particular, it has some real vibes of the original Ridley Scott Alien. From what can be seen from the artificial intelligence-generated footage, Salt appears to be centered on a group of space explorers (possibly some kind of miners or industrial workers, as in Alien) discovers a planet with overwhelming lodes of salt. There are flashes of ships floating in orbit, dark caverns full of mineral deposits, and some real spooky stuff. All of the voices (except Fabian Stelzers) are artificial intelligence-derived, which makes all of this a fascinating look.

As of right now, the artificial intelligence tools being used to make Salt can only work in still images, so it is not exactly a motion picture. However, there is certainly a history of science fiction films that take advantage of the still image (just ask 12 Monkeys), so that does not necessarily detract from what is being done here.

Given that Fabian Stelzer is described as an entrepreneur, it should be no surprise that he describes the project in overwhelmingly hyperbolic terms. Speaking to PCMag, Stelzer describes the experiment as part of a movement in artificial intelligence that rivals the development of photography itself. Not to speak in small terms, he says it might even be akin to the development of the written word, ie, the foundation of most of civilization. But even taking that with a grain of you know what, Salt looks pretty cool.

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Big Iron Farm Show demonstration will show the potential of artificial intelligence and robotics in ag – Agweek

Posted: at 1:57 pm

WEST FARGO, N.D. If a farmer didn't have to spray his entire field but could instead target weeds at their earliest stage and stop infestations before they start, the cost savings could be immense. Plus, consumers increasingly want less herbicides and other chemical applications applied to food crops, and agriculture continues to strive to be more environmentally friendly.

Dr. Rex Sun, an assistant professor in the department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering at North Dakota State University, and his team will have a new technology on display at the 2022 Big Iron Farm Show, Sept. 13-15 in West Fargo, that they think will accomplish those goals a remote control "weedbot" that uses artificial intelligence and robotics to perform site specific weed management.

The daily demonstrations at 1 p.m. will involve bringing real weeds from an NDSU greenhouse and showing how the robot identifies and eliminates them.

"Right now, the farmers are spraying weeds on the whole field, but we don't want to do that," Sun said. "So hopefully by using our precision agriculture technologies like robotics and AI, they can use this robot and identify the early stage and make that solution right on the spot so we don't have to spray the whole field."

The robot is in proof-of-concept stage, and there are improvements left to be made, Sun said, noting that a robot that uses mechanical means to eliminate weeds or systems that look for pests and disease are possible, too.

"This kind of platform, it can customize depending on what kind of applications the farming industry needs," he said.

While the robot is not autonomous, that is another possibility down the road, he said.

John Nowatzki, a retired agricultural machine systems specialist at NDSU who serves on the Big Iron Committee, said another demonstration will be a repeat from last year, with Titan Machinery and Raven Industries showing off their autonomous grain cart technologies . The demonstration will be west of the food court this year, because the space south of the racetrack used in the past is now a corn maze.

Hundreds of vendors also will be on hand at Big Iron, and many are preparing to show off new products or explain popular existing ones.

Nick Chiodo, marketing manager at Crary Industries, said Crary will have their Wind System on display for those who haven't seen it and experts to explain it. The system is an attachment for a soybean header that reduces shatter loss and feeds the combine more evenly through the blowing of high velocity air. Chiodo said the system can increase bushels per acres by as much as 5, with configurations that fit on most brand-name headers.

"Anywhere that grows soybeans, we're probably out there," he said.

They'll also have information and experts on their Revolution Ditcher, for use in cleaning out water ways, ditches or terraces. Chiodo said they'll have the "latest and greatest" on that in their booth.

Crary is planning a Dec. 15 event called Full Pod, which will feature famous farm YouTubers. For the cost of their ticket, attendees at that event will get dinner, a hooded sweatshirt, a grab bag and a chance to win door prizes, as well as opportunities to interact with the YouTubers and other farmers. Chiodo said anyone who has registered for the event can show their ticket at the booth and be entered to win a Grizzly cooler with the Full Pod log.

Big Iron is a must for Crary, Chiodo said. Crary is located close at hand to the fairgrounds.

"It's right across the street from us," he said. "It's our backyard."

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Using citizen science and artificial intelligence to help conserve the Great Barrier Reef – The Indian Express

Posted: at 1:57 pm

Stretched over 344,000 square kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the biggest coral reef system in the world and an important marine biodiversity hotspot. But, the natural wonder that can be seen from space is in poor health. Now, researchers are looking to leverage citizen science crowdsourcing and artificial intelligence to help plan conservation efforts better.

According to a study published in 2012, the Great Barrier Reef has lost over half its coral since 1985. Added to that, climate change has caused the reef to suffer from various bleaching events, or when the coral expels the algae living in its tissue due to the water being too warm. When coral reefs bleach, they are not yet dead. They can still recover if conditions improve, but it is estimated that it takes them up to 12 years.

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While conservation efforts are ongoing for the Great Barrier Reef, there is another issue. The sheer size of the reef system and the land that it occupies means that these efforts can only be focused on small sections. According to Andy Ridley, CEO and founder of Citizens of Great Barrier Reef, which conducts the Great Reef Census, researchers have only been able to monitor around five to ten per cent of the 3,000 individual reefs in the system in the past. This makes informed conservation decisions difficult.

The Great Reef Census helps solve this issue by using thousands of images captured by volunteers on dive boats, tourism vessels, yachts, fishing charters, and tug boats to survey images from the Reef. It then uses these images to understand the health of the reefs and to identify the locations where conservation efforts must be focused. As part of the project, researchers from the University of Queensland, Dell Technologies, and other organisations have partnered to leverage artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing to help understand the reef better. Two Great Reef censuses have already been conducted.

In the second census, the researchers first crowdsourced over 40,000 images of coral in the Great Barrier Reef from thousands of volunteers. Then, the challenge was tagging and identifying the coral species within the images to see which ones needed to be studied by marine biologists. Volunteers then tagged and identified various different coral species, which turned out to be a time-consuming process.

That is where the deep learning model developed by Dell Technologies came in. Using this data from the volunteers, Dell trained a deep learning model to analyse every pixel in an image to classify the reel and coral infrastructure.

The deep learning model first identifies which part of the image contains coral. And then, it is able to classify them if they belong to five selected species of coral. It is limited to five right now to maintain accuracy. This data, combined with the location data of the image can provide researchers with a snapshot of what kind of corals exist where. The researchers can then ascertain the health of the coral from selected images. They can then use this data to prioritise which reef must be conserved first, said Aruna Kolluru, chief technologist, Emerging Technology at Dell, to indianexpress.com over a video interaction.

This means that the deep learning model can take on the repetitive and tedious task of identifying and classifying the coral, freeing up volunteers for tasks that still require human input. These images can be analysed by marine biology experts if necessary based on this identification and classification. Currently, the model takes one minute to analyse an image.

According to Dells Kolluru, the deep learning model can further be improved to not only analyse images more accurately but to also be able to identify more species of coral. But for that, it needs to be trained on much larger numbers of images and data points.

For example, if you want to train a model to identify a car, you need to train it on many different kinds of images. It could be images of different parts of the car, like the tyres or the doors. It would also need to be trained on images of cars from different angles and with different lighting conditions. With all this data on how a car looks like in different images, it will better understand how to identify a car, explained Kolluru.

As the model develops further, researchers envision using it to protect other reef systems globally. We hope to expand the Census globally and build on the globally-available Allen coral atlas so that everyone can develop data on the most ecologically important reefs in their jurisdiction. The deep learning model will help standardise and support the ability of citizens to map the state of reefs worldwide, said Peter Mumby, a coral reef ecologist at the University of Queensland, to indianexpress.com over email. Mumby is part of the Great Reef Census team.

Ridley of Citizens of Great Barrier Reef told indianexpress.com that the third Great Reef Census will kick off in October. As the researchers develop the censuss methods, they are also ensuring these methods and technology are scalable and can be used to conduct similar research with other reef systems across the globe.

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Great Speech Develops Artificial Intelligence Platform to Refine Matching Process Between Patients and Most Qualified Speech Therapist – Business Wire

Posted: at 1:57 pm

HOLLYWOOD, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Great Speech, a pioneer and leader in virtual speech therapy, today announces patient matching Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to optimize pairing patients with the most qualified speech therapists in our network for a patients specific condition. The AI technology considers multiple data points to create the best-indicated therapy/patient care partnership to provide more specialized care, more focused therapy and faster results in a shorter timeframe.

"We take pride in our ability to match each patient to the most qualified therapist with expertise in that specific diagnosis, says Avivit Ben-Aharon M.S. Ed, M.A. CCC-SLP, founder and clinical director, Great Speech. Drawing on our extensive network of more than 200 licensed speech therapists in 45 states, our technology identifies the therapist who has relevant specialty training, experience and distinct strengths to provide an optimal patient experience.

Each speech therapist in the Great Speech network has subspecialty training in particular aspects of a communication disorder. The AI technology platform works much like a primary care provider referring a patient to a specific medical specialist with expertise treating a particular condition.

AI is a valuable tool we now have to deliver the best care for our patients, explains Ben-Aharon. If a Medicare Advantage member with Parkinsons is learning to strengthen the muscles used for swallowing and speaking, they have a different need than a patient with Alzheimers disease who is working to manage memory deficits or teenagers who stutter and are working on improving the ability to express themselves.

AI is being rapidly adopted by healthcare leaders for efficient diagnosis and safer services. Great Speech patients benefit from more objective assessment and personalized therapy with AI assist. As an early adopter of treatment technology, Great Speech expects that AI will offer significant advantages for patients and help improve outcome in the future.

About Great Speech Inc.Great Speech Inc. is the pioneer and recognized leader in virtual speech therapy, and since 2014 has delivered convenient, specialized services to clients anytime, anywhere. Its innovative approach leverages technology to match credentialed therapists with children, adults and seniors who need and seek better speech communication. Proud recipient of the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certification. http://www.greatspeech.com

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EXPLAINER | Basic Income Grant: What is the debate about? | Fin24 – News24

Posted: at 1:56 pm

The possibility that a Universal Basic Income Guarantee(UBIG) could be introduced in South Africa has sparkedalot of debateover the last two years.

Its advocates say this grant could address our extremelyhigh rates of poverty and ensure that all people have an adequate standard ofliving. Its detractors say it would bankrupt the country.

In this three-part series from the Institute for EconomicJustice (IEJ), we cover the basics of a basic income grant.Inour first article, we gave an overview of what a universal basic incomeguarantee is and what transformative potential it could have.

In this, our second piece, we cover the evolution andcurrent state of the debate in South Africa. Our final piece will focus on howwe could finance it.

The birth of the debate in South Africa

The idea of a basic income grant (BIG) in South Africa goesback to the late 1990s, whenorganisedlabour proposedthat the idea should be investigated by the governmentat the 1998 Presidential Jobs Summit. In 2002, thereportofthe Taylor Committee of Inquiry into a Comprehensive System of Social Securityfor South Africa proposed a basic income grant of R100 per person, per month.

But then the debate disappeared for two decades. Therecommendations of the Taylor Committee were ignored. The ANC was largelyopposed to the UBIG during this period, influenced by concerns about "handouts"and dependency.

As successive governments pushed different growth agendas,there was less political interest in social security as a developmentalstrategy. It took time for the ineffectiveness of these growth agendas tobecome clear: massive unemployment persisted, inequality worsened, povertydeepened.

Covid-19 restarts the debate

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the UBIG debate re-emerged.

The temporary Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350a month was introduced by the government as a response to the impact of the pandemicand related lockdowns.

This was the first grant that able-bodied adults between theages of 18 and 59 could receive. Until then, even though a large proportion ofthis group had no other income and were shut out of paid work due to SouthAfrica's structural unemployment crisis, they were not covered by the socialgrant system.

Civil society organisations began to call for a permanentUBIG to replace the temporary SRD grant, and the government listened.

In December 2021, apanelof expertscommissioned by the Department of Social Development andthe International Labour Organisation found that while the SRD grant had provideda lifeline for many, it had not made a sufficient impact on poverty because itwas too small. In South Africa, four million households, comprising 11 millionpeople, have income below the food poverty line (FPL), which was R595 per monthin 2020.

Accordingto the panel, a BIG introduced at scale, worth at least the FPL, wouldalmost eliminate poverty in South Africa. The panel recommended that the SRDgrant should be made permanent, and progressively increased over time. Theysaid that "no alternative measures could reasonably address the widespreadand urgent income support needs" of South Africans.

In January 2022,acoalition of civil society organisationsmet President Cyril Ramaphosato argue that the SRD grant should be made into a universal basic incomeguarantee. They said that it should be increased first to the FPL and then by2024 to the upper bound poverty line (R1,335 per month in 2021). Theseproposals were recently supported by aresolutionof the ANC Policy Conferencein July this year.

But support for a UBIG has not been unanimous.

Opponents of the grant, which include some groups inbusinessandtheNationalTreasury, have variously claimed that it is unaffordable, that its costswould overshadow any benefits, that it is a "populist'"party-political tactic and that it would further a "culture of dependency".

A boost for the economy?

Critics of the UBIG say that it will cause the economy toslow down. The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), for instance,argues that while the UBIG will "raise beneficiaries' consumption",causing a boost to the economy, this will come "at the cost of reducedconsumption elsewhere".

This argument does not account for the extent to which aUBIG can boost local economies. It is not just increased spending that willresult, but it can allow more people to become active participants in theeconomy, which would grow as a result.

UBIG beneficiaries will spend the money in their localcommunities, which stimulate these industries and increase tax revenues throughincreased VAT payments.

Informal sector workers would use a portion of their basicincome to invest in self-employment and productive activities.

These types of positive spin-offs can, over time, resolveSouth Africa's pressing challenges such as inequality, unemployment andpoverty. This means that the net cost to the government decreases.

The benefits of a UBIG are far greater than the initial costof its implementation.

Populism or for the people?

TheCDEalsosays that the only reason why a UBIG is now on the national agenda is that thegoverning party needs to shore up support.

But in a democratic system we should expect parties topursue policy platforms that they expect to have widespread support, and benefittheir constituency. We should also respect voters' rights to judge the meritsof such policies. The popularity of a policy is by no means an inherentargument against it.

This argument also ignores the pronounced and profoundeconomy-wide impact of the Covid pandemic that led to the introduction of theR350 SRD grant. It also ignores the large number of civil society organisationsand social movements that are calling for the adoption of a UBIG.

Dependency debates

Another line of attack from UBIG detractors, includingtheMinisterof Finance, is to claim that providing grants will create a cycle ofdependency. This argument is not based on evidence.

The evidence of a large number ofstudieson cashtransfers inAfricaandother low- and middle-incomecountriesdemonstratesthat UBIGs make people more productive.

Studies have shown that even meagre basic income support forvulnerable people increases autonomy and enables job-seeking, investment inproductive assets, a transition from poor quality and exploitative jobs to moredecent work as well as self-employment, small business creation, and women'seconomic empowerment.

As we mentioned in our previous article, basic incomesupport helps people to join the formal labour market as it gives people moneyto look for a job.

The reality is,giventhe chance, people consistently seek ways to increase their economicparticipation and security.

Can we afford a UBIG?

Concerns about the affordability and sustainability of UBIGproposals have also come from the business lobby. The CDE and Intellidex arguethat paying for a UBIG would require income tax increases or taking on debtthat South Africa cannot afford. Income tax increases would lead to emigrationand other destabilising economic effects, and South Africa already has a highdebt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio, they say. CDE and Intellidex arguethat tougher taxes on the wealthy would compound the economic problems in SouthAfrica.

They conclude that a UBIG is unaffordable.

But UBIG will act as a stimulus to the economy. Part of thecost associated with it will be recouped by the government through VAT. Theremaining net cost can be sustainably financed through progressive taxation.

South Africa's income and wealth inequality is adestabilising factor in the economy. Taxing and redistributing income moreprogressively using a UBIG could shift persistent structural inequality in theeconomy, asarguedby IEJ director Gilad Isaacsin response to the Intellidex report.

This argument has found unusual supporters. In August thisyear, the historically conservativeOrganisationfor Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) came out in favour of a UBIGasa safety net, and a more redistributive tax system.

The IEJ's analysis suggests that UBIG is achievable in SouthAfrica in the short-term and would carry little risk if it is phased incarefully and responsibly. We haveproposedaninitial UBIG valued at R624 per month (thefood poverty line at September 2021) that would overtime be increased.

In the final part of this introductory series, we will lookat how we could finance this.

Vuyisiwe Mahafu is a Budget Policy Intern at theInstitute for Economic Justice.

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Martin Lewis MSE warns millions are missing out on broadband discount and you could save 114 a year… – The Sun

Posted: at 1:56 pm

MARTIN Lewis' MoneySavingExpert is urging broadband customers to claim a discount that could save them hundreds of pounds a year.

The deal is for those on Universal Credit - but millions are missing out.

1

With the energy price cap coming into effect from October and petrol prices refusing to budge, you'll want all the financial help you can get this winter.

MSE is pushing for a brilliant broadband loop hole for those on Universal Credit which could save them a whopping 114 a year.

These loop holes are called social tariffs, and they're usually low on price every month if you stick with the same provider.

Eight providers offer discounted broadband social tariffs at the moment.

They are:

BT offers 36Mb speed broadband and line for 15 per month, plus an extra 9.99 upfront, and jobseekers can claim six months' free broadband with TalkTalk under their social tariffs.

Average broadband bills could cost somewhere around 40 a month - read Gina's story here to see how she slashed 300 off her bill on BT's social tariff.

More than four million people qualify for these cheaper social tariffs - and it's estimated that just55,000 of the 4.2million people who qualifyare making use of the saving.

Basically, social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phonedealsoffered by some providers to people on certainbenefits.

Unfortunately, most people don't realise these deals are available because they're not listed on comparison sites.

How you apply for a social tariff will vary depending on the provider.

BT and Virgin let you sign up online, but withSkyandNow, you'll need to call.

The deals on offer will vary too including the price and speeds available. With some providers you'll need to be an existing customer to qualify.

TalkTalkoffers six months broadband for free for those on jobseeker's allowance.

BT and Virgin Media have social tariffs for just 15 a month - the latter's has a 30-day rolling contract, so you're not tied in.

Now Broadband also has a rolling contract - it charges 20 a month.

Sky charges 20 a month - the deal is for 18 months, so you may need to pay an exit fee to get out early.

Before you sign up for any of the social tariff, check whether you could get a better deal elsewhere by using a comparison website such asMoneysupermarket.comor Uswitch.

To qualify for a social tariff you'll typically need to be in receipt of certain benefits including Universal Credit, Employment and support allowance, the guarantee credit element of pension credit, Income support, or Jobseeker's Allowance.

If you're not sure whether you're eligible,The Sun has come up with an easy toolin partnership with Nous to help you check.

Visitnous.co/thesunto find out whether you qualify for cheaper broadband in just two minutes.

You'll need to share some basic information about your households and give permission for your bank to share details of your broadband spending and whether you receive benefits.

Another benefit of a social tariff is that providers have promised they will not raise prices mid-contract, giving you certainty over your bills.

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Martin Lewis MSE warns millions are missing out on broadband discount and you could save 114 a year... - The Sun

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