Is artificial intelligence beginning of the end? 

City Press – 30 Jan 2023

Is this the beginning of the end for personalized creativity? 

If you spend enough time online, you would have seen the AI-generated pictures of black alternative people at a rave or maybe you’ve even created some fun AI art of your own in the recent past.

AI, also called machine intelligence, is defined as a sector within computer science that primarily focuses on elevating, building and managing computerized technology. 

AI technology is also created with the intention of autonomously making decisions and carrying out actions on behalf of a human.

Surprisingly, AI technology is an umbrella term that involves many other computerized tools such as digitize learning, robotics and computerized vision, as well as language comprehension and generation.

With all the strides that have been made in the digital sphere, we are now seeing the rise of AI technology as it infiltrates more conventional hardware systems, including on our cellular devices and desktops.

AI technology allows for data-driven decisions to be made at a faster and more accurate rate than the human brain can compute.

For some industries, the AI takeover happened faster than was expected. 

In the US, fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and KFC said goodbye to many of their servers at counters and welcomed automated machines that make the ordering and paying process faster for patrons.

Call Centres also had their day when service calls became automated, costing employees their jobs.

While fast food servers and call centre agents worried about the future of their jobs, many of us felt a false sense of security in our lines of work. 

But now machine intelligence is coming for yet another industry – the arts and culture sector, which is seeing a lot more AI influence infiltrating the sanctity of creativity and creative expression.

If you scroll through TikTok, Instagram or even Twitter for long enough, you’ll find AI-generated songs, paintings, film scripts and even novels, many of which seem just as good those written by a human.

I was recently scrolling through my own TikTok account when I found a video of someone who had exposed their AI to 1 000 hours of British singer Adele’s music and then requested that the AI write and perform its own Adele-inspired song.

I was stunned to hear that the AI not only wrote a deeply emotional song in the style of Adele, but it sounded exactly like the Easy on Me hitmaker.

AI technology has been going through a period of mass expansion and development over the past 10 years, and its advancements are moving at a rapid pace.

In the 2004 film I, Robot – starring US actor Will Smith – AI robots are used to help human beings with day-to-day tasks and for companionship, but later become sentient and one plots their plan for world domination.

A similar phenomenon has allegedly already taken place in the real world.

In June last year, a Google engineer went on record to state that one of their Google chatbot generators had become sentient.

Blake Lemoine said he had spent hours testing the machine known as Lamda – short for Language Model for Dialogue Applications – and was convinced that the chatbot had gained a consciousness and was consumed by its own dreams, needs, rights and fears.

While some brushed this off as Lemoine’s consumption by AI and its possible trickery, many others began to question whether or not this was the beginning of the next step of human/machine evolution.

Considering the fact that this is only the beginning of AI technology, we are yet to see the ways it will affect or improve the lives of human beings. 

However, when it comes to artistic expression, the possibilities are only terrifying.

Since the beginning of time, art and creativity have been practices of a sacred nature; true expressions of emotion and state of mind; words and art that perfectly portray how we feel.

The most significant trait of art and artistic practice is the personal nature by which it is created – completely within the beauty of the complex human experience.

The threat of AI technology in the creative world may mean the end of record deals, as many record companies can afford to create new AI music from some of history’s greatest musicians, including Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Billie Holiday. 

Many of these companies can even afford to create impressive songs and symphonies from some of our biggest talents. 

Today, we have more one-hit wonders than ever, with creators dropping their songs on apps such as TikTok, never to be heard of again. 

Therefore, we begin to understand the threat that technological advancement and AI have on creativity and the creative industry.

The threat could also mean that painting, sculpture, architecture and other forms of expression could become more impersonal.

Is this the beginning of AI as the next step in creative productivity? Is this the beginning of the end for the common creative?

www.samigration.com

SAPS captain arrested after she allegedly detained foreign nationals, demanded R10 000 for their freedom.

IOL – 27 January 2023

Pretoria – Three suspects, including a female police captain have been arrested on charges of corruption, defeating the ends of justice, extortion and kidnapping.

Police in Mpumalanga have identified the trio as Tshidi Anastacia Mamareko, 56, Santi Madoda Khumalo, 44, and Albert Ramuchu, 41.

The suspects, one woman and two men, were nabbed in Witbank on Monday afternoon, after they had received money in a bid to release undocumented foreign nationals they had arrested, according to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli.

“According to the report, 13 alleged undocumented persons were reportedly taken into a police marked van by the three suspects for hours whereby a bribe of R10 000 was demanded from them for their freedom,” he said.

It is alleged that the detained individuals were working at a construction site in Witbank.

“Apparently, the owner of the premises was also contacted to pay for the release of the 13. After a few hours, cash was allegedly paid to the three suspects and that is when they were arrested by members of the police from the Mpumalanga provincial anti-corruption unit,” Mdhluli said.

The cash was also confiscated from the possession of the trio, as part of the investigation.

On Tuesday, the three appeared before the Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court, and they were each granted bail of R2 000.

They are set to return to the same court on March 1, while police investigation continues.

Internal investigations surrounding the incident against the SAPS captain will also be conducted, and Mdhluli said disciplinary steps may be taken pending the outcome of the probe.

Provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcomed the arrest of the three.

She “strongly” warned police officers to avoid involving themselves in corrupt activities “as it would land them in hot water”.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be associated with corruption, and the law will have to take its course against such who break the law, including those within our ranks without fear of favour,” she said.

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Prohibition Appeals 

SA Migration | 25  Jan 2023

When applying for upliftment after being found in possession of the following:

1. Fraudulent Visas

2. Fraudulent Permanent Residence permit.

3. Foreign nationals who were deported. 

We require the following documents.

1. Copies of passports.

2. Copies of previous permit's or visas.

3. A copy of the suspected fraudulent visa.

NB: The applicant must submit a signed representation with full details as to what led  him or her to obtain fraudulent visa or Permanent residence permit.

a. The deported foreign nationals who had been out of the country for the prescribed period must submit South African Police Clearance Certificate when they apply for rehabilitation.

b. In case whereby a foreign nationals  was found in possession of a fraudulent South African Police Clearance Certificate, Medical Certificates, School acceptance letter, Bank Statements must be forwarded to overstayappeals@dha.gov.za.

Good Cause Appeals (email address: GoodCauseAppeals@dha.gov.za.)

We require the following documents:

1. A signed written representation with full details as to what led  him or her failed to renew his/her temporary residence visa within 60 days prior to its expiry, and what are the reasons beyond his or her control that prevented him or her to apply for such renewal.

2. Copy of the Good Cause rejection letter (Form 2)

3. Copies of the passports.

4. Copies of previous permits or visas.

5. Any other supporting documents in support of the request for an appeal process, such as a Letter from the respective Embassy when you claim delay of the passport issuance.

NB: Kindly note that we are strictly dealing with appeals application only. If you want to apply for a Good Cause you must approached nearest Home Affairs Inspectorate offices.

Appeals must be sent to prohibitionappeals@dha.gov.za

Enquiries:

Mr. Mabasa - 071 252 0391

Mr. Mahlangu - 063 684 6615

Mr. Masilela - 063 684 6692

Mr. Moilwa - 066 290 3267

Mr. Ndlovu - 083 700 9351

For more information, Please contact us on:

Tel No landline CT  :  +27 (0) 21 879 5560

Tel No landline JHB : +27 (0) 12 880 1490

Whatsapp  Tel No : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 - (Whatsapp messages only, No calls)

Tel No office : +27 (0) 82 373 8415 (Whatsapp messages only, No calls)  

Tel No admin : +27 (0) 64 126 3073 – (Whatsapp calls only – No Messages) 

Tel No sales : +27 (0) 74 0366127 - (Whatsapp calls only – No Messages)

Please email us to info@samigration.com

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Court asked to permit unmarried couples in life partnerships to claim maintenance when separated

IOL – 26 January 2023

Pretoria - The Western Cape High Court is being asked to develop common law legislation to permit unmarried couples in life partnerships to claim maintenance from one another in the event of a separation.

As the law stands, the right is reserved only for heterosexual couples who are legally married.

The development sought is aimed at providing a remedy for maintenance upon the termination of a permanent life partnership, in circumstances where the parties had undertaken reciprocal duties to support one another during the existence of the partnership.

A woman, whose relationship with her partner and the father of her three children has broken down, is trying to claim maintenance from him.

As the law does not make provision for this, and in light of him refusing to financially maintain her, she has turned to court in a bid for the common law to allow for maintenance.

Her lawyer, leading family law expert Bertus Preller, explained that it was the same as a Rule 43 application where couples, pending the finalisation of a divorce, ask for interim maintenance.

The application was sparked by his client (the woman), who is asking that pending the final determination of an action in which she claims against the respondent (her former partner) for the provision of her reasonable maintenance needs.

The first step before she can do this, however, is to ask the court to declare that common law recognises the existence of a duty of support between partners in unmarried, opposite sex partnerships, where the relationship has broken down.

Once she has overcome the hurdle, the woman (who cannot be identified as there are children involved), will ask that her former partner contribute towards her maintenance as well as her legal costs in the pending action.

The parties were involved in a romantic relationship for more than nine years before the man eventually left the family home. Three children were born from the relationship. The parties cohabited from 2015, following the birth of their first child, and the man took care of her.

The woman explained in an affidavit before court that they had met at a gym while the man was married. They fell in love and he eventually left his wife and moved in with her.

She worked at the time, but following the birth of their first child and later, their twin boys, the man, an affluent businessman, convinced her not to work, but to take care of the children.

He subsequently paid for everything and they lived a financially comfortable life. The woman received about R100  000 a month from him.

The relationship, however, finally broke down last year and the man eventually moved out. While he is paying an amount for the upkeep of the children, he refused to pay her maintenance.

The woman said she was fearful of leaving him as he frequently threatened that if she did, she would be left destitute and “end up on the street”.

On one such occasion, he threatened to “out-litigate” her and told her that he was “willing to spend millions on lawyers” to ensure that she did “not get a cent” from him.

Preller said many partners, predominantly women, were left destitute and without legal recourse when their life partnership terminated.

“This issue affects a substantial number of South Africans, particularly vulnerable women, and some find themselves in permanent life partnerships not out of true choice. The reality is that, as at 2016, 3.2 million South Africans were cohabiting outside of marriage and that number was reported to be increasing.”

Preller said it was mainly unmarried, cohabiting women who were getting the short end of the stick.

The Women’s Legal Centre Trust entered the proceedings as a friend of the court and supported the common law application. Arguments are expected to proceed next month.

www.samigration.com

Court rules on unwed fathers

Judge says regulation on registration of unwed fathers without documents on children’s birth certificates is “irrational” and unconstitutional

26 January 2023 | Goundup

• The Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha has found a regulation that was stopping undocumented fathers from being registered on their children’s birth certificates unconstitutional.
• The regulation affects the rights of thousands of children simply through the circumstances of their births, Judge Mbulelo Jolwana said.
• He said it was “irrational” and it had never gone through a parliamentary process.
• The rights of citizens cannot be subject to the whims or attitudes of officials in government offices, the judge said.

A regulation preventing the naming of a foreign, unmarried father who is in South Africa illegally on his child’s birth certificate is unconstitutional, the Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha has ruled.

Judge Mbulelo Jolwana said the regulation, which provides that a foreign father of a child born out of wedlock must submit a copy of his valid passport, visa, permit, permanent residency, ID document or refugee identity document in order to be registered, was not only irrational but was contrary to the best interest of the child.

It was also at odds with the Births and Deaths Registration Act which imposed no such rule.

The matter before Judge Jolwana was brought by the unmarried biological parents of a young child. The mother is South African. The father is Bulgarian and his visa has expired.

Officials at the Department of Home Affairs refused to register him as the father on his child’s unabridged birth certificate, saying he was no longer legally in the country and because he was not a South African citizen, he had to undergo a paternity test.

The couple launched a court action for an order compelling the department to include the fathers name on the birth certificate and challenging the constitutionality of the relevant regulation.

Judge Jolwana noted that the Minister of Home Affairs had initially opposed the matter, citing the father’s illegal presence in the country and that the regulation “made it impossible” to include the father’s name on the certificate.

During the hearing, his lawyers made a “180 degree turn” and conceded the issues, claiming that the regulation actually did not apply in this matter.

But the couple said the constitutional issue still needed to be aired given that it was a matter of significant public interest.

Lawyers for the minister said that given their capitulation, it was not necessary and the issue was now “moot”.

But Judge Jolwana said they had not explained their earlier stance and their “change of tack” and it called for an explanation.

“It is impossible to appreciate what informed this sudden change and it makes it even difficult to resist the temptation to conclude that the sudden change of mind was in bad faith, designed to cripple and disable the court from enquiring into the constitutionality of the regulation … which continues to bedevil children born in similar circumstances as the child in this matter.

“As can be gleaned from [the minister’s] affidavit, every day in all Department of Home Affairs offices throughout the country, those seeking the registration of their details in the birth records of their children are turned away if their fathers happen to be illegal foreigners,” the judge said, noting that there had been no concession regarding the constitutionality or otherwise of the regulation.

“Rights of citizens cannot be subject to the whims or attitudes of the attending officials in government offices … courts must act when rights, especially the rights of children, are allegedly being undermined.

“The court cannot ignore the fact that there may be literally thousands of other children who are treated no differently from this child, even as we speak … an inquiry into the constitutionality of this regulation is a matter of public importance.”

Judge Jolwana said neither the Constitution nor the Children’s Act distinguished between children on the basis of the citizenship of their parents.

The couple, he said, contended however that the regulation discriminated against their child, who was a South African citizen, because of the circumstances of birth.

In the matter before him, the fact that the father had been unable to renew his visa “has nothing to do with the child and his right to have the identity of his father officially recognised”.

Judge Jolwana said the regulation was “irrational”, noting that it had not gone through any parliamentary process and flew in the face of international instruments dealing with the rights of children.

The Act itself made no distinction between local and foreign fathers – those legally in the country and those that are not.

He declared the regulation to be unconstitutional and ordered the minister to pay the costs on a punitive scale, noting the last-minute about turn.

“For them to force people such as the applicants to approach court, only to admit that they were wrong from the onset, is troubling,” the judge said.

www.samigration.com