Official Google Africa Blog: March 2021

How fact checkers and Google.org are fighting misinformation.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Misinformation can have dramatic consequences on people’s lives — from finding reliable information on everything from elections to vaccinations — and the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem as accurate information can save lives. To help fight the rise in minsformation, Full Fact, a nonprofit that provides tools and resources to fact checkers, turned to Google.org for help. Today, ahead of International Fact Checking Day, we’re sharing the impact of this work.

Every day, millions of claims, like where to vote and COVID-19 vaccination rates, are made across a multitude of platforms and media. It was becoming increasingly difficult for fact checkers to identify the most important claims to investigate. Last year, Google.org provided Full Fact with $2 million and seven Googlers from the Google.org Fellowship, a pro-bono program that matches teams of Googlers with nonprofits for up to six months to work full-time on technical projects.

Pull quote: “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus and is just as dangerous.” Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Fellows helped Full Fact build AI tools to help fact checkers detect claims made by key politicians, then group them by topic and match them with similar claims from across press, social networks and even radio using speech to text technology. Over the past year, Full Fact boosted the amount of claims they could process by 1000x, detecting and clustering over 100,000 claims per day — that’s more than 36.5 million total claims per year!

The technology in action

The AI-powered tools empower fact checkers to be more efficient, so that they can spend more time actually checking and debunking facts rather than identifying which facts to check. Using a machine learning BERT-based model, the technology now works across four languages (English, French, Portuguese and Spanish). Full Fact’s technology is now in use throughout South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya with their partner Africa Check as well as in Argentina with Chequeado. In total in 2020, Full Fact’s fact checks appeared 237 million times across the internet.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can use Google to fact check and spot misinformation, check out some of our tips and tricks. Right now more than ever we need to empower citizens to find reliable authoritative information, and we're excited about the impact that Full Fact and its partners have had in making the internet a safer place for everyone.

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Redefining what a map can be with new information and AI

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Sixteen years ago, many of us held a printout of directions in one hand and the steering wheel in the other to get around— without information about the traffic along your route or details about when your favorite restaurant was open. Since then, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of what a map can do, propelled by the latest machine learning. This year, we’re on track to bring over 100 AI-powered improvements to Google Maps so you can get the most accurate, up-to-date information about the world, exactly when you need it. Here's a snapshot of how we're using AI to make Maps work better for you with a number of updates coming this year.

Navigate indoors with Live View
We all know that awkward moment when you're walking in the opposite direction of where you want to go — Live View uses AR cues to avoid just that. Live View is powered by a technology called global localization, which uses AI to scan tens of billions of Street View images to understand your orientation. Thanks to new advancements that help us understand the precise altitude and placement of objects inside a building, we’re now able to bring Live View to some of the trickiest-to-navigate places indoors: airports, transit stations and malls.

If you’re catching a plane or train, Live View can help you find the nearest elevator and escalators, your gate, platform, baggage claim, check-in counters, ticket office, restrooms, ATMs and more. Arrows and accompanying directions will point you the right way. And if you need to pick something up from the mall, use Live View to see what floor a store is on and how to get there so you can get in and out in a snap. Indoor Live View is live now on Android and iOS in a number of malls in Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. It starts rolling out in the coming months in select airports, malls, and transit stations in Tokyo and Zurich, with more cities on the way.

Find your way inside airports, train stations, and malls with Indoor Live View

Plan ahead with more information about weather and air quality
With the new weather layer, you can quickly see current and forecasted temperature and weather conditions in an area — so you’ll never get caught in the rain without an umbrella. And the new air quality layer shows you how healthy (or unhealthy) the air is — information that’s especially helpful if you have allergies or are in a smoggy or fire-prone area. Data from partners like The Weather Company, AirNow.gov and the Central Pollution Board power these layers that start rolling out on Android and iOS in the coming months. The weather layer will be available globally and the air quality layer will launch in Australia, India, and the U.S., with more countries to come.

See helpful air quality and weather information with new layers in Google Maps

Find more eco-friendly options to get around
With insights from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, we’re building a new routing model that optimizes for lower fuel consumption based on factors like road incline and traffic congestion. This is all part of the commitment we made last September to help one billion people who use our products take action to reduce their environmental footprint. Soon, Google Maps will default to the route with the lowest carbon footprint when it has approximately the same ETA as the fastest route. In cases where the eco-friendly route could significantly increase your ETA, we’ll let you compare the relative CO2 impact between routes so you can choose. Always want the fastest route? That’s OK too — simply adjust your preferences in Settings. Eco-friendly routes launch in the U.S. on Android and iOS later this year, with a global expansion on the way.

More eco-friendly routes let you choose the route with the lowest carbon footprint

From Amsterdam to Jakarta, cities around the world have established low emission zones — areas that restrict polluting vehicles like certain diesel cars or cars with specific emissions stickers — to help keep the air clean. To support these efforts, we’re working on alerts to help drivers better understand when they’ll be navigating through one of these zones. You can quickly know if your vehicle is allowed in the area, choose an alternative mode of transportation, or take another route. Low emission zone alerts launch this June in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the UK on Android and iOS, with more countries coming soon.

Quickly know if your vehicle is allowed in the area, choose an alternative mode of transportation, or take another route with low emission zone alerts

But we know that getting around sustainably goes beyond driving. So we’re making it easier to choose more sustainable options when you’re on the go. Soon you’ll get a comprehensive view of all routes and transportation modes available to your destination — you can compare how long it’ll take to get there by car, transit or bike without toggling between tabs. Using advanced machine learning models, Maps will automatically prioritize your preferred modes — and even boost modes that are popular in your city. For example, if you bike a lot, we’ll automatically show you more biking routes. And if you live in a city like New York, London, Tokyo, or Buenos Aires where taking the subway is popular, we’ll rank that mode higher. This rolls out globally in the coming months on Android and iOS.

Save time with curbside grocery pickup on Maps

Delivery and curbside pickup have grown in popularity during the pandemic — they’re convenient and minimize contact. To make this process easier, we’re bringing helpful shopping information to stores’ Business Profiles on Maps and Search, like delivery providers, pickup and delivery windows, fees, and order minimums. We’re rolling this out on mobile Search starting with Instacart and Albertsons Cos. stores in the U.S., with plans to expand to Maps and other partners.

This summer, we’re also teaming up with U.S. supermarket Fred Meyer, a division of The Kroger Co., on a pilot in select stores in Portland, Oregon to make grocery pickup easier. After you place an order for pickup on the store’s app, you can add it to Maps. We’ll send you a notification when it’s time to leave, and let you share your arrival time with the store. Your ETA is continuously updated, based on location and traffic. This helps the store prioritize your order so it’s ready as soon as you get there. Check in on the Google Maps app, and they’ll bring your order right out for a seamless, fast, no-contact pickup.

All of these updates are possible thanks to AI advancements that have transformed Google Maps into a map that can reflect the millions of changes made around the world every day — in the biggest cities andthe smallest towns. Whether you’re getting around, exploring an area, or knocking out errands, let Google Maps help you find your way.

Posted by Dane Glasgow, VP of Product, Google Maps

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Redéfinir la cartographie grâce à de nouvelles informations et à l’intelligence artificielle
Publié par Dane Glasgow, VP of Product, Google Maps

Avec Live View, laissez-vous guider à l’intérieur d’un bâtiment
Qui ne s’est jamais perdu à l’intérieur d’un bâtiment ? C’est précisément pour éviter ce genre d’embarras que Live View utilise la réalité augmentée. Live View repose sur une technologie que nous appelons localisation globale, qui a recours à l’IA pour analyser des milliards d’images Street View et ainsi comprendre votre orientation. Grâce à de nouvelles avancées qui nous aident à calculer l’altitude exacte et le placement des objets à l’intérieur d’un bâtiment, nous pouvons désormais proposer Live View dans les endroits où l’on se perd le plus souvent : les stations de transports en commun, les centres commerciaux et les aéroports.
Vous avez un avion ou un train à prendre ? Live View vous aide à localiser l’ascenseur ou l’escalier roulant le plus proche, ainsi que votre porte d’embarquement, votre quai, la zone de récupération des bagages, les comptoirs d’enregistrement, les guichets, les salles d’attente, les distributeurs de billets, etc. Il vous suffit de suivre les flèches et les indications de guidage. Vous avez un achat à faire dans un centre commercial ? Utilisez Live View pour localiser l’étage où se trouve la boutique et pour vous guider à bon port, vous faisant gagner ainsi un temps précieux. Indoor Live View est déjà disponible sous Android et iOS dans certains centres commerciaux aux États-Unis (Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose et Seattle). Dans les prochains mois, elle s’étendra à certains aéroports, centres commerciaux et stations de transports à Tokyo et Zurich. D’autres villes suivront.

Prévoyez vos sorties en tenant compte de la météo et de la qualité de l’air
Avec le nouveau calque Météo, vous pouvez consulter rapidement la météo et la température actuelles d’une zone, ainsi que les prévisions. En cas de risques de pluie, plus question d’oublier votre parapluie. Et grâce au nouveau calque Qualité de l’air, vous saurez désormais si l’air que vous respirez est sain (ou pas), ce qui vous sera particulièrement utile si vous souffrez d’allergies ou que vous vous trouvez dans une zone sensible à la pollution atmosphérique ou aux incendies. Ces calques sont alimentés par les données que nous transmettent nos partenaires tels que The Weather Company, AirNow.gov et le Central Pollution Control Board. Ils seront disponibles sous Android et iOS dans les prochains mois. Le calque Météo sera déployé dans le monde entier. Le calque Qualité de l’air, quant à lui, sera dans un premier temps introduit en Australie, aux États-Unis et en Inde, avant d’être étendu à d’autres pays.

Déplacez-vous de façon plus écologique
Grâce aux données que nous fournit le laboratoire américain National Renewable Energy Lab, nous développons actuellement un nouveau modèle d’itinéraire qui permet d’optimiser la consommation de carburant en fonction de facteurs tels que le degré de pente d’une route ou les ralentissements dus aux embouteillages. Cette innovation s’inscrit dans le cadre des engagements que nous avons pris en septembre dernier pour permettre à un milliard de personnes qui utilisent nos produits, d’agir de manière concrète pour réduire leur empreinte carbone. Prochainement, Google Maps proposera donc par défaut l’itinéraire le moins émetteur de CO2 lorsque cet itinéraire donne sensiblement la même heure d’arrivée que l’itinéraire le plus rapide. Si l’itinéraire plus écologique risque d’augmenter le temps de trajet de façon notable, vous aurez la possibilité de comparer l’impact carbone relatif des deux itinéraires avant de faire votre choix. Et si vous souhaitez privilégier l’itinéraire le plus rapide en toutes circonstances, pas de problème : il vous suffit de définir vos préférences dans les paramètres. Les itinéraires plus écologiques commenceront à être proposés aux États-Unis dans le courant de l’année, avec à terme une couverture mondiale.

D’Amsterdam à Jakarta, de nombreuses villes dans le monde ont établi des zones à faibles émissions, qui restreignent l’accès à certains véhicules polluants (voitures fonctionnant au diesel, véhicules avec certaines couleurs de vignette Crit'Air...) pour maintenir la qualité de l’air. Pour soutenir ces initiatives, nous avons développé de nouvelles alertes qui vont permettre aux conducteurs de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement de ces zones régulées. Ils sauront ainsi rapidement si leur véhicule est autorisé dans une zone spécifique, et, en cas de besoin, pourront se replier sur un autre mode de transport ou un autre itinéraire. Les alertes Zones à faibles émissions seront disponibles dès le mois de juin, sous Android et iOS, en France, en Allemagne, aux Pays-Bas et au Royaume-Uni. D’autres pays suivront par la suite.

Toutefois, nous sommes bien conscients que les modes de déplacement ne se limitent pas à la conduite en voiture. C’est pourquoi nous lançons une nouvelle interface de guidage qui permet de choisir facilement un mode de transport plus écologique lorsque vous vous déplacez. Bientôt, vous bénéficierez d’une vue complète sur tous les itinéraires et modes de transport possibles pour vous rendre à destination. Vous pourrez comparer les durées de trajet en voiture, en transports en commun et à vélo sans avoir à jongler entre différents onglets. Grâce à ses modèles de machine learning avancés, Maps vous présentera en priorité vos modes de transport préférés, et pourra même mettre en avant les modes de transport les plus plébiscités dans votre ville. Par exemple, si vous êtes un cycliste convaincu, nous vous présenterons davantage d’itinéraires à vélo. Si vous vivez dans une ville comme Paris, New York, Londres, ou Buenos Aires, où les gens privilégient souvent le métro, nous donnerons plus de visibilité à ce mode de transport pour vous permettre d’accéder rapidement à l’itinéraire. Ce nouveau mode de fonctionnement sera déployé partout dans le monde dans les prochains mois, sous Android et iOS.

Toutes ces nouveautés n’auraient pas pu voir le jour sans les progrès techniques de l'IA, grâce auxquels une simple carte peut aujourd’hui refléter les millions de changements qui se produisent quotidiennement dans le monde, dans les grandes villes comme dans les plus petits villages. Aujourd’hui, Google Maps vous accompagne et vous guide dans tous vos déplacements, que vous soyez en voyage ou simplement en train de faire vos courses.

Announcing new Google Career Certificates to help Africans learn new skills for digital jobs

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Africa’s growing technology ecosystem offers opportunities to create digital solutions that make traditional ways of working more productive, while enabling the creation of new income streams and job opportunities. However, employers across the continent state that many job seekers do not possess the requisite digital skills, limiting employability prospects and business growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has also driven home the importance of digital tools and skills. In its wake, the most successful businesses were those whose operating model and employees could easily navigate the crisis and transition to digital service delivery.

As a company, we are committed to being helpful contributors to Africa’s growth. We aim to equip people with the right skills, tools and products to navigate the digital world and to make it work for them. We are committed to helping job seekers gain relevant skills and advance their careers. In 2017, we committed to prepare 10 million people for jobs of the future over five years. So far, we have trained +5M people in Digital Skills through our Grow with Google programs. With lockdowns and jobs at risk because of COVID-19, we saw year-on-year demand for our training increase by 185%.

Today, we are announcing three new Google Career Certificates available online on Coursera, which enable people to become job-ready for growing career areas such as IT Support, Project Management, UX Design and Data Analytics. These low-cost programs help people who want to learn online at their own pace, or who may want to change careers and don't have the time or means to access traditional education. They can be completed in under six months and do not require relevant experience or a degree.

These certificates are entirely developed by Google but bring no revenue or profit for Google. They are product agnostic and are designed to help people prepare for jobs at any company or sector. We will be distributing 5,500 scholarships in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa this year.

In November 2020, Google.org invested $750,000 in grant funding to Junior Achievement Africa and the International Youth Foundation to provide 2,500 vulnerable learners with Career Certificate scholarships along with wrap-around support at every step of the learning journey, including: career advice, interview preparation, and peer-to-peer networks.

This year, we are working with distribution partners with strong workforce development programs to reach 3,000 additional learners with scholarships.

Kenya

Nigeria

South Africa

We believe these certificates will help close the growing skills gap in order to fully reap the benefits of Africa’s rapidly-expanding workforce. We urge governments and companies to join us in exploring new ways to remove barriers to learning and investing in innovative partnerships. We hope that with these new efforts even more people can develop the skills they need to thrive and improve their careers through technology.

Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head, Brand & Reputation, Sub Saharan Africa

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A call for a better future for women and girls in Africa

Monday, March 8, 2021

Over the past year, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have posed major setbacks to hard-won social and economic gains for women around the world. Women in Africa are by no means exempt from the harsh aftershocks of the pandemic. In Kenya for example, 60% of recorded job losses since the beginning of the pandemic are accounted to women. 90% of working women in Africa are engaged in the informal sector which has been badly hit by reductions in social interaction, with approximately 81% lost in income in Sub-Saharan Africa. Reliance on the informal sector also limits women’s access to social safety nets like health insurance and unemployment benefits.

These alarming realities require swift and powerful action. We have a collective responsibility to make sure that generations of women and girls from all walks of life can live in a world where they are treated equally and reach their full potential.

This is why we are excited to launch our global Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls. We’re calling on ideas from nonprofits and social organizations around the world that are working to advance the economic empowerment of women and girls and create pathways to prosperity. Google.org will provide $25 million in overall funding and Impact Challenge grantees will receive mentoring from Googlers, Ad Grants and additional support to bring their ideas to life.

We are honored to stand alongside our partners from Vital Voices and Project Everyone, as well as our phenomenal panel of experts, to elevate the critical work that is happening around the world. Our panel is composed of women leaders from more than 15 countries across the world with a deep expertise in global public policy, advocacy, research, business, technology and more and includes the following from Africa - Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women; Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the presidency on Nigeria on SDGs; Graça Machel, Founder, Graça Machel Trust, and Juliana Rotich, Kenyan information technology entrepreneur. They will help guide us as we select the ideas with the greatest potential for impact.

Over the years, we have invested in a variety of programs to support women across all stages of life - from students, to jobseekers and entrepreneurs. Whether it is the 2.4M women trained in digital skills, 20 Women Will communities impacting 20,000 women through events and networking opportunities in countries like SA, NG, UG, KE & GH, or 142 ambassadors in 118 Women Techmakers chapters who drive diversity and inclusion in tech, we are committed to empowering women in leadership, digital literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship. We have also redesigned the women-owned attribute on Google My Business to make it more inclusive and we have made it searchable in all English speaking regions.

Through the $20M commitment made by our CEO, Sundar Pichai, in 2017, our philanthropic arm, Google.org, has prioritised funding to nonprofit organizations that support gender equity and access to opportunity for women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have worked with grantees, such as the Codex, Solar Sister, W.Tec, GiveDirectly Kenya and SHOFCO, that are dedicated to the same cause. Learnings from this work show the need for more tailored learning solutions for women, creation of mentorship programs targeting women and acceleration of women-led networks.

Equity is at the core of what we do at Google, be it our products or programs. This new Impact Challenge will build on that work.

If you’re working on an innovative project that supports women and girls, or have a bold idea that will transform economic opportunities for women and girls, then check out g.co/womenandgirlschallenge to apply and learn more about the Challenge. Organizations have until Friday, April 9 to submit ideas, and grant recipients will be announced later this year.

& Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Head of B&R Sub Saharan Africa

South Africa is an explorer’s paradise

Monday, March 1, 2021

For us at South African Tourism, today marks the start of formalising a relationship and partnership with Google that will play a crucial part in the sector’s recovery. We know that digitally-led is the norm and through our partnership we hope to equip the sector with the necessary skills to thrive and adapt in a digital environment.

Nelson Mandela once described South Africa as the most beautiful place on earth, with its breathtaking scenery, wildlife safaris, active adventures, vibrant culture and friendly people. I’m thrilled to announce that, starting today, you can explore what makes the country so spectacular through our new online exhibition -- South Africa: an explorer’s paradise. Through over 500 high-resolution photographs and videos, 20 expertly-curated stories and 60 Street Views, you can join a safari to meet lions and elephants, or feel the rhythm of the cities and visit ancient geological sites. Step inside the oldest caves in the world and zoom into vast savannas, lush forests and sparkling oceans.

Here are four places to start:

Caption: A lioness photographed on a night drive at the Kruger National Park, from the collection of South African Tourism

1. Meet the Big Five in the South African bush
South Africa is famous for its awe-inspiring safaris, which allow visitors to experience the raw wonder of nature. Part of what makes the experience so special is the opportunity to see the Big Five: lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos and elephants. Get to know these remarkable animals through exhibitions like Superstars of the South African Bush, or explore breathtaking views of the South African bushveld in Game Drives: A South African Experience.

Caption: Aerial view of Hole in the Wall in the Eastern Cape, from the collection of South African Tourism

2. Explore the country’s hidden gems
Do you know the myth of Hole in the Wall, about a young woman who falls in love with a sea deity? Or that Table Mountain is home to species that can’t be found anywhere else on earth, like the Table Mountain Ghost Frog? Get to know some of our country’s best kept secrets.

Caption: White River Rafting in Free State, South Africa, from the collection of South African Tourism

3. Take a virtual active adventure
If you’re the outdoorsy sort, South Africa has a lot to offer, from multi-day hikes and panoramic mountain views to rock climbing and rafting down roaring waters. Be sure to Head over to the Place of Great Noise where the raging waters of the Augrabies Falls meet the Orange River, South Africa’s longest river.

Caption: View of the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga, from the collection of the South African Tourism Board

4. Travel to 55 locations with Google Street View
Use Street View to explore South Africa’s most breathtakingly beautiful sites: Visit Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain; experience the rocky plains of the Cederberg, where you can view the five-meter-high Maltese Cross; or amble through the lush Big Forest Tree Walk, taking in the ancient foliage around you.
Curious to see more? Check out g.co/sharesouthafrica or download the Google Arts & Culture app.

Posted by Sisa Ntshona, Chief Executive Officer, South African Tourism

Africa Blog

How fact checkers and Google.org are fighting misinformation.

Redefining what a map can be with new information and AI

Announcing new Google Career Certificates to help Africans learn new skills for digital jobs

A call for a better future for women and girls in Africa

South Africa is an explorer’s paradise

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