Daily Maverick

In this Daily Maverick Power Chat, senior journalist Rebecca Davis and Business Maverick managing editor Lindsey Schutters debate the risks of artificial intelligence. Davis argues that recent reported incidents, including AI agents hacking systems, altering their own reasoning records and acting beyond their instructions, point to genuine safety concerns. Schutters explains that much of the existential fear reflects marketing by AI companies seeking investment ahead of stock market listings, and that responsibility lies with the people who build the models. The discussion covers AI safety, autonomous agents, military applications, AGI and the future of white-collar work. This episode of Power Chat is brought to you by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, an organisation dedicated to strengthening democracy and human rights across the world, and creating new momentum for liberalism. Hosted by: Rebecca Davis and Lindsey Schutters Edited by: Joel Seboa Produced by: Emilie Gambade & Joel Seboa Original Theme Music & Design by: Bernard Kotze You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify! Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over thirteen months, Cape Town’s Municipal Planning Tribunal ruled on 1,328 land-use and development cases. Not one was recorded as an explicit departure from city planners’ recommendations. The pattern surfaced in a fight over two data centres proposed near Cape Town International Airport, where objectors warned of a 174-megawatt draw on the grid and 4.4 billion litres of water a year, in communities that already struggle to pay municipal bills. Daily Maverick’s Kevin Bloom’s reporting explains what the numbers show, how the city defends them, why the city says the tribunal occasionally disagrees, and why the tribunal’s required independence - set out in national law - is now in question.Reporting by: Kevin Bloom Filmed by: Joel Seboa Edited by: Anda Tolibadi Produced by: Emilie Gambade Creative input by: Malibongwe Tyilo Sub-edited by: Ian WolstenholmeFor Daily Maverick’s full report on this issue, please see the link here. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/artic...  https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/artic...   Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Swimming South Africa withheld prize money owed to Tatjana Smith for over a year after her historic gold and silver medals at the 2023 World Championships, and allegedly failed to pay interest accrued during that delay. The federation has now agreed to pay the outstanding interest in full, following a letter of demand from Smith's attorney. The dispute has also drawn scrutiny to the federation's kit sponsorship rules and its handling of an information request over its contract with swimwear brand Arena. Daily Maverick's sports journalist Annemieke Thomaidis reports. Reporting by: Annemieke Thomaidis Filmed by: Malibongwe Tyilo Edited by: Joel Seboa Produced by: Emilie Gambade  Creative input by: Malibongwe Tyilo Sub-edited by: Kevin Flynn   Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa boss Lucky Montana, along with his alleged corruptors and their enablers, could be facing charges for their alleged crimes. Daily Maverick’s investigative journalist for Scorpio Pieter-Louis Myburgh explains.  RIGHT OF REPLY Wagner strongly denied any impropriety. He remained adamant that Midtownbrace had made a legitimate investment in Montana’s townhouse development: “I deny any insinuation and/or allegation that Midtownbrace is part of alleged corruption and money laundering or that any TMM dealings was done via Midtownbrace,” stated Wagner. Siyangena Technologies said it noted from the SIU’s court papers that no relief is being sought against the company. “As the matter is sub judice it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further,” the company stated. Lucky Montana did not respond to requests for comment. Van der Walt reportedly moved to Texas in the United States around the time of the Zondo Commission and could not be reached for comment. Reporting by: Pieter-Louis Myburgh Filmed by: Joel Seboa Edited by: Malibongwe Tyilo Produced by: Emilie Gambade  Sub-edited by: Kevin Flynn Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick  Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/  Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/  Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daily Maverick’s Tamsin Metelerkamp visited Sassa offices across five provinces to look at the agency’s intensified grant review process, launched to detect fraud. The investigation found overburdened, understaffed offices, frequent system outages, and lawful beneficiaries facing suspended payments and repeated office visits to resolve them. Reporting by: Tamsin Metelerkamp Filmed by: Joel Seboa Edited by: Anda Tolibadi Produced by: Emilie Gambade  Creative input by: Malibongwe Tyilo Sub-edited by: Ian Wolstenholme Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick  Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/  Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/   Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverickSubscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.