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Facebook Chooses Finalists of its Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge

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Facebook has selected 60 finalists from the hundreds of entries it received from across the Middle East and Africa for the Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge. The Bots for Messenger Challenge is a contest to recognise and reward developers who create the most innovative new bots on Messenger.

Developers, in teams of up to three people, were invited to create bots in three categories: gaming and entertainment; productivity and utility; and social good. The 60 finalist teams (10 per category in Middle East/North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa) each won a Gear VR and mobile phone, one hour of Facebook mentorship, and tools and services from FbStart, a Facebook program designed to help early stage mobile start-ups build and grow their bots.

All student teams who made it to the finals won an additional $2,000Facebook will contact the finalists and connect them with a mentor. They will need to resubmit their bots before midnight (GMT) on June 2 to qualify to win.  For each region, three runner-up teams (one from each category) will win $10,000 and three months of Facebook mentorship. For each region, three winning teams (one from each category) will win $20,000 and three months of Facebook mentorship. The 60 finalist teams and their bots can be viewed here: https://messengerchallenge.splashthat.com

Says Emeka Afigbo, Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa: “Facebook grew out of a hacker culture and thrives by promoting innovation on new platforms. That’s why we launched the Bots for Messenger Challenge, with the aim of rewarding entrepreneurs and developers for harnessing the power of bots to create amazing new services and apps.

“We were overwhelmed to receive more than 1,000 entries over two and a half months for the Bots for Messenger Challenge from developers and entrepreneurs across the Middle East and Africa—each one of them solving a problem in an inventive way or enriching the lives of its target user.”

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AppGallery Gamers Cup Returns to Iraq

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The much-anticipated AppGallery Gamers Cup (AGC) returned to Iraq with the AGC-Yalla Ludo Friendly Cup on March 21, bringing together the wider gaming community. The event was organized in collaboration with Jetour Iraq and its exclusive distributor, Harlem for Commercial Agencies, a subsidiary of Harlem Group. This year’s tournament witnessed 64 players, carefully selected from a record-breaking 38,000 online registrations, compete in intense, back-to-back matches for a share of the $6,000 prize pool.

The tournament, featuring the popular Yalla Ludo game, highlights the increasing demand for competitive gaming experiences across the Middle East. It further strengthens HUAWEI AppGallery’s commitment to supporting the region’s thriving gaming ecosystem and fostering esports growth.

William Hu, Managing Director, Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa Eco-Development and Operation, added, “We are very proud of the success of the AGC – Yalla Ludo Friendly Cup. This event is part of our ongoing commitment to fostering esports in the region and connecting with passionate gaming communities. We are honored to collaborate with Yalla Ludo and Jetour, further strengthening our dedication to creating exciting opportunities for players and fans alike. This is just the beginning of many more initiatives to come, and we look forward to seeing the continued growth of esports in Iraq and beyond.”

Mohamed Majeed, Harlem Group Representative, also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with Huawei at such a prestigious event. He highlighted Harlem Group’s commitment to innovation and support for digital advancements in Iraq. “Harlem Group has always been at the forefront of fostering technological progress in Iraq. We are proud to sponsor this event through Jetour Iraq,” he said.

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Astra Tech Unveils Botim AI

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Astra Tech announced the integration of Botim AI into its Botim Ultra App, bringing advanced AI capabilities to the platform and enhancing accessibility for over 150 million global users. This makes Botim the first fintech in the region to introduce this innovation. Botim AI is a chat assistant designed to elevate user engagement and interaction, offering free, seamless access to cutting-edge features directly within the Ultra App. Users will benefit from intelligent, AI-driven conversations and assistance across various areas, including productivity, education, research, and everyday problem-solving.

H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Board Member and CEO of Astra Tech, commented: “The launch of Botim AI marks a significant milestone in our journey to revolutionize digital communication in the MENA region. By integrating advanced AI capabilities, we are enhancing user experiences and setting new standards for intelligent, seamless interactions. This innovation underscores our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to meet the evolving needs of our users, while advancing our mission to deliver more inclusive solutions that empower individuals from all demographics and enable frictionless engagement with our solutions.”

The AI currently supports chat-based interactions, with enhancements such as web search capabilities and action-based integration planned for future phases. As part of its strategic evolution, Botim is advancing toward the deployment of executional AI, enabling users to complete tasks in their native language with ease. This innovation meets the growing demand for inclusive AI solutions that ensure seamless, accessible interactions, empowering individuals from all backgrounds to engage effortlessly with the Ultra App.

Botim AI represents a significant step forward in the evolution of communication apps in the MENA region, offering users a smarter, more interactive way to connect and engage. Easily accessible from the landing page, Explore, and Search sections of the app, Botim AI allows current users to simply update to the latest version to access these new features directly on the landing page. Additionally, users can securely save chat history for future reference and have the option to delete past conversations for privacy and control.

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Google’s Latest AI Model Enables Watermark Removal from Images

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A potentially controversial application of Google’s new Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model has emerged: users are leveraging it to remove watermarks from images, including those from stock photo sites such as Getty Images.

The recently expanded image generation feature of Gemini 2.0 Flash allows for native image generation and editing, a powerful tool that seemingly lacks robust usage restrictions. Social media users have highlighted how the AI can not only remove watermarks but also intelligently fill in the resulting gaps, often with impressive accuracy, and it’s currently free within Google’s AI Studio developer tools.

While labeled “experimental” and “not for production use,” Gemini 2.0 Flash’s ability to bypass watermarks stands in contrast to models like Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, which explicitly prohibit such actions, citing ethical and legal concerns.

It’s important to note that Gemini 2.0 Flash isn’t foolproof; it can struggle with semi-transparent or heavily overlaid watermarks. Nevertheless, the ease with which it can remove watermarks raises potential copyright issues, as removing a watermark without the copyright holder’s permission is generally illegal in many countries. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges of balancing powerful AI capabilities with copyright protection.

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