THE RUNDOWN

Monday.com confirmed job cuts this week, joining a long and growing list of tech companies — including household names — that have blamed AI tools for reducing their need for human workers. The cuts aren't random; they're concentrated in roles where AI can handle repetitive tasks cheaply and at scale. What makes this moment different is how openly executives are now saying the quiet part loud.

Why it matters for Ghana: As more African graduates enter the global tech job market — especially in customer service, data entry, and content roles — this wave of AI-driven cuts narrows the entry-level pipeline that many have relied on for remote work income. It's worth thinking about which skills still hold value in this environment.

Google's VP of Devices and Services, Shakil Barkat, all but admitted in an interview with 9to5Google that the Pixel 11 will carry a higher price tag than its predecessor. He didn't name a figure, but the framing — pointing to component costs and global supply pressures — was pretty unambiguous. This follows a broader industry trend where flagship phones are quietly creeping past the psychological $1,000 barrier.

Why it matters for Ghana: Premium Android phones are already aspirational purchases for most Ghanaian consumers. A Pixel 11 price hike, combined with what's coming from Qualcomm (see below), could push quality smartphones even further out of reach for the average buyer.

Qualcomm, which makes the processors inside a huge slice of the world's Android phones, is reportedly planning to raise its prices before the end of summer. That cost doesn't stay with Qualcomm — it gets passed along to phone makers, and eventually to you. Expect mid-range and flagship Android devices to quietly get more expensive in the coming months.

Why it matters for Ghana: Most Android phones sold across West Africa run on Qualcomm chips. A price increase here ripples all the way down to the handsets on display at Accra Mall and Melcom — it's not an abstract American supply chain story.

The European Union has concluded that TikTok still hasn't done enough to protect minors on its platform, and the consequences could be severe — up to six percent of the company's global annual revenue. Regulators pointed to algorithmic recommendations and insufficient age verification as key failures. TikTok has been fighting EU scrutiny for years, but this round looks serious.

Why it matters for Ghana: Ghana's own child online safety conversations are still early-stage, but the EU's aggressive stance is setting a template that African regulators will likely study and eventually adapt.

Separately, European social media researchers say TikTok, X, and Meta are refusing to hand over data they're legally required to provide under EU law. The researchers need this data to study misinformation, algorithmic amplification, and platform health — and the platforms are dragging their feet. It's a reminder that even where strong digital laws exist, enforcement is a whole other fight.

A long read doing the rounds this week profiles one of the most extraordinary hackers in recent memory: a hacktivist who successfully breached two controversial government spyware makers — exposing their internal files, client lists, and dirty secrets — and has never been identified or caught. The scale and precision of the attacks suggest serious technical skill, and the anonymity has held for years. It's a genuinely fascinating story about accountability, surveillance, and who gets to expose the people doing the watching.

Why it matters for Ghana: Spyware sold by firms like these has been used across Africa to target journalists and opposition figures. The exposure of client data from these companies has, in several cases, revealed African governments among the buyers. This is a security story with direct continental stakes.

Prediction market platform Kalshi is demanding Netflix pull the trailer for a documentary called 'Prediction Games', claiming it contains fabricated documents and defamatory claims. It's an unusual legal move — suing to suppress a documentary before it's even out — and it puts a spotlight on the prediction market industry at a time when it's attracting serious money and serious scrutiny.

After a mostly successful 13th Starship test flight, SpaceX is now eyeing another tower catch attempt for the next launch. The mechazilla arm system — which catches the booster mid-air rather than landing it conventionally — has become a signature SpaceX flex, and each successful iteration brings reusable heavy-lift rockets closer to routine reality. The ambition here is still breathtaking, whatever you think of the man behind the company.

Across the United States, public libraries are hosting workshops on how to opt out of AI systems, avoid data collection, and use technology on your own terms. The demand has reportedly been unlike anything librarians have seen before — packed rooms, waiting lists, people genuinely fed up with feeling like products. It's a quietly radical form of digital literacy that's finding an unexpected home in public institutions.

Why it matters for Ghana: Ghana's public library infrastructure is under-resourced, but the underlying hunger here — people wanting to understand and control their own digital lives — is universal. Community tech educators and youth organisations here could take a cue from this model.

It's a week that's making clear: the AI story isn't just about chatbots and productivity hacks anymore — it's about jobs, prices, safety, and who actually controls the tools shaping our lives. Stay sharp out there.