The program, launched on August 29, 2025, in Ruhuha Sector, builds on an approach first piloted in Kigali in 2020. Drones will be deployed to spray insecticides in rice paddies and swampy areas, which are key mosquito breeding sites.
Bugesera ranks third in malaria cases nationally, with 6,386 recorded recently, after Gasabo and Kicukiro districts. Nationwide, more than 90,000 malaria cases were reported in July 2025 alone, and RBC data shows 657,365 cases between 2024 and February 2025.
Residents say they expect drones to help where traditional measures have fallen short.
“Malaria had weakened us greatly since we live near swamps where mosquitoes breed. We believe this new method will help us because it complements existing prevention measures,” said Innocent Harerimana, a Ruhuha resident.
Bugesera Mayor Richard Mutabazi noted that while prevention methods such as indoor spraying have been in place, drones will directly target mosquito breeding grounds.
“The difference is that instead of only killing mosquitoes in houses, we can now act earlier by spraying swamps where they originate,” he said.
Dr. Emmanuel Hakizimana, the Director of Vector Control at RBC, described the initiative as a milestone in long-standing efforts to curb malaria in Ruhuha.
He explained that drones can reach areas previously inaccessible to field sprayers, enabling more effective coverage in both rainy and dry seasons.
Paul Kamali Karenzi, head of the malaria control program at Charis UAS, said the project will be implemented in four sectors of Bugesera District.
“This malaria control project will be carried out in four sectors of Bugesera, starting in Ruhuha, where we will spray more than 93 hectares of rice-growing swamps,” he said.
He added that drones will address many challenges, especially reaching areas inaccessible to people, and will also save time. What would normally take a person an entire day to spray can now be done by a drone in just ten minutes.
According to RBC, from 2024 to February 2025, Rwanda recorded 657,365 malaria cases nationwide.
By tailoring education to each child’s passions, whether it’s art or science, SkillSeed promises to unlock a future where kids don’t just learn, but thrive.
The platform uses artificial intelligence to create unique learning profiles, drawing on data from interactive assessments, engagement with videos and books, and feedback from mentors.
“Based on the data that has been collected, when the child answers questions in the assessment, we get to know what they are interested in, and we now give them the content that aligns with what they like,” says Juliet Kelechi, Wekraft’s Chief Technology Officer.
“We have modals that they interact with as well, and they can create things on their own depending on what their interest is.”
The platform offers gamified challenges, like puzzles and creative tasks, that make learning fun and hands-on. Parents receive detailed progress reports, with stars and badges marking their child’s growth.
“It’s not as serious as I make it sound; it’s more game-like,” Kelechi adds. “A six-year-old watches cartoons, of course, so we use those kinds of avatars to portray, so it’s fun and colourful.”
For co-founder and Chief Operations Officer (COO) Agnes Wambui, SkillSeed’s mission, which started in 2023, is deeply personal. Growing up, she excelled at debating on a national level but felt demoralised by a system that valued grades above all else.
“I felt that I would never amount to anything because I was not really good academically, but I never got much support for these other passions that I had,” Wambui recalls.
“We started Wekraft to show parents there are more levels and more measures of intelligence.”
SkillSeed complements the traditional education system, recognising what Wambui calls “up to nine types of intelligence.” The platform is aimed at nurturing diverse talents like art or debate, even helping kids build digital portfolios to showcase their work globally.
“You have a kid who can draw really well. Why don’t you have a portfolio for them that they can showcase to the rest of the world?” Wambui asks, noting opportunities like international exchange programs that such exposure can unlock.
Wekraft’s journey began with in-person workshops, where kids engaged in hands-on activities to spark their curiosity.
“We started with the in-person program where we were going to schools and having physical activities with the kids,” says Staphord Nkumbuye, Wekraft’s CEO.
The team soon realised the need for a broader reach, leading to the creation of a learning toolkit kids could take home.
“Kids wanted to take some of these activities home… learning continues even after school,” Nkumbuye explains. This toolkit laid the groundwork for SkillSeed’s digital platform, scaling its impact to reach more children with personalised, AI-driven experiences.
The platform’s practical impact resonates with students like Stalon Mbanda, who recently finished high school. Using SkillSeed’s toolkit, he created a vivid illustration of a kidney’s structure.
“It helped me bring out the vivid description of what I had in my mind,” he says, noting how the toolkit bridged theory and practice in his pursuit to become a doctor.
Commenting on the current platform, he noted, “Such programs help me to envision how I would be so that more of my knowledge is no longer theoretical but also practical.”
Beyond academics, SkillSeed connects kids with professionals through virtual mentorships and career excursions, exposing them to fields from science to creative arts.
“The goal is to expose kids to as many careers as possible, including the ones which are not here in Rwanda, because the world is an oyster,” Wambui says.
Recognising the digital divide in developing countries like Rwanda, the platform offers offline content for rural areas through partnerships with schools and community centres.
“We are using a hybrid approach to help children in rural areas access the platform,” Kelechi explains.
Wekraft also runs a donation program, where a portion of each subscription, starting at 15,000 Rwandan francs per month, subsidises access for those who can’t afford it.
The company is calling on organisations to donate refurbished computers to equip underserved schools.
For Wekraft’s CEO, SkillSeed is about shaping a generation. “We’re trying to tell parents we are in an era where passion and love for what you do take you further than following someone else’s path,” Nkumbuye says.
The journey to build SkillSeed wasn’t easy. But with support from Jasiri, a program empowering high-impact startups in Rwanda and the region, Wekraft found the wings to lift their idea.
“I never believed someone could help me when I just have an idea. Jasiri provided the best coaches in Africa, office spaces, and funding that made it easier to create something really wonderful,” Nkumbuye remembers those early days.
“Entrepreneurship can be brutal, but I was having fun because I loved it,” he adds.
According to Wekraft’s CEO, SkillSeed has enrolled over 600 students and earned crucial backing from Rwanda’s Ministry of Education.
“We even have the backing from the Rwandan government through the Ministry of Education,” he says, adding that the startup’s journey has been shaped by guidance from experts in early childhood education.
In a recommendation seen by IGIHE, the Ministry of Education states that Wekraft, through the SkillSeed platform, significantly advances inclusive, skills-based education, preparing youth for the future of work.
“Their learner-centred approach equips young people with essential 21st-century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, digital literacy, and problem-solving.
“Their pilot programs have engaged hundreds of learners, demonstrating a commitment to community development through collaboration with schools, educators, and local artisans. The SkillSeed platform also aligns with global frameworks, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for quality education and decent work.”
Sarah Mukundwa, an educationist and parent, sees platforms like SkillSeed as a game-changer in shaping the next generation of experts across diverse fields.
“My son is 10. He likes football so much. He told me, ‘Mommy, I can be a footballer and a doctor.’ This platform tests his skills, so he can know what he can excel in. It will help kids do what they love, not just what they’re told by their parents,” she says.
Wekraft plans to expand the program to the United Arab Emirates and Kenya in the near future as it gains momentum.
For parents and guardians, the platform is accessible at: [https://parents.wekraft.co/->https://parents.wekraft.co/]
Watch the video to discover more about the platform.
As part of this initiative, RURA has engaged lecturers, researchers, university administrators, and students—especially those involved in technology, telecommunications, and broadcasting—to contribute ideas for the law’s revision.
The discussions took place on August 22, 2025, at the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology, and were attended by senior officials from telecom companies and internet service providers.
RURA’s Director General, Evariste Rugigana, stated that universities should play a visible role in decisions across different sectors through research or input on desired directions, which is why they were brought together.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda, Dr. Didas Muganga, emphasised the importance of giving universities the opportunity to participate in development-focused decision-making, noting that they house experts in various fields. He also highlighted that universities conduct research aimed at societal transformation, and giving them a platform in certain changes provides a valuable contribution.
Charles Gahungu, General Manager of ICT Regulation at RURA, told IGIHE that the law governing service quality standards is currently under revision.
“We are bringing all relevant stakeholders together to determine how these regulations should be designed so they are fair for everyone—both service providers and users,” he said.
“That’s why we convened here at the University of Rwanda. We brought RURA, universities, and service providers together to share ideas—researchers give their input and hear the challenges faced by service providers, and providers also hear these ideas. We then combine them to benefit citizens.”
He noted that the revisions will consider new technologies such as 5G and 4G, which were not adequately addressed in the existing law.
“New technologies have emerged that the old laws did not cover. For example, 5G is now being deployed in Kigali, but its services did not previously have clear regulations regarding standards. There is also VoLTE technology, which allows calls over 4G internet and was launched last year by Airtel. Our old laws did not cover these new services, and as technology evolves, so do the standards.”
On challenges faced by investors that the revised law could address, Gahungu noted that older standards like 2G and 3G remain expensive to maintain because they require additional equipment, while technology continues to advance and older services gradually exit the market.
“At RURA, we look at both sides: ensuring citizens can continue to access services without disruption or poor quality, while also implementing measures that encourage users to transition to modern technologies,” he said.
MTN Rwanda’s CEO, Ali Monzer, said the company is committed to providing quality services but investment should prioritise advanced technologies such as 4G and 5G rather than 2G and 3G, which could limit progress.
“Providing quality services is essential, but it must align with our long-term vision. If we continue to focus heavily on maintaining 2G and 3G networks, it will reduce our capacity to accelerate investment in 4G and 5G,” he said, adding: “Allow us to align quality service delivery with investment.”
Airtel Rwanda’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez, echoed this view, noting that investing heavily in 2G and 3G is increasingly costly and inefficient, as these networks may soon become obsolete.
CanalBox CEO, Aimé Abizera, praised the ongoing progress, emphasising the importance of contributing to initiatives that improve internet use and transform the lives of Rwandans.
The company says the new system significantly reduces common AI pitfalls such as hallucinations, inconsistent instruction-following, and sycophancy, where models agree with users uncritically rather than providing fact-based responses.
GPT-5 is built as a unified system that can decide when to respond quickly and when to “think” for complex problems. A real-time router evaluates the complexity of each prompt, the tools required, and user intent—for example, when someone explicitly asks it to “think hard” about a question.
“Once usage limits are reached, a mini version of each model will handle the remaining queries,” OpenAI said in a blog post on Thursday, August 7, 2025, adding that it eventually plans to incorporate these capabilities into a single, integrated model.
The upgrade boosts performance in three of ChatGPT’s most popular uses: writing, coding, and health.
For developers, OpenAI says GPT-5 delivers its strongest coding abilities yet, capable of handling complex front-end projects, debugging large repositories, and producing more refined designs in layout, typography, and white space. The company highlights its ability to generate fully functional, visually polished websites, apps, and games from a single prompt.
A key focus of GPT-5 is minimising sycophancy, ensuring the model delivers independent, evidence-based answers rather than mirroring user beliefs. Combined with reduced hallucinations, OpenAI says this makes the system more trustworthy and useful for factual, high-stakes queries.
GPT-5 is available now to all ChatGPT users, with Plus subscribers getting higher usage limits and Pro subscribers gaining access to GPT-5 Pro, a variant with extended reasoning capabilities for more complex and detailed queries.
{{How GPT-5 compares with its rivals
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The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the AI sector. Google’s Gemini Ultra and Meta’s LLaMA 3 have made significant gains, forcing OpenAI to push performance forward to maintain its edge.
Against Gemini Ultra, GPT-5 is competitive on reasoning and coding but still faces a rival strong in real-time web access, multimedia handling, and deep integration with Google’s ecosystem.
Against LLaMA 3, GPT-5 offers far larger context windows (up to one million tokens versus around 32,000) and better out-of-the-box performance, while Meta’s open-source model appeals to developers wanting full control and customisation.
On the other hand, compared to xAI’s Grok, GPT-5 boasts superior multimodal capabilities and an advanced reasoning router for complex problem-solving. Grok focuses on real-time interaction within Elon Musk’s X ecosystem, emphasising conversational AI that blends social media engagement with language tasks. While Grok is rapidly evolving, GPT-5 currently leads in versatility and the breadth of applications beyond social platforms.
According to analysts, OpenAI needed GPT-5 to address longstanding user complaints, most notably hallucinations, memory limitations, and the tendency to agree with incorrect statements. The company is also looking to advance toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) while defending market share from rapidly improving rivals.
The country has been investing in nuclear energy for nearly seven years, including strategic partnerships with Russia, the United States, Germany, and Canada.
In an interview on The Long Form podcast, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, chairman of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board and former prime minister of Burkina Faso, outlined how nuclear energy could transform not only Rwanda but the broader continent, offering a sustainable path to socio-economic development.
Dr. Zerbo, a geophysicist and former executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), says Rwanda’s pioneering nuclear strategy is on track for a 2030 launch.
“If everything goes to plan, we should have the first nuclear power plant in Rwanda by 2030,” Dr. Zerbo who serves as an Energy Advisor and Member of the Strategy and Policy Council in the Office of the President, crediting President Paul Kagame’s disciplined vision.
“It’s a challenging timeline, but not impossible,” he added.
Unlike the massive, costly nuclear plants of decades past, Rwanda is embracing SMRs and micro reactors—compact, innovative systems designed for efficiency and safety.
“Small modular reactors range from 300 to 350 megawatts, while micro reactors can be as small as a 40-foot container,” Zerbo explained.
These “plug-and-play” reactors require minimal infrastructure upgrades, making them a viable option for African nations with developing electrical grids.
“You don’t need to overhaul everything like you would for a 1-gigawatt plant,” he noted, contrasting Rwanda’s approach with larger projects in Kenya and Egypt.
Addressing public concerns about nuclear safety, Zerbo emphasised technological advancements that reduce risks.
“The cooling systems in SMRs and micro reactors, like passive cooling or the use of thorium and molten salt, make them far safer than traditional reactors,” he said.
He also tackled the issue of nuclear waste, a common worry. “Our ambition is to use waste from one reactor as fuel for another. With micro reactors, waste is minimal, and vendors can remove and replace modules after 15 to 20 years.”
Beyond powering its cities and villages, Rwanda’s nuclear program aims to serve as a blueprint for Africa, a vision widely discussed at the recently concluded Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA 2025).
“If we succeed here, it can inspire other African nations,” Zerbo remarked, pointing to countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, which are exploring similar technologies.
In efforts to actualise its nuclear energy ambitions, Rwanda has secured partnerships with global vendors, including Russia’s Rosatom for SMRs and U.S.-based Nano Nuclear Energy and Denmark’s Copenhagen Atomics for micro reactors.
“We’re diversifying to avoid dependency and mitigate geopolitical risks,” Zerbo noted, addressing concerns about aligning with partners like Rosatom amid global tensions.
{{From Burkina Faso to global stages
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Zerbo’s journey to becoming Rwanda’s nuclear chief is as compelling as the technology he champions. Born in Bobo-Dioulasso in 1963, when Burkina Faso was still Upper Volta, he rose from a modest upbringing to a global career in science and diplomacy.
As a young man, he dreamed of becoming a lawyer inspired by a French film about injustice, but a government scholarship steered him toward geophysics. His work in the mining industry and later at the CTBTO, where he monitored global nuclear tests, earned him international recognition.
In 2021, Zerbo briefly served as Burkina Faso’s prime minister, a role cut short by a coup d’état.
Reflecting on the experience, he remained unfazed.
“I never felt threatened,” he said, describing the chaotic night when gunfire erupted in Ouagadougou. “I was watching a football match with the president when it started. I knew I hadn’t done anything to compromise myself.”
His resilience and optimism continue to shine through as he serves Africa, now from Kigali.
Drawing on his experiences in Burkina Faso, where jihadist terrorism remains a growing threat, he stressed the need for regional unity.
“Terrorism thrives where people lack opportunity,” he said, advocating for a dual approach of deterrence and development.
“We need to give people a reason to live, not just fight with guns.”
He sees Rwanda’s stability and progress as a beacon of hope, likening it to a phoenix rising from its ashes after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed more than a million lives and left a trail of destruction.
“Rwanda’s nuclear program is about showing what’s possible when you combine vision, discipline, and courage.”
Watch the full interview with Dr. Lassina Zerbo on The Long Form podcast to hear more about his journey and Rwanda’s energy ambitions.
The tech billionaire revealed the plans in a brief post on X, but no further details or launch timeline were provided.
The new app is expected to offer kid-friendly AI content, a notable shift from the more controversial aspects of xAI’s current offerings.
“We’re going to make Baby Grok @xAI, an app dedicated to kid-friendly content,” Musk wrote on Sunday.
The announcement follows criticism directed at xAI after the release of an adult-style AI avatar named Ani in the Grok app.
Ani, a sultry-voiced anime character dressed in revealing clothing, sparked widespread concern among parents and online users for reportedly responding inappropriately to minors, even when Kids Mode was enabled.
Baby Grok appears to be Musk’s attempt to reassure users and reposition xAI as a safe platform for younger audiences.
This pivot also comes as tech rivals move to secure their stake in the growing market for child-focused AI tools.
Google, for instance, recently announced it is working on a child-friendly version of its Gemini AI assistant.
The Gemini app for kids will reportedly help with homework, storytelling, and answering questions, all without advertising or data collection, to emphasise learning and creativity in a controlled environment.
Meanwhile, xAI has continued to rapidly evolve its core product. Earlier this month, the company released Grok 4, its most advanced language model to date, featuring a multi-agent architecture and expanded capabilities.
Grok remains central to Musk’s vision for integrated AI across his platforms. The chatbot is currently accessible through X, Grok.com, and mobile apps, and comes with premium tiers that unlock advanced features, including Grok 4.
Airtel Rwanda announced on Thursday, July 17, 2025, that whenever suspicious messages are detected, customers will receive them with a warning label advising caution.
Airtel Rwanda’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez, said the system was launched in response to the growing number of cybercrimes, particularly mobile money fraud.
“This is part of our commitment to enhancing safety and protecting our customers from internet-related crimes and financial fraud. In recent months, we’ve seen a rise in mobile money theft, particularly through SMS scams. Today, we’re pleased to announce that, as of two weeks ago, we’ve implemented a system that flags potentially fraudulent SMS messages with a warning.”
The AI system analyses messages for characteristics common in scam texts, such as frequently used words by fraudsters, patterns of mass messaging, and other indicators.
Once the AI detects suspicious activity, it flags the message with a warning before delivering it to the customer.
If the sender’s number continues to distribute fraudulent messages and is confirmed as suspicious, that number may be blocked.
Gaaga Jean Claude, Managing Director of Airtel Money Rwanda, stated that Airtel worked closely with various government agencies to understand the nature of mobile money fraud, leading to the decision to develop and implement a proactive solution.
He emphasised that using AI to combat cyber fraud is timely, given the growing reliance on digital systems and the evolving tactics of fraudsters.
“AI is an advanced technology that enables machines to mimic human intelligence, and it is widely used around the world. That’s why we adopted it, to enhance the security of our customers’ funds,” he said.
Gaaga added that Airtel already had a system in place to help customers recover stolen money when reported, and it has proven effective. Statistics show that mobile money fraud incidents involving Airtel customers remain below 2% of total reported fraud cases nationwide.
The new fraud detection system is free of charge and doesn’t require customers to register, as it has been automatically activated for all Airtel users.
Airtel Rwanda also plans to expand the warning system to detect fraud not only in SMS, but also in phone calls and social media messages used by scammers to steal money.
The antenna was launched on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, as part of ATLAS’s Ground Station as a Service offering and will enhance the delivery of atmospheric and space weather data to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The new station will receive data from six COSMIC-2 satellites, which use radio occultation to continuously observe the Earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere.
Due to the fast-changing nature of atmospheric conditions, timely data delivery is essential. ATLAS ensures that data from its stations reach NOAA in under 60 seconds, a standard the new Rwandan station is designed to uphold.
“The activation of our new antenna in Rwanda is a testament to the strength of our partnership with the Rwanda Space Agency and commitment to growing our network to best serve our customers,” said Corey Geer, CEO of ATLAS Space Operations.
“This strategic addition significantly enhances our ability to deliver critical COSMIC-2 data, ensuring that NOAA receives the vital information they need for accurate and timely atmospheric and ionospheric monitoring.”
Rwanda’s location offers an ideal number of contact points with the COSMIC-2 satellite constellation, making the site a valuable asset for data reception.
The Mwulire station in Rwamagana District joins existing COSMIC-2 support sites in Ghana and Tahiti. Its inclusion in the network was made possible through a collaboration with the Rwanda Space Agency, following a direct request from NOAA for expanded capabilities.
ATLAS currently manages over 3,000 satellite contacts each month and has supported more than 156,000 NOAA satellite interactions since July 2019. As of May 31, 2025, the company maintains a ground station availability rate of 99.36%, with data delivery times averaging under 40 seconds.
Founded in Traverse City, Michigan, in 2015, ATLAS Space Operations is a recognised leader in the satellite communications industry, offering its Freedom software platform and a global network of antennas to provide efficient, secure access to space assets worldwide.
The browser, expected to roll out in the coming weeks, is designed to reshape how users interact with the internet by embedding artificial intelligence directly into the browsing experience.
Built atop Chromium, the same open-source foundation behind Chrome and Microsoft Edge, the browser will integrate AI agents capable of performing tasks such as booking reservations, filling out forms, and summarising web content.
Reuters reports that the interface will include a native ChatGPT-like assistant, reducing the need to navigate through traditional websites.
The move represents a strategic step for OpenAI to gain direct access to user data, a critical pillar of Google’s success. Chrome currently serves more than 3 billion users worldwide and plays a central role in Alphabet’s advertising ecosystem, which accounts for nearly 75% of its revenue. By keeping more interactions within its own interface, OpenAI could limit the flow of data back to Google, thereby weakening one of its rivals’ most profitable feedback loops.
According to sources who spoke to Reuters, if adopted by the 500 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s browser could put pressure on a key component of rival Google’s ad-money spigot.
{{Impact
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For content creators, businesses, and information professionals, the implications are significant. A conversational AI search engine can redefine how people find news, research topics, or gain insights by delivering concise, verified summaries instead of forcing users to sift through numerous results.
Daniel Ives, a technology analyst, told Business Insider that “OpenAI wants to become the front door to the internet, not just an app you visit”.
Beyond user-facing benefits, OpenAI’s new search engine may serve as a valuable tool for professionals, enabling quicker fact-checking, trend analysis, and content generation.
Yet, this innovation is not without challenges. Experts warn that AI systems sometimes produce “hallucination” responses that are plausible but factually incorrect which can have serious consequences in information-sensitive fields.
OpenAI is reportedly focused on enhancing transparency and verifiability in its system to address these risks.
Meanwhile, Google is actively developing its own AI capabilities, including “AI Overviews” powered by its Gemini model, to summarise search results. However, Google has encountered criticism over accuracy issues in some AI-generated content.
OpenAI’s approach differs by emphasising conversational interaction, context retention, and clearer source citations.
If successful, OpenAI’s search engine could divert users and advertising revenue from Google, impacting multiple sectors such as online media, publishing, and digital marketing.
Speaking during a Fox News interview aired on Sunday, Trump stated he could disclose the identities of the potential investors within two weeks.
The president’s comments come as TikTok faces a looming September 17 deadline for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform or face a nationwide ban.
The sale is mandated under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), which seeks to limit foreign influence over U.S.-based tech platforms due to national security concerns.
“I think President Xi will probably do it,” Trump said, referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whose approval is likely required for ByteDance to move forward with any deal. ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing and has previously resisted selling the app.
On June 19, Trump extended the deadline for TikTok’s parent company to find an American buyer by another 90 days. This marked his third extension since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the divestment law shortly before his second inauguration in January. The app briefly went offline in the U.S. ahead of the original deadline but was reinstated after Trump granted a temporary reprieve.
Despite initially backing a ban during his first term, Trump now supports keeping TikTok operational, citing its influence among young voters. He has floated various proposals, including a plan for American investors to acquire the platform and later sell a 50% stake to the U.S. government.
Several U.S. firms and Trump allies have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok, including Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Tech companies like Amazon, AppLovin, and Perplexity AI have also made bids.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring Americans retain access to the app, which has over 170 million U.S. users.
“President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,” she said.
Although TikTok denies posing any security risks, legal experts warn that any deal could face court challenges depending on its structure and compliance with U.S. law. For now, the app’s fate hinges on Beijing’s response — and whether Trump’s group of wealthy suitors can strike a deal in time.
