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In the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Slop, Trust is a Human Advantage (By Bas Wijne)

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Artificial Intelligence

The recent fallout from OpenAI’s indexing scandal – where shared ChatGPT conversations were found discoverable via Google Search – is a stark reminder of what happens when content is detached from context, consent and control

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 14, 2025/APO Group/ —By Bas Wijne, CEO, APO Group (www.APO-opa.com)

AI-generated content is flooding the internet, and much of it is low-quality and misleading. Editors call it ‘AI slop’: hallucinated quotes, fake press releases, and algorithm-chasing headlines. In an era where content is cheaper and faster than ever, trust has become the rarest commodity. That’s where professional public relations – once accused of ‘spin’ – is playing a new, unexpected role: safeguarding credibility in a post-truth landscape. 

AI has a place, but it doesn’t replace people 

Let me be clear: AI isn’t the enemy. It’s a powerful tool for information analysis, workflows, and insight. But it has limits. Besides the slop factor, the phenomenon of model collapse – AI models producing increasingly inaccurate results as they are trained on the outputs of earlier models – is a looming risk. In this context, two pillars of PR – direct executive access and verified press releases – are lifelines for journalists and the public.

AI can mimic a CEO’s tone. It can generate a passable quote. It can even create a fake press release that looks real on first glance. But it cannot replicate what matters most:

  • A real interview, with real stakes
  • A direct connection to a decision-maker
  • A verified statement backed by accountability
  • A local voice who understands the nuance, not just the keywords

Delivering news you can trust 

APO Group (www.APO-opa.com) is proud to be the largest pan-African PR and communications consultancy and Africa’s only dedicated press release and media content distribution provider, through our proprietary newswire Africa Newsroom (www.Africa-Newsroom.com).

In the absence of a pan-African regulatory authority equivalent to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, Africa Newsroom serves as the de facto Primary Information Provider for Africa: an outlet trusted to deliver official, verifiable corporate and public sector communications across the continent. Every piece of content distributed by Africa Newsroom is reviewed, optimised, and traceable by our team.

On the PR side, when our team arranges an interview between a journalist and an African minister or facilitates a press briefing with the CEO of a global firm expanding into Nairobi or Abidjan, we’re doing something AI can’t: building trust through human access. 

In just the past month, we’ve facilitated over 200 executive interviews for brands like Coca-Cola and Canon – connecting journalists to real decision-makers rather than AI-generated personas. That’s not automation. It’s deep relationship work.

 

AI-generated misinformation is a global issue, but its effects are sharper in emerging markets, especially across Africa

Press releases still matter – when they’re done right 

Too many people write off the press release as an outdated format. But when done well – fact-checked, compliant, attributed, and distributed to the right people at the right time – a press release becomes something else entirely: a verified signal in a noisy, synthetic world. 

The trust cascade: PR → Journalists → Public 

The recent fallout from OpenAI’s indexing scandal – where shared ChatGPT conversations were found discoverable via Google Search – is a stark reminder of what happens when content is detached from context, consent and control. Public confidence took a hit, and brands using shared links for internal communications or published content are still scrambling to contain the damage.

When information ecosystems break down, trust becomes a chain reaction. PR plays a key role in this cascade:

  • We provide credible inputs: real people, real quotes, real data
  • Journalists vet and amplify those insights
  • The public consumes the final story with confidence it came from somewhere accountable

 

Without that initial layer of professional PR, we risk a content ecosystem built on synthetic sand.

Why this matters even more in Africa 

AI-generated misinformation is a global issue, but its effects are sharper in emerging markets, especially across Africa.

Here, independent media outlets are often underfunded, and institutional trust is fragile. The damage from fake news – amplified by generative AI – can be reputational, political, financial. Even existential.

This is why APO Group exists: to bridge the gap between credible African stories and the global media ecosystem.

Human truth is the competitive edge 

The future of communications isn’t human or AI. It’s both. But right now, only one side builds relationships. Only one side is accountable. Only one side engages with intent when the story matters.

At APO Group, we’ll keep investing in technology. But our core belief won’t change: the most trusted content still starts with real people. 

Our combination of professional PR and trusted, continent-wide media distribution offers something rare: scale and trust. Reach and rigour. The ability to connect journalists to real sources – in all 54 African countries – at a time when bots are flooding inboxes with synthetic noise.

That’s our commitment to our clients, to the media, and to the public. And in the age of AI slop, that’s what makes the difference.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group Insights.

Business

Liberia to Preview Next Oil & Gas Licensing Round Strategy at Houston Investor Day

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The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will host operators, investors and partners in Houston on August 19 to preview future licensing opportunities and showcase the exploration potential of its offshore basins

HOUSTON, United States of America, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will present its strategy for the country’s next offshore licensing round at Liberia Investor Day Houston on August 19, bringing together international exploration companies, investors, service providers and energy leaders to discuss the next phase of Liberia’s upstream development.

Hosted in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, the event will provide a platform for the LPRA, led by Director General Hon. Marilyn T. Logan, to outline Liberia’s regulatory framework, investment priorities and plans to attract new participation across the country’s offshore sector. Discussions will focus on upcoming licensing opportunities, exploration prospects and the subsurface data supporting future investment decisions.

Liberia’s offshore sector is entering a new phase of exploration activity, with renewed international participation and a growing pipeline of opportunities. Following the award and ratification of eight Production Sharing Contracts in 2025, Liberia has re-established itself as a frontier exploration destination, with international operators advancing work programs designed to further evaluate the country’s petroleum potential. TotalEnergies is progressing exploration activities that include offshore geochemical surveys, 3D seismic acquisition and seabed mapping, while Oranto Petroleum has also signed contracts to explore Liberia’s offshore.

At the Liberia Investor Day Houston, the LPRA will provide industry stakeholders with insight into the priorities shaping the next licensing round, including the anticipated process, qualification requirements, available acreage and access to technical data. The engagement will give prospective investors a clearer view of Liberia’s exploration landscape and the opportunities emerging across its offshore basins.

The event will also facilitate direct dialogue between LPRA and the global upstream community, connecting companies with policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in shaping Liberia’s next chapter of petroleum development.

As exploration companies continue to seek new frontier opportunities, Liberia Investor Day Houston will highlight the role of regulatory certainty, data availability and strategic partnerships in unlocking long-term investment across Liberia’s offshore sector.

Registration is now open for attendees. Companies interested in Liberia’s emerging offshore opportunities are invited to join LPRA, investors and upstream leaders in Houston for insights into the country’s licensing strategy and exploration outlook. For more information contact info@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 

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Business

Beyond Stabroek: Guyana’s Offshore Basin Attracts New Wave of Exploration Investment

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Etu Energias

As ExxonMobil advances appraisal activity in Stabroek and new operators target frontier acreage, Guyana is attracting global capital and building a diversified offshore portfolio designed to sustain long-term growth

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers is entering a new phase, with a growing network of IOCs expanding exploration activity across the country’s offshore basin. Beyond the landmark discoveries that first put Guyana on the global energy map, new drilling campaigns and licensing partnerships are creating a broader exploration ecosystem designed to support long-term production growth.

At the center of this momentum is ExxonMobil’s continued exploration and appraisal activity in the prolific Stabroek Block. The company has submitted a proposal for a 35-well exploration and appraisal drilling campaign, expected to run from 2028 through 2033, pending regulatory approval. The program would build on more than 30 commercial discoveries already made in the block, with drilling activity focused on evaluating new prospects and appraising existing discoveries to support future development opportunities.

Exploration activity is also extending into Guyana’s frontier acreage, with ExxonMobil advancing drilling operations at the deepwater Canje Block. The company has deployed the Noble Stena Carron drillship for exploration activity, highlighting continued industry interest in evaluating Guyana’s underexplored offshore potential beyond the established Stabroek Block.

Guyana’s strong exploration outlook comes as the country’s economy continues to benefit from rapid oil sector expansion, with hydrocarbons expected to remain a key driver of exports, government revenues and economic growth. As production scales up, attracting additional investment across exploration, services and infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of development.

That momentum is being reinforced through partnerships established under Guyana’s 2023 offshore licensing round. A consortium comprising TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas is advancing exploration activities in Block S4 under a five-year production sharing agreement signed with the government in late 2025. The award represents one of the first major outcomes of the licensing round and demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s offshore resource potential.

Beyond the largest operators, a diverse group of companies is also expanding activity across Guyana’s offshore basin. Eco Atlantic is advancing exploration at the Orinduik Block; CGX Energy and Frontera Energy are progressing work in the Corentyne Block; Occidental is evaluating opportunities in the Roraima Block; while Ratio Guyana and Cataleya Energy hold interests in the Kaieteur Block. Together, these partnerships are broadening Guyana’s exploration landscape, increasing competition for acreage and creating opportunities for future discoveries.

As Guyana transitions from an emerging producer to a global energy hub, the next challenge will be converting exploration success into sustainable investment, local value creation and regional growth. These opportunities will be explored at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, held under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.” Bringing together governments, IOCs, investors and technology providers, the event will examine how Guyana’s expanding partnerships can accelerate offshore development, strengthen regional energy cooperation and attract the capital needed to support the Caribbean’s evolving energy landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Energy Capital & Power Establishes London Entity, Expanding Global Platform for Energy and Mining Events

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Energy

The move strengthens ECP’s presence in the UK and Europe, and its ability to connect African and South American markets with global investors

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 6, 2026/APO Group/ –International events company Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) has officially established its UK entity in London, marking a milestone in the company’s growth strategy and reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events and campaigns in the UK and Europe.

By establishing a presence in a key hub like London – the pre-eminent energy and mining finance center – ECP actively shapes the global energy conversation. The expansion positions ECP to better serve clients, partners and investors seeking to develop business opportunities between Africa, Europe, the Americas and energy markets worldwide.

Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital

The milestone comes as ECP strengthens its reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. These include the Venezuela Energy Week London Showcase on July 30 – with over 300 delegates registered – and the annual Invest in African Energy Forum, held in Paris as the premier event connecting global investors to Africa’s energy transformation.

ECP hosts high level summits and investor conferences in leading energy and minerals producing countries in Africa and South America, including: Venezuela Energy Week; Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; South Sudan Oil & Power; and Caribbean Energy Week. The company has hosted investor forums and supported licensing round roadshows in Houston, London and Paris since 2016.

“Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital,” states CEO James Chester. “Having a permanent presence in London further cements our footprint in Europe, enabling us to fulfil our mission to bring minerals and energy investment to diverse global markets.”

With teams located across Africa, Europe and the Americas, ECP has long-facilitated strategic engagement, market intelligence and industry convening, uniting investors with leading energy and mining projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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