Why I Think Africa Should Build Its Own Version of ChatGPT
Posted by Solomon | 2025
Let’s face it — ChatGPT doesn’t know how to pronounce “Waakye.” It won’t recommend Ghanaian or indigenous African remedies. It doesn’t understand the context behind local remittance culture, family dynamics, or even the cultural subtleties of our languages and dialects.
And that’s no surprise. AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on, and most of the data that powers today’s AI tools; including the biggest ones come from the West. Their priorities, their perspectives, their culture.
So where does that leave us? Dependent on systems that don’t reflect our realities. Tools that, while powerful, often miss the mark when applied to our markets and our people.
We Deserve Better
Imagine an AI trained on African literature, history, local languages, healthcare practices, entrepreneurial trends, and social norms. Imagine a digital assistant that can speake fante and help a farmer in Ghana understand weather patterns, or a student in Nigeria learn calculus in Pidgin, or a remittance platform that understands why people send money for funerals and not just school fees.
This is why I believe Africa must build its own AI language model, a GPT for Africa, by Africa.
It’s Not Just Tech - It’s Sovereignty
Owning our AI future isn’t just about convenience. It’s about economic empowerment, digital sovereignty, and preserving our cultural identity in a very fast changing world. It's about creating systems that serve us first, without bias or misrepresentation.
We have the talent. We have the data. What we need is vision and partnership.
The Time is Now
If you're a policymaker, technologist, investor, or diaspora visionary — this is your call. Let’s rally around this mission. Let’s create an ecosystem where Africa is not just a consumer of AI, but a creator.
Not because we want to catch up. But because we have something uniquely powerful to offer the world.