Orange Uses OpenAI to Localize African Languages and Boost Digital Inclusion
French telecommunications giant Orange has announced its partnership with OpenAI to leverage advanced AI models for supporting dozens of African languages in its digital products and services. This collaboration aims to enhance accessibility and usability of technology for millions of people across Africa, enabling users to interact naturally in their native languages. Orange services over 18 African countries and is using OpenAI’s latest open-weight AI models to refine and customize language models tailored specifically to regional African languages.
Bridging Africa’s Language Divide with Advanced AI Technology
Orange’s initiative with OpenAI addresses a critical digital gap caused by the low availability of AI tools for African languages, which number over 2,000. By fine-tuning these models with Orange’s linguistic data and deploying them within local contexts, the company plans to provide custom AI-powered language services at no cost to local governments and public authorities. This will improve customer support, sales, marketing, and enterprise services through natural language understanding in multiple African languages.
OpenAI’s open-weight models allow Orange to maintain data sovereignty and deploy AI across its regional data centers, enabling secure and responsible AI applications. Orange’s AI experts will customize these models to ensure high performance while reducing computing power and energy usage, aligned with the company’s “Responsible AI” commitment. The collaboration also aims to empower African startups and communities by promoting inclusive AI ecosystems and stimulating innovation across the continent.
Orange’s AI-driven enhancements are designed to elevate network management, customer experience, and business solutions by integrating voice assistants, chatbots, and advanced voice recognition in local languages. This partnership symbolizes a major step towards digital inclusion and sets a new benchmark for ethical AI deployment tailored to Africa’s diverse linguistic landscape.
The initiative is expected to contribute significantly to closing the digital divide and fostering technological growth in Africa, making AI-driven services accessible and relevant to millions of users across the region.