Safaricom's Generative AI: Unveiling the Future of Innovation

Safaricom a leading telecommunication company is making significant strides the recent one being the Safaricom engineering summit that bore witness to this progress with the team showcasing  their work on generative AI 

Safaricom's Generative AI:Transforming the the way we live and work

Generative AI refers to the system that generates new content or data similar to what it has been trained on. It has great potential such as create high-quality realistic images, composing music and poems, designing products, and even mimic one's voice in different languages similar to what Safaricom's generative AI has been trained to do, impressive right?

The summit affectionately known as Decode 2.0, was a collaborative effort spearheaded by Safaricom. They joined forces with several prominent tech companies including Huawei, Dell Technologies, Mitsumi Distribution, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Helette Packard Enterprise, Oracle, Redington, and Techsavanna

let's dive into it and uncover the new safaricom's Generative AI

WHAT KIND OF GENERATIVE AI IS SAFARICOM WORKING ON?

During the summit, Safaricom unveiled its generative  AI called Digital Twin which can mimic one voice but only in two languages English and French and it does so well that you will have a hard time trying to differentiate if that's your voice or its AI. During the showcasing of the new Generative AI, the team tested the capabilities of the digital twin and it was amazing 

But you may ask how does all this come together?

Consider this: In today’s globalized world, it’s crucial to communicate in a language that strikes home with your audience. This is where content translation comes into play. It’s all about reaching out to the global community in their preferred language or the language of the market.

Inclusivity is another key aspect of our digital era. For instance, right now, we have sign language translators ensuring everyone feels included.

Take Zuri, for example, a chatbot designed to facilitate easy interaction with Safaricom, keeping you connected at all times. Zuri is especially beneficial for those with speech impairments as it provides realistic audio, enabling effective communication.

Lastly, I’m sure many Kenyans have come across the Chapa Dimba advert on TV or social media. Interestingly, all these adverts were generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This means that Safaricom’s Digital Twin can be integrated with Zuri to offer both local and international languages. This is the power of technology in enhancing communication and inclusivity.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF SAFARICOM GENERATIVE AI

The new AI could go a long way in helping people especially when it comes to translation since the AI model can use your voice to speak both in English and French making communication easy and fluent. The model has the potential to bring significant improvements in the lives of people in Kenya and around the world in several ways.

• Language translation and communication-As mentioned earlier the Digital Twin AI has the ability to speak in both English and French which can help break down language barriers facilitating better communication and understanding among diverse groups of people. Also, the Digital twin AI can be used in real-time conversation to generate  subtitles for videos and to create personalized language learning programs
•  Boosting Business and Commerce-Kenya being a business growing sector the new AI can facilitate communication between local businesses and international partners who may speak English and French. Also, AI can be used to automate tasks, generate leads, and personalising  marketing campaigns hence saving on the cost required to pay marketing agencies and social media for promotions 
• Healthcare-Professionals in Kenya interact with a lot of people from different parts of the country and internationally by embracing AI, it can be used to bridge language barriers in the healthcare system for patients who speak both English and French. Also, AI could be used to translate medical records in both languages this would in turn help the patient receive the best medical care and better understanding.
• Education and skill development initiatives- such as the engineering summit aim to provide skills to Kenya's growing talent be it coding, or programming you name it. AI could also be used to translate different materials in both English and French this would in turn help promote education equality and opportunity.
• Culture exchange and tourism-Kenya is a tourist destination with tourists from all over the world visiting to witness our diverse culture hence communication can be a huge barrier the Digital Twin can help tourists from France who usually visit as tourists better communicate with the locals.
• Job opportunities and income generation- enabling individuals to communicate in English the AI could offer good job opportunities in customer service, call centers, remote work, and also to developers who could be working to improve the model thereby increasing income and opportunity.

CHALLENGES  AND OPPORTUNITIES

What are some of the challenges associated with Generative AI technology? 

Like any other new project being launched there have to be challenges and in this case, the Digital Twin could face a number of challenges in implementing the AI model. Some of these include translating into local languages which is the most obvious challenge.

During the summit, George Njuguna the director of Information  Communication Technology at Safaricom PlC was asked if the Digital twin can be trained in local languages given the fact that most people live in the city and there are so many intermarriages between different cultures George Njuguna responded and I quote "We are working with the Ministry of ICT to see how we can integrate culture and heritage and we are already working on local languages that would be coming into how we serve our customers"

What are the opportunities associated with the use of Digital Twin AI technology?

• Enhanced education literacy-The technology seems promising given the fact that Safaricom has promised to include local languages. Based on this technology it can create virtual tutors and educational resources that communicate in multiple languages
• Cross-cultural collaborations-In a multinational workspace this technology can drive better communication,  understanding, and collaboration among employees who speak different languages sparking new relationships amongst employees.
• Cultural preservation-Technology can help promote and preserve languages and cultures and aid in cultural heritage conservation and education. This will in turn make it easy to create digital artifacts and support cultural events and festivals.
• Inclusive governance-Where governments can communicate with citizens in a variety of languages which will encourage civic participation and inclusivity in the decision-making process.
• Language rebirth-The technology can be used to bring back to life endangered languages in the country. To maintain endangered languages the technology will be required to preserve and promote local languages.
• Job creation-Development and the creation of Digital Twin can create diverse job opportunities for linguists, language experts, and AI developers who have specialised in local and international languages making the Digital Twin a true reality in Kenya and globally.

The use of Digital Twin can positively impact the livelihoods of Kenyans including education, commerce healthcare, etc. It has the potential to drive economic growth, cultural preservation, and networking among other linguistic communities in the country.

CONCLUSION

Reflecting on our discussion, it’s clear that Safaricom’s Digital Twin holds immense potential. It’s not just about showcasing its capabilities to the world, but also about addressing real-world problems. One such issue is the language barrier in Kenya, a country rich in cultural diversity with a total of 42 tribes, each with its own unique language. Imagine that! But with technology like the Digital Twin, we can bridge this language gap and foster better communication and understanding. It’s truly remarkable what technology can achieve.

Personally, I’m quite optimistic about Safaricom’s new AI. The prospect of implementing both local and international languages is particularly exciting, especially considering that language diversity is a significant challenge at the moment. However, it’s only fair to reserve judgment since it was just launched yesterday. Here’s hoping for the best.

The potential applications of Safariom's generative AI are vast including breaking language barriers, enhancing communication and boosting business and commerce, improving education, promoting culture exchange and tourism, and creating job opportunities.

 

.