Orange’s Push to Open Up AI to African Languages

Although the AI revolution is transforming industries and reshaping societies worldwide, its benefits remain unequally distributed. 

A lack of access to advanced technology is a significant barrier, but perhaps the most profound hurdle lies in language. 

For millions, particularly in regions like Africa, the dominance of English in major AI models limits the ability to use these tools effectively, excluding those who speak local languages. 

Addressing this disparity is critical to ensuring that AI serves as a bridge to inclusion rather than a force for further division and telco Orange is undertaking that endeavour. 

Examining Orange’s initiative

Orange has announced a ground-breaking initiative to develop AI models tailored to African languages, a move aimed at fostering digital inclusion across the continent.

This project, commencing in the first half of 2025, will leverage OpenAI's and Meta’s open-source AI technologies, and seeks to address the growing digital divide by enabling natural communication in regional African languages and providing AI tools for public health, education, and beyond.

Through fine-tuning existing AI models, such as OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text model and Meta’s Llama text-based large language model (LLM), Orange aims to create AI models that support local languages, initially focusing on Wolof and Pulaar, spoken by over 22 million people across Senegal and Gambia.

Whisper, which incorporates non-English data in about one-third of its training, and Llama, which powers chatbots on platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger, provide a strong foundation for this endeavour. 

By adapting these technologies, the initiative eventually aims to expand to the 3,000-plus languages spoken across Africa and the Middle East, potentially revolutionising communication in regions where traditional AI tools fall short. 

Orange’s custom AI models are due to be rolled out to allow its customers to communicate naturally in their local languages with Orange for customer support and sales.

Yet, it is also allowing open-source use - free for public bodies like  health and education sectors - of these models to enable third-party applications and open up business applications for organisations wishing to use them.

Driving inclusion and innovation

In Africa, telecom companies are among the largest companies due to a majority of internet use being delivered by mobile networks, and one of the largest platforms through which consumers interact with each other, positioning Orange as effective vehicles for mainstreaming AI use. 

By working with AI leaders OpenAI and Meta, Orange is positioning itself not only to gain an early movers advantage by being the first to offer such wide-spready AI models in local African languages, but a leading provider of high-grade models capable of complex tasks

The company’s ambitions extend to collaboration with local startups and other technology companies, fostering innovation in regional languages while creating a robust ecosystem for AI development in Africa. 

Orange’s announcement arrives at a time when global interest in AI tailored for African audiences is gaining momentum. 

Recent initiatives, such as South Africa-based Lelapa’s InkubaLM model and Kenya’s Jacaranda Health’s language-adapted tools, highlight the burgeoning efforts in this space. 

Success stories like the US$680m acquisition of Tunisian AI startup InstaDeep underscore the commercial opportunities AI offers in Africa. 

Looking ahead

Orange’s direct access to OpenAI’s European-hosted models, which enable key use cases such as AI-based voice interactions with Orange customers who may be illiterate,  underscore the project’s potential to balance commercial objectives with broad societal impact.

As Africa's telecom sector increasingly becomes a conduit for AI adoption, Orange’s project may well set a precedent for how AI can both serve commercial needs and contribute to greater equity in technology access. 

By integrating regional languages into cutting-edge AI, Orange is not only pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve but also making it a tool for inclusive progress.

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