The AI Chatbot Making Information Accessible in Nigeria
Canadian company Viamo has introduced a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that works anywhere, even areas without access to internet such as rural areas of Nigeria.
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00:00 This is Kehinde. He lives in Nigeria and has a visual impairment. He has limited access
00:07 to equitable technology. And as an animal and geology enthusiast, a lot of Kehinde's
00:16 questions went unanswered. But an artificial intelligence chatbot is changing that.
00:28 What are some of the habits of a lion?
00:35 I can't just be moving from one individual to another who is using a smartphone. In order
00:49 to say, "Okay, I want to ask you a social question." I was finding it so hard. But let's
00:55 say, I can say it is because of me this company was brought up.
01:00 In Nigeria, more than half the country's population of over 200 million people does not have internet
01:06 access or a smartphone. This chatbot tool was created by a company called Viamo. It's
01:13 powered by AI and works anywhere, even offline.
01:17 We understand that these people are disconnected because they are currently offline, do not
01:24 have a mobile phone to access information, and also they do not have a smartphone that
01:30 they can use to access information on the internet.
01:34 The tool can be used by anyone.
01:36 Hello and welcome to the Viamo platform. Please ask your question after the tone and press
01:43 any key when you are done.
01:45 Like David, who is using it to learn more about expanding his business.
01:50 Thank you for helping me. How can I really start my business in Nigeria?
01:55 For David and Kehinde, it's both useful and affordable.
02:00 For people who are not that financially buoyant, they still have this opportunity to use even
02:07 as little as 10 Naira to ask a lot of questions that will actually benefit them. I'm so happy.
02:18 Viamo also partnered with UNICEF to provide important information on HIV/AIDS, tropical
02:24 diseases, water sanitation and more.
02:27 The plan is to expand to other marginalized areas around the world to ensure that even
02:32 the most remote communities can stay connected.
02:36 Joseph Wu and Harrell Hughes for Taiwan Plus.
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