Read in full: https://www.globalinnovation.fund/news/from-beans-to-cholera-how-ai-is-p...
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Could AI be the key to information access in developing countries? Social enterprise Viamo thinks so, and is rolling out a pilot in Zambia and Nigeria, with expansion to follow in Pakistan, India and Tanzania.
The pilot offers a text and phone service where users can ask questions as diverse as “How can I plant beans?”, “What is a democracy?” and “Why am I so emotional that sometimes I even feel lonely or unwanted?” and receive answers in local languages.
A generative AI system is combined with expert health, education and agricultural advice to provide users with accurate information.
The project aims to combat the key challenge of accessing information sources such as the internet in areas with low literacy rates and poor infrastructure by harnessing the power of non-internet phones. In Zambia, only 33% of the population have access to the internet but over 80% own a mobile phone, making phones a key opportunity for development.
The service is voice activated and can respond verbally, making it accessible to those who cannot read or who have visual impairments.
GIF invested $1.5 million in Viamo in 2021, aiming to help the enterprise scale in existing and new markets, and invest in technology development and new products.
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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
