How are Africa’s innovators shaping the future of AI?

“We must, as Africans, begin to solve some of our problems ourselves, because we have more local context, the nuances. It’s our people, it’s our community.” AI is transforming everything - from how we search information online to how we access healthcare. It’s also an industry that is projected to generate nearly $3 trillion for the African continent by 2030. But without African data, languages and culture, the risks are high, some experts warn, of a new kind of colonisation - led by algorithms. Chido Dzinotyiwei’s ‘Vambo AI’ is building African language models, while Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson’s ‘Healthtracka’ is using AI to expand healthcare access in Nigeria. BBC Africa Daily’s Peter Musembi spoke to the two innovators to explore how their work is shaping a future that reflects Africa’s needs.