Afrigather To handle his nation’s barred entry to OpenAI’s well-known generative AI chatbot ChatGPT, Zimbabwean developer Kuda Musasiwa and his workforce have constructed options—ZivAI and DanAI. These AI chatbots provide capabilities comparable to picture and PDF technology, e-commerce, and so forth. Entry to ChatGPT is barred in Zimbabwe on account of the sanctions in opposition to the southern African nation by the US authorities and European Union.
TechCabal caught up with Musasiwa to get extra data on the chatbots, ZivAI and DanAI, the motivations behind constructing them, and his ideas on the way forward for generative AI instruments on the continent.
Please inform us a bit extra about ZivAI and the issue you are attempting to unravel via the chatbot
Kuda Musasiwa: Earlier than constructing ZivAI, I used to be main the largest on-line retail retailer in Zimbabwe known as Contemporary In A Field. At Contemporary In A Field we leveraged a whole lot of AI applied sciences, particularly for our customer support aspect of issues and considered one of these applied sciences, known as Shamu after which renamed Lucille, finally turned ZivAI.
We constructed this bot as a result of OpenAI had blocked Zimbabwe from accessing ChatGPT due to all of the sanctions so we figured, utilizing the open supply API, we might construct an alternate for our individuals. Leveraging our experience in e-commerce, we have been in a position to prolong the chatbot’s functionalities past what ChatGPT has. For instance, we’ve got a picture generator, PDF generator, information, and e-commerce capabilities, all baked into the chatbot.
We now have additionally built-in a retailer into the platform which might be onboarding distributors in Zimbabwe and throughout the area this week. ZivAI is principally a co-pilot for Zimbabweans and we’ve got one other product, DanAI, which seeks to cowl the remainder of Africa and do its co-piloting position in a extra relatable African context.
What was the motivation for constructing the chatbots?
KM: Sadly, Zimbabwe is a sanctioned state so corporations like OpenAI don’t hassle making an attempt to launch their merchandise right here. Moreover, we don’t have cost gateways like Stripe which work right here in order that’s one other problem for our individuals in the event that they wish to use these world merchandise. In order entrepreneurs, it was an issue or problem that we wished to unravel. We then got down to construct our personal cost gateways to facilitate transactions and we integrated overseas to have entry to some developer instruments we have to construct a extremely robust product.
When it comes to challenges, which of them have been most urgent whenever you have been constructing the chatbots?
KM: Actually, I wouldn’t say we had any challenges. Our improvement workforce is extremely world class and we’re actually good at what we do as evidenced by our observe report. As Zimbabweans, the one factor we’d like is entry and sadly, on account of the aforementioned sanctions, typically we don’t get this entry however we at all times attempt to discover a means.
For instance, a easy factor comparable to paying for a GitHub account or API entry utilizing a debit card just isn’t as easy in Zimbabwe so we at all times must discover a means round that, however in terms of experience, I feel we’ve got that half nicely on lock.
What traction have the chatbots garnered to this point?
KM: We now have peaked at over 18,000 customers on the platform in some unspecified time in the future in the previous couple of days. Moreover, we’ve got authorised over 19,000 logins through Linkedin and Twitter. In the interim, we’re not permitting Google and Fb logins as a result of we are attempting to make sure that the visitors coming to the positioning through these platforms, which we anticipate might be a complete lot, doesn’t throttle consumer expertise. However we might be permitting entry through these platforms very quickly as we construct up the resiliency of the platform.
We now have additionally now uploaded the applying onto the Apple and Android shops to guarantee that individuals can have this on their cellphone, seeing that going to a web site won’t be as sticky when 90% of individuals entry the web through their cell phones.
What are your ideas on the development of generative AI chatbots in Africa?
KM: All of the chatbots that we’ve got proper now in Africa and on the planet are the worst that they’ll ever be proper now as a result of each single day, they get superior they usually get higher. So I wish to be clear, that is the brand new means that computing goes to be achieved. That is the brand new means productiveness goes to be achieved. And as Africans, we’ve got a selection. Will we sit again and watch the world develop round us and never take part? Or can we leap in at this explicit level, and make it a degree that we’re part of the dialog?
Our largest objective is to guarantee that we’ve got our personal variations of those applied sciences that talk our languages and assume like we do, therefore representing us nicely within the worldwide area.
Interview has been edited for readability and size
