No smartphone or internet?No problem; your AI-powered phone has the answer

Kehinde Olutubosun, a visually impaired Nigerian who loves geography and animals, has struggled to find information because he doesn’t have a smartphone. But thanks to mobile phones equipped with artificial intelligence that work offline, things are changing.

Launched in Nigeria last month by Canada-based Viamo, the service makes AI technology accessible to anyone, even in remote areas without internet access.

Viamo uses a traditional handset to tap into local cellular networks and send commands and requests for information through SMS and voice calls.

It works like any other AI chatbot and can be commanded by voice, so even illiterate people can use it. The price is also cheap.

“Even if you don’t have a lot of financial means, you have the opportunity to ask a lot of questions that will actually benefit you, even if it’s just 10 naira. I’m very happy,” said Ortubosun.

Mr Viamo said the device was targeted at the world’s poorest and most remote communities and was first launched in Zambia before being expanded to Pakistan, India and Tanzania.

Viamo is supported by development institutions including the US and UK. UNICEF partners with Viamo to provide information on HIV, tropical diseases, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene.