en.Wedoany.com Reported - Malawi has launched a project called the "Malawi Low Resource Language Data Trust Initiative" to develop Chichewa AI models, enabling citizens to benefit from artificial intelligence and expanding access to digital services in local languages.

The project focuses on developing core AI frameworks and aggregating authorized Chichewa content to expand training data available for AI applications. It is supported by the World Bank and the Gates Foundation.

Many African languages remain underrepresented in global AI training datasets, limiting the effectiveness of AI tools for local users and posing a barrier to broader adoption.

Speaking at the Malawi National Language Data Trust Workshop in Lilongwe, Malawi's Minister of Defence, Feston Kaupa, stated that countries should invest in AI to enhance innovation and competitiveness. Kaupa, speaking on behalf of Malawi's Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Shadric Namalomba, said: "Countries that strategically adopt AI will be better positioned to drive innovation, increase productivity, and compete in the global economy."

Chichewa (also known as Nyanja or Chewa) is the national language of Malawi and is widely spoken in Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, used by approximately 70% of Malawi's population. The Chichewa AI project is building datasets from government archives and media content, creating systems that allow citizens to interact with AI applications in their local language via text or voice.

The strategy prioritizes AI applications that support rural agricultural resilience, including voice and text chatbots for smallholder farmers, medical task shifting, and improving financial inclusion.

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