The GSMA, alongside a coalition of African mobile operators, research institutions and AI labs, has launched a continent-wide initiative to build inclusive African AI language models, in a move aimed at closing the language and cultural gap in global artificial intelligence development.
The collaboration, which includes Airtel, the African Population for Health Research Center (APHRC), Awarri, Axian Telecom, Cassava Technologies, Ethio Telecom, Masakhane African Languages Hub, Lelapa AI, MTN, Orange, Pawa AI, Qhala, the World Sandbox Alliance and Vodacom, is framed under the ambition “AI Language Models in Africa, By Africa, For Africa.”
The GSMA said the initiative is designed to “crowd in resources and expertise to address gaps in data, compute, talent and policy,” so that African languages, cultures and knowledge are fully represented in the global digital future.
Language Exclusion Seen as a Structural Risk
Today’s leading large language models are built around a narrow set of global languages, leaving “billions of people whose linguistic and cultural diversity remains underrepresented online.” Africa alone accounts for more than 2,000 spoken languages, yet only a fraction are supported in digital systems, a gap which GSMA warns risks “widening existing digital and economic divides.”
By training AI on African languages and local data, the partners aim to enable governments, enterprises and developers to build AI products for local realities, spanning customer service, education, healthcare, public services, creative industries and commerce.
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Feasibility Confirmed, Execution Now Depends on Coordination
The initiative follows a GSMA-led feasibility study which found that African-driven language models are both technically feasible and economically viable, but concluded that “success requires collective leadership, investment and collaboration, not fragmented efforts.”
Work will be organised around four structural gaps identified by the study, data, compute, talent and policy, with dedicated working groups to drive execution. Outcomes are to be showcased at upcoming GSMA events to ensure transparency and accountability.
The GSMA is inviting startups, universities, creative industries, civil society, donors, and global technology companies to join the effort, arguing that a pan-African, multi-stakeholder approach is necessary to secure digital sovereignty and scale AI adoption across the continent.
Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA, said, “Africa’s diversity of languages and cultures is one of our greatest strengths, yet it has too often been overlooked in the development of global AI systems.
“This initiative is about turning that challenge into an opportunity, building African-led AI capacity, empowering innovation across local industries, and ensuring Africa shapes the digital future on its own terms. By working together, we can make AI more inclusive, more relevant, and more reflective of the world we live in.”
