Ghanaian tech professionals develop SMS-based AI tool for non-smartphones

A Ghanaian startup has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) service that allows people without smartphones, internet access or mobile data to interact with AI using simple text messages.

myjoyonline.com ·2h ago

Ghanaian tech professionals develop SMS-based AI tool for non-smartphones

Ghanaian startup Funza AI has developed an AI service that enables users without smartphones, internet access, or mobile data to interact with AI through simple text messages. The service, to be launched in November 2026, aims to bridge the digital gap and make AI accessible to millions of people across Africa who lack reliable internet and affordable smartphones.

By allowing users to send questions via SMS and receive AI-generated responses, Funza AI seeks to replicate the impact of mobile money services on financial inclusion, making AI accessible to everyone regardless of their technology. The startup's goal is to create an AI ecosystem tailored to the realities of users who have been excluded from the digital world, with the broader ambition of ensuring that access to artificial intelligence does not become another area where people are left behind.

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