Orange Partners with Meta, OpenAI to Develop AI Language Models in Africa

• Orange partners with OpenAI and Meta to develop AI models focused on translating regional African languages, starting with West Africa in 2025.
• The project will leverage OpenAI’s “Whisper” and Meta’s “Llama” models to enhance customer communication and provide services in local languages.
• Beyond commercial use, the AI models will support non-commercial applications like public health and education, improving access in underserved areas.

Orange has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI and Meta to fine-tune AI large language models (LLMs) aimed at translating regional African languages.

The French telecom operator stated that the initiative is designed to address the underrepresentation of African languages in AI models

AI models have historically focused on English and other widely spoken languages due to the abundance of training data.

The project is slated to launch in the first half of 2025 and will initially focus on integrating West African languages into OpenAI’s “Whisper” and Meta’s “Llama” models, Reuters reported.

Orange Leveraging Whisper and Llama for Communication

“Whisper” and “Llama” are advanced AI models capable of generating text and audio content, making them valuable tools for translation, chatbots, and AI-assisted writing.

Orange’s goal is to leverage these technologies to improve communication in regional languages. The goal is targeting customer service and other essential services.

An Orange spokesperson told Reuters that the company’s extensive experience in West African countries will be crucial in providing the necessary data to train these models.

“We’re used to working with these countries, so we have experience with these languages and in developing our own apps in these languages for customer service,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

Orange Addressing the Gap of African Languages in AI

AI models rely on large datasets to learn patterns and improve their accuracy. However, regional African languages are often underrepresented in AI training due to the limited availability of digitized content.

Orange’s involvement will help fill this gap by providing data based on its long-standing presence in the region. This will also help enabling the machines to learn more effectively.

Expanding Non-Commercial Applications of AI

Orange plans to make these models available for non-commercial uses such as public health and education.

This could significantly improve access to services in local languages. This is particularly in rural areas where linguistic barriers often limit access to healthcare and educational resources.

Moreover, Orange has signed a separate agreement with OpenAI to gain direct access to its models in Europe. Further the company is solidifying its position as a key player in the adoption of AI technologies across different regions.