Meta has stated that its AI service will now be available in seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria and Ghana.

Among the companies owned by Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, Meta is the parent business.

According to the company, Meta AI has also been made available in South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

Meta said that releasing the AI assistant in English would improve connections and give millions of Africans the tools they need to be more creative, expressive, and effective.

Read also: How to use Meta AI to chat on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram

“Get things done, learn, make things, and connect with the things that matter on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger with Meta AI.”

According to a statement made by the company on Thursday, “You can use Meta AI in feeds, chats, searches, and more across our apps to get things done and get real-time information without leaving the app you’re using.”

Why is Meta focusing on African countries for AI expansion?

Like many software companies, Meta sees the promise of Africa’s fast-growing digital market. Meta wants to enter this market and build a significant presence in Africa, where internet availability and smartphone penetration are rising.

Meta wants to link the world and give underserved people access to its platforms and services, so investing in Africa makes sense. Meta can also employ local expertise and insights to create solutions for African users by expanding its AI activities in Africa.

It boosts innovation, economic progress, and social development in the region. Meta’s focus on Africa shows its dedication to global expansion and its appreciation of Africa’s potential for growth and influence.

Mark Zuckerberg’s words on Meta Al

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, wrote on Facebook that the company’s mission is to construct the world’s best AI. The company believes Meta AI is “the most intelligent AI assistant you can freely use.”

Zuckerberg said the business has merged real-time knowledge from Google and Bing into Meta AI replies, making it brighter and easier to use across apps.

Read also: Meta conducts AI tests in India, Africa

We are thrilled to expand Meta AI in English to additional nations. Our next-generation assistant will provide real-time information through seamless search integration in your favourite apps. To improve Meta AI, we open-sourced our cutting-edge Llama 3 AI model.

“We added unique creation features like photo animation. Meta AI creates and refreshes high-quality graphics in real-time as you type. Zuckerberg stated it would also record your creation process.

In addition to animating photographs, Meta AI can now iterate on them in a new style and turn them into GIFs to share with friends, inspiring creativity. Meta introduced this connection method at Meta Connect 2023. More individuals can interact with it globally than before.