From Smartphones to Feature Phones: Lessons from Akili AI on Inclusive AI Adoption in Low-Connectivity Settings

Domain:

natural language processingdigital infrastructure

Record type:

paper

Creator:

Mos

Publisher:

IST

Host:

This paper presents a case study of Akili AI, a Swahili-language AI assistant delivered via SMS. Over a 5.5-month period the service attracted 3,994 unique users in Tanzania and recorded 19,879 meaningful interactions. We analyse user demographics, query categories, temporal patterns and engagement levels. Results show that young people (15–25 years) form nearly half the user base and that educational support, general knowledge and personal guidance dominate usage. The assistant achieved a 38.7 % retention rate, demonstrating that low-tech AI deployments can deliver real value and become a trusted information source for underserved communities. Lessons are offered for designing AI services that operate on feature phones and local languages.

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doi.org

Languages

Swahili

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