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.

The initiative, known as Funza AI, was developed by young Ghanaian tech professional Klenam Tamakloe and his team.

The idea is to make AI accessible to people who use basic mobile phones, commonly referred to as “Yam phones”.

The service will allow users to send questions via SMS and receive AI-generated responses without requiring a smartphone, Wi-Fi connection or data bundle.

Klenam says users will be able to access the offline AI service by November 2026, following its launch.

“We are preparing to go live by the beginning of November. Once we launch, users will be able to access our offline AI simply by sending a text message to our dedicated shortcode. No smartphone, app or internet connection required,” he said.

The innovation is aimed at addressing the digital gap that excludes millions of people across Africa from emerging technologies due to limited access to reliable internet and affordable smartphones.

Under the system, a farmer without access to an agricultural expert could send a text message seeking advice on crops, while a student without internet access could use SMS to seek help with schoolwork.

Small business operators and other users could also use the service to draft business messages and access other forms of assistance through simple text messages.

The concept draws parallels with the growth of mobile money services, which expanded financial access by allowing people to conduct transactions using mobile phones without necessarily requiring traditional bank accounts.

“We took inspiration from how mobile money transformed financial inclusion by giving millions of people access to financial services without requiring a smartphone or traditional banking infrastructure. Our goal is to do for AI what mobile money did for financial inclusion: make AI accessible to everyone, regardless of the technology they have,” Klenam Tamakloe explained.

Similarly, Funza AI seeks to bring AI services to people using the devices they already have, rather than requiring them to first acquire smartphones or internet access.

Tamakloe and his team intend to use the initiative to create a solution tailored to the realities of users who have been excluded from the digital world.

“We are building an AI ecosystem designed for the African reality. We envision a world where access to AI is not limited by internet connectivity, smartphones or app ecosystems, where a child in the most remote community, using a simple feature phone, can access the same powerful AI tool available to a child in America using a smartphone,” he stressed.

The initiative has also reignited discussions about the need for government support for locally developed technology and innovation in Ghana.

The emergence of Funza AI comes amid growing interest in the potential of artificial intelligence to transform education, agriculture, business and other areas of society.

The broader ambition behind Funza AI is to ensure that access to artificial intelligence does not become another area where people without smartphones or internet connectivity are left behind.

It also raises questions about the role of government and other institutions in supporting promising Ghanaian innovators and helping locally developed technologies move from small-scale initiatives to solutions capable of serving millions of people.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.