These open-source AI models will also be provided externally by Orange with a free license for non-commercial use such as for public health, public education, and many other services. Orange intends to help drive AI innovation in these regional languages including by collaborating on these new AI models with local startups and other technology companies,

LAGOS — French telecoms company Orange plans to partner with Meta and OpenAI to develop new artificial intelligence models trained on African languages.

Orange says it is working with Meta and OpenAI to fine-tune the latest AI models to better understand African languages.

Orange announced on Tuesday it is partnering with OpenAI and Meta to fine-tune AI large language models (LLMs) to incorporate regional languages in Africa that are currently not understood by any GenAI model.

The project is planned to start in the first half of 2025 and will initially focus on incorporating regional languages spoken in West Africa into OpenAI's "Whisper" and Meta's "Llama" software, Orange said.

OpenAI have partnered with France-based telecom company Orange (OTC:ORANY) to train artificial intelligence models in African languages. The partnership shows how the reach of AI continues to grow as the plan targets two West African regional languages,

Orange has struck a multi-year partnership with OpenAI in Europe that will give the French telecoms operator access to pre-release AI models, group chief artificial intelligence officer Steve Jarrett said on Wednesday.