Togo launches AI program to support local languages

The Togolese government has launched ‘Voix du Togo’, a three-year national program designed to develop artificial intelligence models capable of understanding and speaking local languages. The initiative aims to improve access to essential services, such as healthcare, justice, and administrative procedures, for citizens who have limited proficiency in French.

To train these AI models, the government has introduced a national challenge inviting citizens to contribute via an online platform. Volunteers can record their voices, transcribe audio, and translate texts. For each language, the government aims to collect 50 hours of audio recordings, 6,000 translated phrase pairs, and contributions from at least 500 people.

The project will initially focus on three languages—Ewe, Kabyè, and Moba—before expanding to include 47 other national languages. The data collected will undergo verification before being used to build linguistic tools that support digital inclusion and the preservation of Togo's cultural heritage.