Google has expanded its artificial intelligence (AI) search capabilities to include Yoruba and Hausa, which are the two most widely spoken languages in Nigeria. This feature permits users to access AI Overviews and AI Mode for conversational queries and summaries in their native tongues.
Google’s expansion currently covers 13 African languages including Swahili, Amharic, and isiZulu, which were selected based on high search volumes and digital engagement.
This expansion comes after the launch of Nano Banana 2, last month, in Nigeria, which is a high-fidelity image generation model that allows creators to generate professional visuals via text prompts.
The update integrates Yoruba and Hausa into the primary AI search tools of Google, thereby enabling voice and text-based conversational exploration for millions of speakers.
The tools are designed to assist entrepreneurs and creators, and also allow local traders to seek business advice in their preferred language.
Google stressed that the expansion will democratize access to advanced tools, by removing language barriers. This makes it possible for students in Kano who speak Hausa and traders in Ibadan who speak Yoruba language to communicate effectively without language barrier.
As good as this upgrade is, there is also a call by stakeholders for rigorous monitoring to ensure that AI-generated summaries in local languages maintain factual accuracy and avoid cultural nuances being lost in translation.
