On Friday, May 19th, 2023, tech mogul Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, visited Nigeria for an exclusive event hosted at the Muson Centre in Lagos. Several investors, tech executives, and founders were in attendance. During this two-part event, Altman had the opportunity to meet and greet attendants and answer questions.
Sudhanshu Gaurav, Co-founder of Incash, was among Altman’s admirers. He expressed his enthusiasm for the future application of AI in the African tech space and was delighted with the event. Altman’s team had yet to make announcement of his plans, yet a reliable source claims Nigeria as his only point of visit in Africa while touring Europe later the same day. There were further rumors of OpenAI in search of local developers.
Olusola Ayoola of RAIN Technologies believes Altman is in Nigeria to learn about how OpenAI can meet local needs. Unfortunately, OpenAI experienced an unfortunate instance earlier in 2021 when they had to prematurely or unfairly layoff Kenyan employees to perfect ChatGPT program. This is why Altman’s visit could be intended to improve OpenAI’s public image on the continent, as another tech company, Meta, had previously battled lawsuits for abuse of labour rights and inhumane working conditions.
The intention of Altman’s visit appears to be much wider than just bettering PR. For instance, OpenAI may be exploring partnership opportunities with African platforms to integrate their API in services like Salesforce, Air India, and Duolingo. It is possible that OpenAI’s goal is to place themselves as the top provider of AI when it comes to Africa, which would ultimately result in increased profitability on the continent.
OpenAI is a leading artificial intelligence company with a goal to create socially beneficial AI. Founded in 2015, it is an independent research lab with a mission to ensure that this technology is developed safely and in an advanced manner. OpenAI has partnered with many technology companies, including Microsoft and NVIDIA, on various projects and has gained significant press and recognition from leaders, such as Sam Altman, in the industry. In their most recent project, they are using the NVIDIA platform to develop a computer program that can generate human-like conversations.
