Grace Ashiru
Google has expanded its AI Overviews and AI Mode search tools to support 13 African languages, in addition to English. This update empowers millions of users across the continent, and specifically across Kenya, to explore, learn, and create online in their own local languages, such as Kiswahili and Somali.
This expansion builds on Google’s investment in responsible AI for Search. Through AI Overviews, Kenyans can now receive concise, AI-generated summaries of their searches, paired with reliable links for deeper exploration. AI Mode takes this further, allowing users to interact through text, voice, or image sharing to receive more detailed, personalised responses in their preferred language.
The 13 languages were selected based on strong and growing search usage across the continent, ensuring this first wave of local-language AI reaches active communities in countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. This initiative enables Kenyan students, teachers, and entrepreneurs to move beyond simply hearing about AI to actively applying it to address real challenges in their local communities.
The expansion draws on insights from Google’s Waxal language project, an initiative that combines machine learning, linguistic research, and community collaboration to improve how AI tools understand and generate African languages. The project’s name, Waxal, means “to speak” in Wolof, reflecting its goal to make digital communication more inclusive and locally relevant.
Together, these updates reflect Google’s long-term commitment to building African-language AI capabilities that are both technically advanced and culturally grounded.
Expanding AI Overviews and AI Mode into additional languages widely spoken in Sub-Saharan Africa marks the next phase of this work. It enables students, teachers, translators, nmbmbnmbmbentrepreneurs, and everyday users to move beyond simply hearing about AI to actively applying it to address real challenges in their communities.
How to use AI Mode in Kiswahili and Somali
Kenyans can start using these features by following these steps:
- Open the Google app on an Android or iOS device (via the app or a mobile browser).
- Tap on AI Mode within the Search experience.
- Type or speak a question in a preferred language, such as Kiswahili or Somali.
Google is inviting users across the continent to try the experience, share feedback and help refine how AI shows up in their languages.
The newly supported languages include: Kiswahili (Kenya, Tanzania), Somali (Somalia, Kenya), Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Sesotho, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá, and isiZulu.
