Technology
Google Experts Answer Your Top Most Searched Questions on AI
New search trends released by Google show that search interest in AI has reached an all-time high in Nigeria. The trends show that people have searched for AI more than ever in 2023 so far, with interest rising 310% since last year, and by 1,660% in the last five years.
Google’s research also revealed the top trending questions being asked about AI across Nigeria. Here, Google West Africa Director, Olumide Balogun, answers some of the most frequently asked questions.
- What is Artificial Intelligence and how does it work?
AI is a type of technology that can learn from its environment, experiences and people and that can understand patterns and make projections better than any previous technology before it.
AI models are trained and created by human engineers, who input data into the AI system to train it. For example, in 2012, we showed an AI model thousands of videos of cats on YouTube so that it could learn to recognize a cat. Now, with advancements in technology, we could give an AI model hundreds of books on animals to read – and, using those, it would be able to describe a cat to us on its own despite having never been shown one.
Once AI systems are trained, they’re tested to see if they work well. You can do this by asking the AI model to describe or recognise a cat, for example, or even to generate a picture of one for you. Training AI models can take a long time – but once they work, they can be deployed into production so that you can use them at home.
- When did AI start?
AI can be traced back to the early 1950s, when Alan Turing – a British mathematician – published a paper on Computing Machinery and Intelligence. That kick-started the principles behind AI – but the first time anyone used the term was likely in 1956 when John McCarthy hosted a conference at Dartmouth College called the Dartmouth Summer Research Project in Artificial Intelligence.
So AI is not new – in fact, AI research has been accelerating since the 1990s. Google itself became an AI-first company back in 2015. But the pace of AI development is accelerating – with more households able to access generative AI tools like text-to-image generators or chatbots – which has made AI a household phrase for maybe the first time ever.
- Where is AI used?
AI has always been integral to many daily tools, from Google Translate to antilock braking in cars. Its transformative power, however, is being harnessed more profoundly now. In the heart of this evolution is the Google AI Centre in Accra, laser-focused on Africa’s unique challenges and aspirations. While innovations like Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold impact global biotech, in Africa, we’re taking strides that resonate with local needs. We’re collaborating to map remote buildings for better planning, using AI to predict challenges like locust outbreaks and enhancing maternal health via AI-powered ultrasound.
AI’s potential in sustainability is vast. In Africa, it’s about thriving industries that respect our rich biodiversity. While the global health community benefits from protein sequence mapping, for Africa, it’s a hope against diseases like malaria.
- What can AI do and how can I use it?
Think of AI as a tool that’s really good at understanding patterns and making projections – better than any computer has been before – and that’s been taught to learn from its environment, experiences and people. When you put that ability to good use, you can use AI to do all sorts of amazing things, like helping doctors to screen for and identify cancer, predicting and monitoring natural disasters, or helping businesses to identify and reduce their carbon emissions.
You’re probably using AI all the time already without realising it. But you can now also use AI to help boost your productivity with experimental language tools like Bard, to translate even more languages on Google Translate, or to find the most fuel-efficient route on Google Maps.
- Is AI dangerous?
AI is like any other technology in that it can be used for good or bad, depending on the user. On the one hand, it has incredible potential to be used in ways that are beneficial for society – whether it’s protecting people from spam and fraud, translating hundreds more languages, or forecasting floods up to seven days in advance. But it can also be used to amplify current societal issues – like misinformation and discrimination.
It’s really important that we get these tools right, working together to ensure we’re creating and using them responsibly. That means governments are introducing regulations to help us seize the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks, as well as companies developing shared sets of standards and principles. At Google, we’re also led by our own AI Principles – which you can read online – to make sure we’re developing AI that is beneficial for society.
- Will AI take my job?
As technology has developed, so too has the job market. At the beginning of the last century, people mostly worked in agriculture. Now we have hedge fund managers, cabin crews aboard widely accessible commercial flights – and, as recently as 1995, web designers. So we’ve had these questions for a long time, and, as a society, we’ve navigated them well.
That’s not to underestimate the potential of AI – which is essentially the ‘third wave’ of digital technology after the internet and mobile phones. It will be brilliant for people’s productivity and for economic opportunity – but it will also cause some levels of disruption. We’ll see a whole set of jobs that can grow – but the most profound change will be how many of our jobs will be assisted by technology. AI will become a partner to many of us, helping us not just to make the repetitive tasks of our work more efficient but also sparking creativity and enabling us to spend more time on the bits of our jobs that we love and that challenge us. We’re already working with people to help them learn how AI can help them. Our Grow with Google programs have trained 7 million people and helped to close the digital skills gap in Africa. Governments, NGOs, and the private sector can work together to bring similar schemes about – ensuring that everyone can benefit from AI.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The co-founder of a freight logistics firm, Kobo360, Mr Obi Ozor, is back at the company after he stepped down in 2023 to become the Commissioner for Transportation in Enugu State.
He has reacquired shares of the company from investors, excluding the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which reaffirmed its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs driving innovation and development in Africa, according to a mail to TechCabal, which reported the news.
Recall that earlier, Kobo360 raised about $79 million from investors, including Juven, a spinoff from Goldman Sachs, IFC, and TLcom Capital.
However, due to its business model, the organisation has struggled to remain in business, forcing its lenders to cut off credit support, which has affected its operations.
The firm has experienced cash flow issues, which have made it impossible to pay truck drivers on time, resulting into declining trip volumes and sharp decline in revenue to keep operations going.
TechCabal reported that a former employee of Kobo360 claimed that truck drivers are paid upfront but had to wait 30 to 90 days for manufacturers and distributors to settle invoices.
“Our partnership with these banks was three-way, so tensions on the bank’s side led to us losing access to our customers’ domiciled accounts. These were major clients, and losing their business significantly reduced Kobo360’s trip volume, revenue, and overall growth,” the source was said to have stated.
Kobo360 began operations in 2017 and hoped to cut inefficiencies, reduce empty return trips, and improve pricing transparency through technology by matching truck owners with businesses needing to move goods.
But these goals have not been sustained because of the challenges the company faced.
Mr Ozor later stepped down for a political appointment in Enugu State. He was replaced by Ciku Mugambi, who later stepped down last October after the company continued to struggle to remain afloat.
This may have forced Mr Ozor to return to the organisation to salvage the situation.
According to TechCabal, IFC believes the situation is not beyond repairs.
“The challenging macroeconomic environment has created headwinds for startups across emerging markets, including in the logistics sector.
“The IFC remains committed to supporting entrepreneurs driving innovation and development across the continent,” it told the news platform.
By Dipo Olowookere
About $10 million has been attracted in investment by FairPlay from JPMorgan Chase, Infinity Ventures and Nyca Partners.
Infinity Ventures, whose founding team previously led PayPal’s Corporate Development and Venture efforts, brings deep expertise in identifying and scaling innovative financial technologies.
The chief executive of FairPlay, Mr Kareem Saleh, believes the funding support “not only validates our mission but also enables us to help more lenders and insurers make decisions that benefit their businesses and their customers.”
He noted, “This investment from a leading group of investors and financial institutions underscores the growing importance of AI safety in the banking and insurance sectors. We’re thrilled to have the support of such prestigious investors as we enter our next phase of growth.”
The firm received these fresh funds after it posted a threefold increase in business in 2024, demonstrating robust market demand for its Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety solutions.
FairPlay’s tools help companies using AI to make high-stakes decisions about consumers’ lives identify and correct blind spots in their decisioning systems.
Its customers find that the product increases revenue, enables them to stay compliant with regulations, and improves financial health outcomes for consumers.
This new funding will accelerate FairPlay’s mission of building fairness infrastructure for the Internet, thereby creating greater safety for all consumers in today’s race to AI adoption.
“FairPlay’s innovative fairness-as-a-service approach has demonstrated remarkable traction in the market. We’ve been particularly impressed by the calibre of institutions adopting FairPlay — including several of the top banks and Fortune 500 companies—because of its robustness and ability to deliver results faster.
“We believe FairPlay’s technology will become a tool for many institutions using AI to make important decisions,” a partner at Infinity Ventures, Jay Ganatra, remarked.
“FairPlay has built an impressive set of products to help its customers evaluate their models, broaden credit access, and strengthen the financial services ecosystem so that institutions of all sizes can adopt responsible AI practices,” the Head of Impact Finance and Advisory at JPMorgan Chase, Shuman Chakrabarty, commented.
“As early investors in FairPlay, we’ve watched the company consistently execute on its vision. Their impressive growth validates our long-standing conviction in both their mission and their ability to deliver pioneering AI solutions to the market,” a partner at Nyca, Jeremy Solomon, noted.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Interswitch, Mr Franklin Ali, has called for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make work easier by boosting operational efficiency and driving economic growth.
Mr Ali, at the 2025 InnovateAI Conference Lagos held at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, submitted that, “The AI economy is a gateway to the knowledge economy, and it is imperative that we embrace this shift.”
“While AI adoption in leading economies like America and China remains below 50 per cent, these nations are at the forefront of AI advancements.
“To compete globally, Nigeria must prioritise reskilling and upskilling its workforce, fostering a mindset shift, and equipping professionals with core and enabling skills such as data literacy, JavaScript, and other technical competencies,” he further stated during a panel session titled AI and The Future of Work in Nigeria.
The Human Resources expert while emphasising the importance of targeted learning and problem-solving at the event themed Scaling AI Adoption in Nigeria: Catalysing Cross-Sectoral Innovation and Fostering Inclusive Growth, informed the participants that, “AI is not just a buzzword; it is a tool for solving real-world problems.”
“For instance, traffic congestion in Lagos is a challenge that can be addressed through AI-driven solutions.
“However, adept use of AI technology requires a deep understanding of core tech skills in areas like natural language processing, robotics, and machine learning.
“We must learn AI not for the sake of it but to solve specific problems that impact our society and economy,” he noted.
This year’s conference had Interswitch Group as a Platinum Sponsor for the second consecutive year, reinforcing its commitment to advancing AI-driven innovation across Africa.
By collaborating with key stakeholders and fostering industry-wide conversations, Interswitch aims to drive AI-powered innovation that will propel Nigeria’s digital economy forward.
As a pioneer in Africa’s fintech space, Interswitch remains dedicated to championing initiatives that harness technology’s transformative potential to unlock new opportunities, stimulate economic growth, and elevate user experiences.
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