Google has expanded its artificial intelligence capabilities to support 13 African languages, a move expected to make AI-powered tools more accessible to millions of people across the continent.
The tech giant announced that its AI Overviews and AI Mode features within Google Search will now work in several widely spoken African languages, allowing users to interact with AI and access information in their preferred local languages.
The development marks a significant step toward improving digital inclusion across Africa, where many internet users rely on languages other than English for everyday communication.
With the latest expansion, Google’s AI tools now support the following African languages:
Kiswahili, Somali, Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Sesotho, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá, isiZulu.
The update allows users to ask questions, search for information, and receive AI-generated summaries directly in these languages.
Millions of Africans will now be able to interact with AI-powered search results in languages they use daily at home, school, and work.
The expansion mainly affects two key features in Google Search:
AI Overviews: This tool provides AI-generated summaries at the top of search results to help users quickly understand complex topics while also linking to additional sources for deeper information.
AI Mode: AI Mode creates a more conversational search experience where users can ask questions using text, voice, or images and receive detailed responses generated by artificial intelligence.
Together, these features aim to make searching for information faster and more intuitive.
Google says the initiative addresses a long-standing digital divide caused by limited support for African languages in technology.
Many digital tools historically focused on a small number of global languages, often leaving speakers of local African languages underserved online.
Google South Africa country director Kabelo Makwane said technology that only supports a few dominant languages can exclude millions of users.
He noted that much of today’s technology “doesn’t speak their language,” despite the growing number of Africans creating and innovating in various fields.
By expanding AI language support, the company hopes to allow people to interact with technology more naturally in the languages that shape their culture and identity.
The update is expected to have a significant impact in countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Africa, where several of the newly supported languages are widely spoken.
Kiswahili is spoken by more than 100 million people across East Africa. Hausa and Yorùbá are among the most widely used languages in West Africa. Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia.
With AI tools now supporting these languages, users can access information, learning resources, and digital services more easily.
The language expansion forms part of Google’s broader strategy to improve AI access across Africa.
