Uses AI To Preserve African Stories And Heritage

uses AI to preserve African stories and heritage

A Nigerian artist and filmmaker is harnessing artificial intelligence to preserve Africa’s cultural heritage, using technology to document stories, recreate lost history and connect future generations with the past. Malik Afegbua, known for his innovative use of AI in art and storytelling, is leading projects aimed at safeguarding African narratives that risk being lost over time.

Afegbua’s LegacyLink initiative focuses on documenting the lives and experiences of elderly people across the continent, capturing oral histories that might otherwise disappear. The project involves interviewing elders, recording their memories and using artificial intelligence to create digital representations that future generations can interact with. He describes elders as invaluable sources of knowledge, warning that when they pass away, “it’s like a library being burnt,” highlighting the urgency of preserving their stories Using collected data, Afegbua is developing AI systems capable of generating “digital twins” of these individuals, allowing users to ask questions and receive responses based on real-life experiences.

The goal is to build a living archive of African knowledge one that reflects authentic voices and reduces the risk of cultural misrepresentation in global AI systems.