Uniccon Group Launches AI-Driven APIs for Digital Transformation

The Uniccon Group of Companies has launched an AI-driven Speech and Language Application Programming Interface (API) designed to revolutionise digital communication and accessibility across Africa. This innovative technology aims to enhance connectivity and bridge communication gaps, paving the way for a more inclusive digital landscape on the continent.

The application aims to close Africa’s language technology gap by providing advanced automatic speech recognition (ASR) and speech synthesis (text-to-speech) features.

This was announced by the Chairman of Uniccon Group, Prof. Chuks Ekweme, during the app’s unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ekweme highlighted that the app would include a Language Translation channel focused on Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin, and Nigerian-accented English.

He elaborated that the Speech Synthesis (Text-to-Speech) API would generate lifelike speech in these languages, making it ideal for media, education, virtual assistants, and accessibility tools.

Following the inauguration of Omeife, he stated that the company has utilised its AI expertise to provide advanced speech solutions to businesses, developers, and governments.

These solutions include the speech-driven component. He added that these APIs mark the next phase in making AI more accessible and influential throughout Africa.

“It will be optimised for customer service automation, transcription, and voice-activated commands. Lightning-fast response time of 0.34 seconds, making it one of the fastest ASR models for African languages.

“It will enable seamless interaction between humans and machines across multiple industries.

“Language translation API has high-accuracy translation between English, Hausa, and Yoruba, outperforming existing models.

“It will enhance healthcare, e-commerce, and telecommunications by eliminating language barriers support real-time, context-aware translations tailored for African dialects,’’ he said.

According to him, the innovation follows the success of Omeife, Africa’s first humanoid robot, to further demonstrate the company’s commitment to pioneering indigenous AI solutions tailored to the continent’s needs.

This weekend, we are reminiscing about @iamomeife1‘s first toast. We are excited about how far we have come with the development of Omeife, and we can’t wait to unveil her next version #Omeifetherobot #tech #Uniccongroup #robotics #AI #ArtificialInteligence pic.twitter.com/Q2BXGrI75F

— UNICCON Group (@uniccongroup) July 28, 2023

“African languages have been under-represented in global AI developments,” he said.

In contrast to global models, the chairman stated that Uniccon’s APIs were designed for Africa’s linguistic and cultural quirks, making them scalable and affordable for companies of all sizes to integrate with a flexible subscription-based pricing model.

He also stated that data protection was of utmost importance, with strong encryption guaranteeing user safety in terms of privacy and security.

He added that Uniccon was already working on new features, such as real-time streaming for speech recognition to support interactive AI solutions, and he encouraged developers, companies, and tech enthusiasts to begin integrating Uniccon’s Speech and Language APIs using https://www.omeife.ai/ for access and enquiries.

NAN