Abena AI: Ghana AI Assistant 1.1.8

Say "Abena, Dɛn na wobetumi ayɛ?" or “What can you do?”

Introduction to Abena: Africa's pioneering offline, hands-free voice assistant designed by Africans for African needs.

Abena offers rapid response times and operates entirely offline, eliminating the need for internet connectivity. Currently, it supports Ghanaian Akan Twi, Ghanaian English accents, and Pidgin English, with plans to include additional African languages shortly.

The device allows users to engage in voice commands in Twi, English, or Ghana Pidgin English to perform a variety of tasks such as making calls, checking airtime or data balances, transferring credit or data, sending money through various mobile money services (MTN Momo, Telecel Cash, AirtelTigo Money), obtaining weather updates, accessing Twitter trends or Ghanaian news, setting reminders, alarms, and timers, controlling smart home devices like Philips Hue lights and televisions, recording voice notes, sending instant messages, casual chatting, opening third-party applications, playing music and games (including Twi Proverbs Challenge).

Its functionality extends to home automation—controlling lighting and devices through voice commands without rewiring or professional setup. Simply say "Abena, Sɔ kanea no ma me" or “Turn on my lights” to operate your smart environment.

Despite the growing popularity of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant worldwide—none of which currently support native African languages—Abena addresses this gap by providing a locally relevant AI assistant. Its offline capabilities not only preserve user privacy but also reduce costs associated with internet data usage.

Key features of Abena include:

• Local voice AI support for TwiGPT and PidginGPT interactions—users can speak or type in Twi, Pidgin English, or standard English with instant offline responses.
• Video dubbing into local languages—select a video in any language; Abena AI will automatically dub it into a chosen local language with a single click.
• Offline text-to-speech conversion—generate audio from text or website links in local languages suitable for voice-overs, audiobooks, podcasts, educational content, and entertainment.
• Real-time updates on Twitter trends and Ghana news—delivered in Twi or English.
• Weather forecasts from any location are accessible without internet connectivity.
• Balance checks for airtime and mobile money services across all networks without internet—MTN, Telecel Cash, AirtelTigo Money.
• Credit and airtime transfers between users without online connection.
• Data management features—checking data balance, purchasing additional data plans, and transferring data offline.
• Scheduling tools such as reminders, alarms, and timers that function offline.
• Smart home integration—control over smart lights (e.g., Philips Hue) and other IoT devices via voice commands in local languages.

An additional accessibility feature utilizes the Screen Reading API to assist visually impaired Ghanaians by reading out their call credits and data plans through USSD commands activated by voice—enhancing inclusivity within the community.