Sam Altman, the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, recently visited Nigeria to engage with members of the local tech community and foster interest in emerging AI technologies. Photos circulating on social media showed Mr. Altman interacting with various stakeholders in Lagos.
During his visit, Mr. Altman also addressed students at the MUSON Center, sharing his insights on the future of artificial intelligence. This trip is part of his broader itinerary, which includes 17 locations worldwide, such as Toronto, New Delhi, Tel Aviv, Madrid, Brussels, and Singapore. Lagos is the only African city included in his schedule.
Reports indicate that Mr. Altman encouraged potential clients to complete a form, providing basic information like their name, email address, and reason for wanting to meet. He also extended an invitation to individuals capable of organizing meetings with 500 or more attendees to specify their interest.
Nigeria boasts the most active tech hub in Africa, where developers have been creating impressive AI-generated products. Notable examples include Justin Irabor’s Kainene Vos Savant and Richmond Alake’s audio-to-text AI automation tool. Additionally, OpenAI has research partners on Telegram.
OpenAI made its ChatGPT accessible to the public in November 2022, showcasing its remarkable ability to rapidly acquire and adapt new knowledge. This advanced language model has generated considerable excitement due to its conversational approach to providing answers.
In addition to meeting with OpenAI users and developers, Mr. Altman expressed his intention to engage with lawmakers, seeking feedback and ideas regarding AI. Recently, he addressed the U.S. Senate, advocating for government oversight of artificial intelligence.
