After Cyclone Freddy destroyed his farm in 2023, Malawian farmer Alex Maere turned to an AI-powered chatbot for help. Once producing 850 kilograms of corn a season, he salvaged just 8 kilograms after the storm. By following the chatbot’s advice to plant potatoes alongside corn and cassava, Maere earned more than $800 last year and paid his children’s school fees.
The tool, Ulangizi—“advisor” in Chichewa—was developed by Opportunity International and is backed by Malawi’s government. Accessible via WhatsApp in Chichewa and English, it provides text or audio farming advice and can identify crop diseases from photos.
Support agents bring the app to farmers without smartphones, but poor internet and limited literacy remain barriers. Experts warn inaccurate AI advice could devastate livelihoods, making trust in the technology fragile.
Despite the challenges, officials see AI as a way to boost food security in a country where more than 80% of people depend on agriculture.
