KFC Introduces Purpose-Built AI Model Kaiia Showcasing Local Language And Cultural Nuance

KFC says it has created a real, purpose-built AI model that will be ready for public use on Tuesday, 24 June.

After social media leaks and a tech spec video caused a stir last week, tech influencers who unearthed a link to KAIIA started reporting that the AI seemed to mention chicken randomly whenever they interacted with it. Bongani Moropa, known as @Bonghuni posted about KAIIA's fluency in isiZulu, remarking on its odd obsession with food. Tech influencer Tyron Tech posted, "This could be game-changing for RSA".  

Anything for the Taste

KFC Africa Chief Marketing Officer, Grant Macpherson, says the brand loves pushing boundaries and surprising consumers with its campaigns, showing the lengths people (and now an AI) will go to for the taste of KFC.

"The unofficial taste inspector campaign is one everyone remembers, and last year we featured scientists spending a year on Marion Island and pining so hard that two of them set off home in a dinghy clutching a KFC shopping list," Macpherson says.

"Bringing these stories to life with our incredible partners at Ogilvy has been a blast. This time around, we wanted to tap into the conversations people are having every day — AI, or as I like to call it, 'Are the robots taking over?' The advances in AI are on everyone's lips, so we thought — why not put it on everyone's taste buds too? Our idea is to ride the wave of relevance by creating a campaign that taps into the modern zeitgeist, sparks conversation and gives Mzansi a chance to engage with the tech in a fun and lighthearted way," adds Macpherson. 

Human Experience

Macpherson says, "Sure, AI can help me check the spelling in this quote and generate an endless stream of cat memes — but you've got to feel a bit sorry for it. I mean, what's life (even artificial life) without the pleasure of our world-famous 11 herbs and spices?"

KFC concludes that as an AI large language model AI assistant, KAIIA — the work of Methodlab in Cape Town — will be fully operational to the public from Tuesday, 24 June. It can interact fluently in eleven of South Africa's official languages, and its responses are built around local culture and nuanced according to which language is being used. 

For more information, visit www.kfc.co.za. You can also follow Facebook, X, Instagram, or on TikTok. 

*Image courtesy of contributor