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Malik Afegbua Uses AI to Preserve Africa's Elders and Lost Heritage Sites

What if you could talk to your ancestors—or walk through ruins erased by time? One innovator is making it possible with cutting-edge tech. The race to save Africa's past has begun.

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1 min read
The image shows an old book with a black background and a map of Africa on it. The map is detailed...
The image shows an old book with a black background and a map of Africa on it. The map is detailed and shows various geographical features such as mountains, rivers, and cities. The text on the paper provides further information about the map.

Malik Afegbua Uses AI to Preserve Africa's Elders and Lost Heritage Sites

Malik Afegbua has launched LegacyLink, a project aimed at preserving the stories and heritage of African elders. Using interviews, videos, and 3D scans, he creates 'digital twins' to keep their memories alive for future generations. His work also extends to restoring lost cultural sites through AI-driven reconstructions.

Afegbua began by interviewing 15 elders in Nigeria. Some were initially reluctant to share their experiences, but he won their trust by showing slideshows and AI demonstrations. His goal is to conduct 1,000 interviews across Africa by 2028, with plans to interview 30 more elders in Kenya and Cameroon soon.

The recorded stories, videos, and scans of family heirlooms will form interactive holographic displays. These 'digital twins' will allow people to engage with elders' memories through AI-generated responses. Afegbua also intends to develop an online chatbot, making the project widely accessible in multiple languages, with human translations ensuring accuracy. Beyond LegacyLink, Afegbua is working on ReMemory, a project to virtually rebuild 100 African heritage sites. The first focus is the ancient walls of Benin City, using historical records and academic research. However, challenges remain, including gaps in documentation, colonial biases in archives, and the fading of oral traditions. Despite these hurdles, Afegbua remains committed to reviving languages, artefacts, and symbols. His vision is to let people interact with Africa's past in ways never before possible.

The LegacyLink and ReMemory projects aim to bridge generational gaps by preserving stories and sites at risk of being forgotten. Through AI and digital technology, Afegbua's work could offer new ways to explore Africa's rich cultural history. The final results will be shared in public spaces and online, ensuring broad access.

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