Craft Silicon banks on 'small talk AI' to offer voice-powered financial assistance in local languages

Priya Sodi, Craft Silicon Chief Executive Officer hands over a gift to Joseph Mugume, Ebo Sacco Chief Executive Officer during the 2025 Sacco Summit. [Courtesy]

Kenyan tech firm Craft Silicon is now seeking to revolutionise local banking with a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

The made-in-Kenya ‘Small Talk’ innovation, a direct competitor to global giants like ChatGPT, Elon Musk's Grok, and Meta's Llama, is uniquely designed to integrate with banking core systems and engage users through voice commands in both English and local languages.

Speaking at the 2025 Sacco Summit in Nairobi, Kamal Budhabhatti, Group CEO of Craft Silicon emphasised its distinct voice-first approach.

He said unlike many existing AI chatbots that rely on text-based queries, ‘Small Talk’ aims to mimic natural human conversation, a move believed to be the future of human-technology interaction.

"Our forecast indicates future interaction with technology is going to be through voice," Budhabhatti said, adding, “Once you start interacting with technology through voice, you automatically knock down costs such as training, which was common with traditional technology, especially for new products.”

"Small Talk" is currently in its pilot phase with select financial institutions.

Once fully implemented, it will allow users to simply speak their financial questions into their mobile banking apps.

The AI will then provide real-time responses on topics ranging from account balances and savings tips to other personalized financial concerns. This deep understanding of local languages and real-time connection to core banking systems sets it apart.

Craft Silicon boost of a wide range of localised global innovations.

The company launched Little Limited, which introduced Little Cab in 2016. This digital taxi service successfully competed with international players like Uber by focusing on corporate clients, offering a ‘Lady Bug’ option with female drivers for safety, and even a USSD option for non-smartphone users.

The SACCO Summit 2025, held under the theme ‘Insight, Innovation, Connection’ provided a dynamic platform for over 700 C-suite managers from across East Africa to explore digital transformation strategies and innovative financial inclusion tools.

Craft Silicon showcased other game-changing platforms tailored for SACCOs, including Spotit, MySalary, and BR.Net Islamic, reinforcing its commitment to empowering cooperative societies through technology.

"Our mission with this summit was clear: to bring together the brightest minds in the SACCO movement and empower them with the tools, insights, and inspiration they need to drive real change," Budhabhatti said highlighting the shared commitment to reimagining SACCOs for the future.