The Government of Rwanda, in partnership with ALX Africa and Anthropic, has unveiled a groundbreaking AI education model known as “Chidi”, marking a major step forward in accelerating artificial intelligence literacy in Rwanda and across the African continent.
The newly launched Chidi model is designed to equip students, educators, and government personnel with critical thinking skills essential in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Unlike traditional AI tools that provide direct answers—often encouraging passive learning—Chidi guides learners through the reasoning process, allowing them to actively participate in finding solutions.
Focusing on the benefits for Rwanda, Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire emphasized the importance of preparing the country’s youth for a rapidly evolving digital future.
“Forty percent of our young people are under 18. Imagine what that means for Rwanda in terms of priorities, but also in giving them opportunities to learn and skill themselves in many ways,” Minister Paula noted.
She added that she is particularly excited about an AI model that strengthens—not replaces—students’ thinking abilities.
“What I’m really excited about is that it won’t simply give answers but will guide learners through the thinking process. That’s exactly what we want for our young students,” she said.
The partnership represents one of the largest AI-enhanced education deployments on the continent, bringing together ALX Africa’s commitment to empowering African talent, Anthropic’s mission to build responsible and accessible AI, and Rwanda’s Vision 2050 goal of cultivating an AI-ready workforce capable of driving national digital transformation.
According to ALX Founder and CEO Fred Swaniker, Chidi will play a pivotal role in shifting African learners away from rote memorization toward innovation and deeper understanding.
“This collaboration marks a bold step in redefining how African talent learns, works, and leads in the age of AI,” Swaniker said.
Through this partnership, he added, African youth will not only consume AI but also become creators, shaping innovations that will influence the global economy.
As part of the initiative, 2,000 Rwandan educators and selected civil servants—mainly from the education, science, and health sectors—will participate in ALX’s AI Career Essentials program.
The training will provide hands-on experience using generative AI tools, including Anthropic’s Claude large language model, to enhance teaching practices, lesson planning, and overall productivity.
Graduates of the first phase will receive one year of access to a suite of Claude tools—such as Claude Pro for individuals and Claude Code for developer teams—while university educators will explore Claude Education, ensuring that AI literacy continues to influence classrooms and workplaces long after the pilot ends.
For now, the program is accessible through ALX classes and partner institutions, with an option for children to access the platform for $5 per month.
ALX is Africa’s fastest-growing tech talent accelerator, connecting hundreds of thousands of young Africans to transformative learning opportunities and equipping them with skills needed to thrive in the global economy.
Anthropic, a leading US-based AI safety and research company, provides the Claude large language model and technical guidance to support safe and responsible AI deployment in Rwanda and beyond.
