How Intelli Uses AI to Help Businesses Listen to Their Customers | AI4SD Podcast EP. 3

What if businesses could respond to their customers faster, understand their needs better, and deliver more personalised experiences without losing the human touch? For Nana Abokuma Sika Antwi, co-founder of Intelli, this is exactly where AI can make a difference. In this episode of the **AI4SD Podcast**, we sit down with Sika to explore how Intelli is using AI and automation to help businesses rethink customer communication and service delivery. Intelli is a business communication platform that brings customer conversations from channels such as WhatsApp, Instagram, email, Facebook and websites into one place. By combining AI with automation, the platform helps businesses manage customer support, sales and other interactions more efficiently, while ensuring customers receive timely responses and the attention they need. But the idea goes beyond simply answering messages faster. As Sika explains, the real value lies in personalisation. Just as a teacher adapts to the needs of different students, AI assistants can be trained on a business’s brand, products, customer service guidelines and preferred way of communicating. This allows businesses to deliver responses that reflect who they are and what their customers need. And as the business evolves, its AI assistant can evolve with it. The conversation also explores some of the challenges facing AI adoption in Ghana. While individuals are increasingly experimenting with AI, businesses can be slower to integrate it into their operations. Concerns about cost, data privacy, regulation and unfamiliarity with new technologies can all stand in the way. Sika shares her perspective on why businesses need to look beyond these concerns and consider how AI can complement their teams, improve efficiency and free people to focus on work that requires human judgement and creativity. Responsible AI is another important part of the discussion. Sika explains how Intelli approaches customer data, including its emphasis on data protection, collecting only necessary information and giving businesses control over how long their data is retained. She also reflects on the need for regulation that protects users without placing unnecessary burdens on growing businesses, particularly in Ghana’s evolving technology ecosystem. One of her strongest messages is that AI is only as useful as the way we apply it. Businesses cannot simply automate poor customer service and expect better results. They must first understand what good service looks like, define how they want to engage their customers, and then use AI to deliver that experience more effectively. From customer communication and business automation to the future of AI in Africa, this episode offers a practical look at how local innovators are turning artificial intelligence into solutions for everyday business challenges. Watch the full conversation to hear Sika’s insights on building with AI in Ghana, overcoming adoption barriers, protecting customer data and creating AI-powered experiences that remain personal. The AI4SD Podcast is part of the AI4SD Project, funded by the French Embassy in Ghana, bringing you conversations with the founders, researchers and innovators using AI to address real-world challenges across Africa.