Google Offers AI Tools in Kenya, Scammers Use AI to Impersonate Businesses, & Indian App Challenges WhatsApp - October 2025

Google is offering Kenyan university students one year of free access to its premium AI tools, including Gemini 2.5 Pro and 2 terabytes of cloud storage, as part of an educational program across six African countries. In a different application of technology, foreign firms are using AI-generated images and fabricated backstories to impersonate legitimate UK businesses and scam shoppers. Customers reported receiving low-quality items from East Asian warehouses instead of artisanal products. In the app market, an Indian-made messaging app called Arattai, developed by Zoho, has seen a sudden surge in popularity, challenging WhatsApp's dominance in India. This rise is linked to the Indian government's push for self-reliance.