For a woman facing online harassment, threats or the non-consensual sharing of her private images, knowing where to turn can be almost as difficult as dealing with the abuse itself.
In Nigeria, an artificial intelligence chatbot called Kemi is offering a new starting point.
Developed by the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), Kemi is an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot designed to provide confidential guidance and support to women and girls experiencing technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
The idea behind the platform is simple but significant. Rather than requiring survivors to navigate complicated websites or immediately approach formal institutions, Kemi allows them to begin a conversation through WhatsApp, a platform already widely used across Nigeria.
According to a report published by Tribune Online on August 30, 2026, Kemi has increasingly become a first point of contact for people dealing with different forms of online abuse.
The chatbot can provide information about digital abuse, explain possible responses, direct users towards support services and help them understand how incidents can be reported.
Its relevance is becoming greater as the nature of online abuse continues to change. Cyberbullying, stalking, threats, doxxing, image-based abuse and digitally manipulated photographs are among the problems confronting women online.
How Kemi Helps Women Facing Online Abuse
One of Kemi’s biggest advantages is accessibility.
The service operates through WhatsApp, meaning users do not have to download a separate application before seeking assistance. A conversation can begin from a familiar platform and, according to BBYDI, the chatbot is designed to provide a confidential and judgment-free environment.
Kemi also takes a multilingual approach. The service supports English, French, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin, making it easier for users from different backgrounds to communicate about sensitive experiences. Girls Not Brides described Kemi as a confidential AI-powered chatbot supporting survivors of technology-facilitated gender-based violence across West Africa.
The chatbot covers several forms of abuse and can help users recognise what they are experiencing. It can also provide practical information about preserving evidence, reporting abuse on the platform where it occurred and finding relevant legal or psychosocial support.
This does not mean Kemi replaces lawyers, counsellors, law enforcement officers or professional support organisations. Its role is closer to that of an accessible first step.
That distinction matters because many victims may not immediately know whether an incident is serious enough to report, where to report it or how to preserve evidence before doing so.
For someone already dealing with fear and embarrassment, having somewhere to ask those first questions privately can make a difference.
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Why AI and Digital Abuse Are Becoming a Bigger Concern
The rise of artificial intelligence has created new opportunities for innovation, but it has also introduced new ways for people to abuse others online.
BBYDI warned in 2025 that AI could become a new frontier for technology-facilitated gender-based violence after cases emerged involving the manipulation of women’s photographs and the creation of sexualised images without consent. The organisation described such activity as a serious violation of privacy and dignity.
The problem is that online abuse does not necessarily remain online.
A manipulated photograph can affect someone’s reputation. Threats can create fear outside the internet. Private images can be used for blackmail. Persistent harassment can affect a woman’s education, employment, relationships and willingness to participate publicly online.
This is why digital safety has increasingly become part of the broader conversation around women’s rights and gender-based violence.
BBYDI’s own research across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Togo and Senegal found that 92 per cent of respondents, mostly women, had experienced some form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Fewer than half had reported their experiences, with stigma, fear of blame and distrust of support systems identified among the barriers.
Back Story: How Kemi Was Created
Kemi was officially unveiled in Abuja in July 2025 as part of BBYDI’s efforts to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence across West and Central Africa.
The organisation did not build the chatbot solely from a technology perspective. Survivors and communities were involved in its development, with BBYDI conducting 41 feedback and testing workshops to understand how the tool should work and how its responses could be made more useful and trustworthy. The Guardian reported that the chatbot was co-created with survivors and supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The thinking behind the approach is important. A technically sophisticated tool will not necessarily help a survivor if she does not trust it or cannot understand how to use it.
Kemi therefore focuses on meeting users where they already are.
Recent reporting shows that the platform is now being used as a practical entry point for women seeking help with online abuse. BBYDI has also been working to improve the chatbot’s ability to respond in local languages, reflecting the reality that digital support must be accessible beyond English.
But Kemi also highlights a larger issue.
Nigeria’s response to digital abuse cannot depend on AI alone. Survivors still need effective laws, responsive institutions, professional counselling, stronger platform moderation and reliable pathways to justice.
What Kemi provides is a bridge between experiencing abuse and knowing what to do next.
And in a digital environment where a threatening message, manipulated photograph or private image can spread within minutes, making that first step easier could be one of the most important forms of digital support available to vulnerable women.
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