From the University of Lagos (UNILAG), two former students, Abdul-Hakeem Omotayo and Mahmud Adeleye, are making significant contributions to the tech world as the founders of Interactif AI. In this interview, they discuss their path from Nigeria to achieving notable success in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. Their efforts in artificial intelligence (AI) are centered on developing a private and secure AI workflow for the tech ecosystem, demonstrating their commitment to innovation and the advancement of technology.
Kindly walk us through your background
Abdul-Hakeem Omotayo: From Lagos to UC Davis, my path has been driven by a deep commitment to advancing artificial intelligence and making it accessible to underrepresented communities. After earning my BSc degree in Mathematics from the University of Lagos and an MS degree in Mathematics from New Mexico State University, I’ve been working towards a PhD in Statistics at UC Davis. My time at Microsoft allowed me to dive into AI research, recognized by awards from Google and J.P. Morgan. Beyond this, I lead projects with Ro’Ya and Masakhane, focusing on empowering people of Black descent with AI in computer vision and democratizing AI research for African languages, respectively. These initiatives underline my dedication to using AI as a tool for inclusivity and cultural preservation, aiming to ensure that the advancements in technology benefit everyone, everywhere. This mission fuels my work, striving to create impactful AI solutions that address real-world challenges across societies.
Mahmud Adeleye: My journey in tech began during my undergraduate studies in accounting when I got my first laptop, sparking my interest in leveraging digital tools for innovation. I went on to launch a developer-focused newsletter interviewing developers building blockchain-based products that became successful beyond my expectations. To further my knowledge, I pursued a Master’s in Computing Science degree at Oxford Brookes University. Combining my passion for coding and building communities has been integral in building a fulfilling software engineering and developer advocacy career that has seen me work with some of the most exciting startups in the world. In my free time, I lead an award-winning non-profit platform that has gotten over $20k in grants and donations, providing educational materials to hundreds of kids in Africa.
How did you two meet?
Mahmud Adeleye: We met as undergraduates at the prestigious University of Lagos. As two young, ambitious individuals with a passion for technology, we quickly realized that we shared a common goal of making a difference in the world using our growing programming skills. We spent countless nights after classes brainstorming and working on various ideas that we believed had the potential to change the world.
Can you give us an overview of Interactif AI and its mission in revolutionizing team productivity?
Abdul-Hakeem Omotayo: Interactif.ai was founded to address a specific problem: Tech teams and communities spend too much time on repetitive and low-impact tasks, such as sorting through data and navigating vast amounts of information to answer queries. We’re building a full stack, privacy-focused LLM platform that allows teams and ecosystems to create conversational AI assistants and Code Copilots trained on their knowledge bases. We’re then able to boost productivity by improving how these teams interact with their data and each other, ensuring a smoother, more efficient workflow.
What inspired you to create Interactif.ai, and how do you differ from existing generative AI solutions?
Mahmud Adeleye: The idea for Interactif AI came from observing how much time and energy teams lose to tasks that could be easily automated. With backgrounds in Developer Advocacy and extensive experience building and growing a community/ecosystem, we’ve experienced firsthand how teams spend excessive time on low-impact, repetitive tasks and navigate vast amounts of data & documentation.
Our solution is distinctive in its approach to integrating conversational AI within the specific context of tech ecosystems. We offer a unique blend of AI assistants and code Copilots that are trained on relevant knowledge bases and, thus, tailored not just for interaction but for deep technological engagement with developers, addressing complex queries that range from coding assistance to navigating extensive documentation while maintaining high standards of data privacy and security.
You talked about the importance of caring about privacy when using AI applications. How do you ensure the privacy and security of enterprise data at Interactif.ai?
Abdul-Hakeem Omotayo: Our customers are businesses that value privacy, security, and ownership of their data and overall experience. At Interactif AI, we’re building a suite of products that are private by design and allow these businesses to own the overall experience of their AI agents. From the data ingestion and model training to the users interfacing with our AI agents, we implement guardrails via our robust Real-Time Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Safeguard, which offers a robust layer of protection and ensures sensitive information like email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and credit card details stay confidential when interacting with AI interfaces.
We also provide a Private, Self-Hosted AI suite for larger startups and companies who need to meet international data protection laws. This product suite will allow organisations to self-host their own multi-modal platforms for extra privacy.
Can you share any success stories or case studies of teams or organizations that have benefited from using Interactif AI?
Abdul-Hakeem Omotayo: Since our launch, we have worked with several startups and businesses, with over 450,000 developers in their ecosystem combined. In one of our pilot programs, we achieved a 95% satisfaction rate among users from participating startups. These companies reported significant reductions in time spent on manual tasks and an increase in overall efficiency, validating the effectiveness of our AI solutions for businesses.
What are some challenges you’ve faced in your entrepreneurial journey? Any advice for students and early career professionals who are thinking of starting this journey?
Mahmud Adeleye: Just do it. Don’t overthink or overplan it. Yes, it is tough, and there are some days you will feel hyped, and there are days you just want to stop. It is not rosy. That’s the same for every rewarding journey, but the fulfilment of overcoming all the challenges that come with tech startups is unparalleled. Dive in, adapt, and keep pushing forward.
Where do you see Interactif.ai in the next 5 years?
Abdul-Hakeem Omotayo: In the next five years, we envision our conversational AI assistants becoming integral to the fabric of tech ecosystems worldwide, much like search engines are to the internet. As companies across the world become increasingly open to adopting AI solutions, we want to make sure they’re able to do that in a fast, safe, secure, and private manner via our workflows.
