Caine Ardayfio is positioning himself at the forefront of the global race toward superintelligence. He is betting that artificial intelligence, when integrated directly into everyday life, will redefine how people think, work, and communicate.

The young founder, who began coding in eighth grade after being introduced to programming by his father, has followed a steady trajectory of innovation. What started as building simple websites and apps soon expanded into ethical hacking and, by his final year of high school, entrepreneurship.

As a senior, Ardayfio launched his first startup focused on mental health, inspired by his sister’s experiences. The venture attracted early attention, helping him raise $100,000 and hire a small team, he told AFROTECH™.

Today, Ardayfio has paused his studies at Harvard University to focus full-time on Mira, a startup aiming to disrupt the wearable technology market with AI-powered smart glasses designed to function as a constant cognitive companion.

AI Glasses That Listen, Not Watch

Mira was co-founded with AnhPhu Nguyen, whom Ardayfio met at Harvard’s makerspace. The duo collaborated on a range of unconventional projects, from flamethrowers to robotic tentacles, before their work on smart glasses went viral, garnering more than 80 million online views. That momentum helped lay the groundwork for Mira, according to the company.

Unlike many wearable devices, Mira’s glasses do not record video. Instead, they capture audio temporarily, convert it into text, and then delete the audio, storing only the transcription. The system offers what the company describes as “infinite memory,” enabling users to recall past conversations, receive real-time translations in more than 60 languages, perform instant calculations, and get AI-generated follow-up questions displayed directly on the lenses.

“We try to make sure it’s as private as possible,” Ardayfio said, emphasizing that the glasses are designed with privacy safeguards at their core.

The glasses are supported by a companion app that allows users to review their day, locate key moments from conversations, and customize their AI assistant. While the app includes a free version, users can subscribe for $20 per month for unlimited AI responses. Mira glasses retail at $649 for non-prescription lenses and $799 for prescription versions.

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Early Adoption and Market Strategy

So far, Mira’s primary customers have been senior executives and business owners seeking to keep track of high-stakes meetings and fast-paced professional interactions. Ardayfio believes the real shift lies in moving AI from screens into lived experience.

“These glasses let you be much closer to AI systems,” he explained. “Rather than it just being another browser tab, it’s literally with you 24/7, during all of your conversations.”

While Mira is starting with professionals, Ardayfio says the long-term goal is mass adoption, driven by deeper integrations with calendars, email platforms, and everyday digital tools.

Backed by Major Investment

Mira recently secured $6.6 million in seed funding, led by global venture capital firm General Catalyst. Ardayfio said the funding has “supercharged” development, enabling the company to recruit top-tier software engineers and machine learning experts to refine its AI systems, app functionality, and device firmware.

“I think software is going to be the big thing,” he said. “Smart-glasses hardware has existed for a while, but the software has always lagged. That’s where we want to stand out.”

The investment will also go toward improving the physical design of the glasses, making them more consistent in texture and thickness.

Looking ahead, Mira plans to release an initial batch of 300 units, followed by another 1,000 by the end of January. Ardayfio’s ambition is bold: reaching one million users within the next three years.

For global audiences, including Africa’s growing tech ecosystem, Mira’s rise highlights how young founders are shaping the future of artificial intelligence — not just as software, but as a constant, wearable presence in daily life.

In a new research report that is stirring debate across industries, Microsoft has identified 40 occupations with the highest exposure to disruption by generative artificial intelligence (AI).

The study, “Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI,” analyzed more than 200,000 anonymized interactions with Microsoft’s Copilot tools to determine how closely AI capabilities overlap with day‑to‑day job tasks.

Roles that center on writing, communication, data processing, and routine cognitive tasks were among those with the highest AI applicability scores, suggesting that many of their core activities can already be performed — or heavily assisted — by current AI systems.

Among the occupations flagged as most exposed are interpreters and translators, sales representatives, writers and authors, customer service representatives, and news analysts, reporters and journalists. Other roles on the list include editors, technical writers, proofreaders, data scientists, and even post‑secondary business and economics teachers.

Experts emphasize that a high AI applicability score does not necessarily mean immediate job losses. Rather, it reflects how many tasks within a role align with functions AI systems like large language models already perform well, including drafting text, summarising information, and handling structured communication tasks.

Microsoft’s researchers note that the study does not imply AI can fully perform any one occupation autonomously, and that job transformation — not simply elimination — is the more likely outcome in many cases.

The report has reignited debate about which careers are most vulnerable in the age of AI. Teachers, translators, writers, sales professionals and journalists have expressed unease over the findings, particularly as organisations increasingly integrate AI tools into everyday workflows.

Critics argue that metrics based on AI usage or automation potential may undervalue the nuance, judgement and human context required in these professions — especially in education and journalism, where subjective interpretation and ethical decision‑making remain essential.

At the same time, the study highlights that many roles involving physical labor or direct human interaction are currently less exposed to AI disruption.

Occupations such as nursing assistants, manual equipment operators, and technicians requiring hands‑on skills show much lower AI applicability scores, underlining the continued importance of human presence in certain fields.

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A young Namibian innovator who designed a mobile phone capable of making calls without a SIM card, airtime, or mobile data is still struggling to secure employment years after his breakthrough invention captured international attention.

Simon Petrus, from northern Namibia, developed the unconventional mobile device while he was still a student, using recycled electronic components and basic engineering principles.

Unlike conventional smartphones that rely on cellular networks, Petrus’ phone operates using radio frequencies, allowing it to make direct calls to other compatible devices without the need for telecom infrastructure.

The prototype was assembled from parts salvaged from an old landline telephone, a television set, and a two-way radio system. By integrating these components, Petrus created a handheld communication device that functions independently of mobile network operators. The phone requires no SIM card, no airtime, and no data plan, making it potentially useful in remote or underserved areas with little or no cellular coverage.

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Beyond its core calling function, the device includes several additional features, such as a small built-in television, an LED light, a cooling fan, and USB charging ports. All components are powered through a self-assembled circuit connected to a simple radiator-based power system.

Petrus first drew national attention after presenting the invention at a school science fair, where he won first prize. Images of the teenager showcasing a SIM-free phone built from scrap materials quickly spread across local and international media platforms, earning him praise as a symbol of African ingenuity and grassroots innovation.

Despite the publicity, the breakthrough did not translate into sustained institutional support. After completing high school, Petrus struggled to gain admission to university and only later managed to enroll in higher education. He eventually earned a degree in electronics engineering in 2023. However, he remains unemployed, and his invention has not progressed beyond the prototype stage.

While the technology behind the device—radio-frequency communication—has long been used in two-way radios and military systems, Petrus’ approach lies in adapting it into a mobile-style handset designed for everyday use. Experts note that such a concept could offer a low-cost alternative for communication in rural communities and regions with limited network infrastructure.

So far, no major academic institution, technology firm, or government agency has taken up the project for further development, testing, or mass production. Petrus has said he is willing to refine and improve the design if he receives the necessary resources and technical backing.

His story underscores a broader challenge facing many young innovators across Africa: groundbreaking ideas often emerge from modest settings but stall due to limited access to funding, research facilities, and commercialization pathways. In Petrus’ case, his invention also challenges the dominant telecom business model, raising questions about whether disruptive ideas can gain institutional support.

As Ghana and other African countries push narratives of digital transformation and innovation-driven growth, the experience of Simon Petrus highlights the gap that still exists between raw ingenuity and real-world opportunity. ]

Whether his SIM-free phone becomes part of Africa’s technological future may depend less on the invention itself and more on whether systems are willing to invest in ideas that operate outside established norms.