Abenezer Alemayehu Bets on AI for Ethiopian Film

When Abenezer Alemayehu came to the United States in 2022, the timing couldn’t have been better for what he would be doing three years later—launching his own artificial intelligence company.

In November 2022, just months before leaving Ethiopia, OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public, sparking global interest in artificial intelligence and reshaping industries, including entertainment.

When Abenezer first began using ChatGPT, he quickly noticed something missing. “When I asked ChatGPT to generate images of Ethiopians, it always created people who didn’t look Ethiopian at all,” Abenezer said. “That was when I realized I needed to do something to help get it right.”

In March 2025, Abenezer, who had spent years producing documentaries and commercials for businesses, launched Ehud AI, an AI platform built for filmmakers, advertisers, and creative teams.

The platform combines AI screenplay writing, AI image generation, and AI video generation—designed around Ethiopian culture and distinctive African features.

According to Abenezer, Ehud AI Studio was built around three core missions. “Ehud AI Studio focuses on three things,” he said. “First, we build generative AI tools for cinematic filmmaking. Second, we offer filmmaking masterclasses. Third, we teach creators how to use these tools to bring their stories to life.”

So far, Ehud AI has graduated more than 100 students through its filmmaking masterclass program. Most of its paying customers are currently based in the United States, but the company is now expecting growth in Ethiopia as it continues expanding its presence in the country.

Abenezer believes the time is coming when fully AI-generated films will become as powerful as traditional filmmaking. “It can be done,” he said, “but right now it’s still exhausting and time-consuming. As the technology continues to improve, it will become one of the easiest ways to produce movies.”

Having grown up watching Indian films, Abenezer believes artificial intelligence could help transform Ethiopia’s movie industry.

“The industry has budget and equipment challenges,” he said. “Now, with the help of AI, directors will be able to create expensive scenes that once cost a fortune—at a heavily discounted cost.”

For a country filled with untold stories, Abenezer believes AI could help Ethiopian filmmakers compete on a global stage without needing Hollywood-sized budgets. He says the tools now exist for creators to focus more on storytelling while technology handles much of what used to require expensive equipment, large crews, and months of production.

When it comes to Ehud AI’s future, Abenezer has global ambitions. “In 10 years, I want my company to become the leading AI studio platform and dashboard for producing incredible films—not just in Africa, but around the world,” he said.