When Dan Kairo sat down to write Sibiloi, a fast-paced archaeological thriller set in northern Kenya blending history, mystery, religion, and African identity, he was focused on creating a printed novel. Years later, his son, Edwin Kiaraho—who teaches artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University Africa—suggested bringing the story to a digital audience.
“I saw an opportunity to extend storytelling beyond the page,” Edwin says.
His father immediately embraced the idea. “When he explained what it entailed, I was thrilled,” Kairo says. “Videos would be another channel of getting the book to reach more people.”
Edwin has since condensed the first two chapters of his father’s book into a ten-minute AI video uploaded to YouTube, using artificial intelligence tools to interpret scenes, generate visual sequences, and assemble them into a coherent narrative. Seeing the initial drafts was a revelation for Kairo.
“When I saw the initial AI drafts of the video, I must admit I was mesmerised at how far technology has come,” Kairo says. “You feed a book into a machine and it gives back a visual version of the same. It was amazing and very welcome.”
However, both father and son quickly realised that technology does not eliminate the hard work of storytelling. The AI-generated scenes sometimes fail to capture exactly what the author or filmmaker has in mind, requiring continual adjustment, discarding, or recreation.
“The videos reflect what is in the book, but it takes time and much effort to achieve that,” Kairo says. “Sometimes it doesn’t come out the way you expect it to; you re-do it many times till you get the right result.”
Edwin emphasizes that the technology is not intended to replace his father’s creative work. “AI doesn’t replace the author, it visualises what is already there,” he says.
Working on the project together has proved deeply meaningful for both generations. “Working on the project with my son is very satisfying, and more so because he is enjoying it,” Kairo says.
While Kairo admits he did not know much about AI before the project began, he refused to be intimidated by the learning curve. “I would put it this way: it was a discovery and I am glad I did. I want to be part of the future early enough,” he explains. “AI is already changing the way things will work in future.”
The collaboration illustrates how technology can serve as a bridge between generations rather than a source of division. While the printed book is not being abandoned, the experiment shows how a literary work can exist across multiple formats to reach audiences who are more comfortable watching content on digital platforms.
“The younger generation are more into watching things than reading,” Kairo says, adding that he hopes the AI version will ultimately popularise the print edition and introduce Sibiloi to younger readers.