SCRIPTed A Journal of Law Technology & Society· 2020
Algorithmic Colonization of Africa
- 270citations
- 2020year
Short summary
Western tech monopolies are imposing AI solutions on Africa, mirroring historical colonialism by prioritizing corporate agendas over local needs, leading to dependency and stifling local innovation.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Western AI solutions are imported into Africa with little regulation, reflecting Western perspectives and interests.
- Algorithmic colonialism, driven by corporate agendas, shares characteristics with traditional colonialism but uses AI and algorithms for control.
- The influx of Western AI hinders the development of local African tech products and creates dependency on foreign software and infrastructure.
- The paper advocates for an AI vision rooted in local African community needs and interests.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
We live in a world where technological corporations hold unprecedented power and influence. Technological solutions to social, political, and economic challenges are rampant. In the Global South, technology that is developed with Western perspectives, values, and interests is imported with little regulation or critical scrutiny. This work examines how Western tech monopolies, with their desire to dominate, control and influence social, political, and cultural discourse, share common characteristics with traditional colonialism. However, while traditional colonialism is driven by political and government forces, algorithmic colonialism is driven by corporate agendas. While the former used brute force domination, colonialism in the age of AI takes the form of ‘state-of-the-art algorithms’ and ‘AI driven solutions’ to social problems. Not only is Western-developed AI unfit for African problems, the West’s algorithmic invasion simultaneously impoverishes development of local products while also leaving the continent dependent on Western software and infrastructure. By drawing examples from various parts of the continent, this paper illustrates how the AI invasion of Africa echoes colonial era exploitation. This paper then concludes by outlining a vision of AI rooted in local community needs and interests.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. SCRIPTed A Journal of Law Technology & Society, 2020 · DOI ↗
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Field: Business and International Management
Business and International ManagementBusiness, Management and Accounting