Communicating Power and Resistance: Africa in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Globally, the domination of one group by another has usually been met with resistance because humans were born free and desire to exercise their political, economic, and religious freedom without restriction. This informed the declaration of American States in 1776 that men were created equal and endowed by their maker with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This study analysed power and resistance in Africa in relation to the Western world from the lens of Artificial Intelligence which extant literature has shown is a tool for domination and digital colonialism by the advanced nations against the developing nations like African countries. The study is anchored on Technological Determinism theory and adopted library research method. The study argues that while historical colonialism was concerned with territorial acquisition, domination, exploitation of the colonized people and appropriation of their land by the coloniser, digital colonialism seeks total control of the lives of the people in a subtle way by acquiring their data for the benefits of the global technology companies and corporations. The study recommends that Africa should adopt alternative technologies, ideologies and models that promote democracy, human rights and socio-economic justice among other things.