Artificial intelligence, digital colonialism, and the implications for Africa’s future development

Abstract In the mid to late 19th century, much of Africa was under colonial rule, with the colonisers exercising power over the labour and territory of Africa. However, as much as Africa has predominantly gained independence from traditional colonial rule, another form of colonial rule still dominates the African landscape. This similitude of these different forms of colonialism is found in the power dominance exhibited by Western technological corporations, just like the traditional colonialists. In this digital age, digital colonialism manifests in Africa through the control and ownership of critical digital infrastructure by foreign entities, leading to unequal data flow and asymmetrical power dynamics. This usually occurs under the guise of foreign corporations providing technological assistance to the continent. By drawing references from the African continent, this article examines the manifestations of digital colonialism and the factors that aid its occurrence on the continent. It further explores the manifestations of digital colonialism in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) while analysing the occurrence of data exploitation on the continent and the need for African ownership in cultivating the digital future of the African continent. The paper also recognises the benefits linked to the use of AI and makes a cautious approach toward the deployment of AI tools in Africa. It then concludes by recommending the implementation of laws, regulations, and policies that guarantee the inclusiveness, transparency, and ethical values of new technologies, with strategies toward achieving a decolonised digital future on the African continent.