The Case for Decolonial Artificial Intelligence Development in Africa

The artificial intelligence (AI) wave is here with us. At present, AI development is predominantly a North American affair. Given the power of AI, sovereignty is increasingly gaining prominence. It is this reality that is gaining root in Africa, as in many places in the Global South. While the impetus for sovereignty is clear, the pathway merits attention. Given the history of colonialism on the continent, and coloniality at present, such a pathway must be cognizant of such realities. It for this reason that this article argues for decolonial AI development. While decoloniality as a school of thought has been extensively researched, the tailoring of this discussion to AI development is still in its infancy. Borrowing on decolonial theory, this essay makes a case for decoloniality as opposed to decolonization, expands the discussion of coloniality to AI development and concludes by outlining a pathway to African agency.