Computing for Community-based Economies

Late-stage capitalism, characterized by increasing commodification and industrialization, has led to significant societal challenges, including poor working conditions, environmental degradation, and threats to democracy. This dissertation explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to foster solidarity economies -- or community-based economies. In Chapter 2, an initial attempt at a socio-technical analytic is shown for the case of Ghanaian kente cloth authentication. In Chapter 3, after illustrating a theoretical gap in how computation is applied to community-based economies, I apply a range of scientific disciplines and consider alternative ways of knowing, to propose a comprehensive theoretical framework called deliberative evolution. This framework aims to guide the development of future community technologies. This dissertation presents several key findings: first, the concept of authentication as a social-analytic tool to help establish connections between Ghanaian kente weavers and their customers; second, deliberative evolution as a design theory for future technology in community-based economies; and finally, in Chapter 4, the development of Solidarity Pathways, a Detroit-based routing application that prioritizes driver well-being and collective self-governance along with the logistic needs of African American entrepreneurs. The larger implications of this work suggest that AI and automation, when guided by the principles of prefiguration, solidarity, and generative justice, have the potential to promote sustainable and equitable community-based economies. Future work regarding governance and risk mitigation is discussed in the Conclusion.