Planetary AI

Despite the proliferation of AI systems (e.g., driverless cars, chatbots, search engines) in different industries and facets of our lives, these are marked by opacity. AI remains an enigma: public understanding about how AI systems are made and what are the long-term implications on our social and natural environments remains somewhat limited. Planetary AI, in collaboration with Techworker Community Africa, a Nairobi-based NGO led by workers who are responsible for training AI systems, sets out on an artistic endeavour in public interest to visualise the deeply enmeshed and extractive systems of land, labour, energy, and water. Working with Njung’e Wanjiru, a celebrated Addis Ababa-Nairobi based artist, this series of introductory illustrations peel away the shiny façade of AI. Drawing upon personal experiences, historical memory, and critical inquiry, Njung’e Wanjiru's work offers a powerful reflection on the material and social dynamics that underpin contemporary AI systems. He invites us all to confront not only the hidden costs of technological developments but also to reimagine and rethink our AI futures. By weaving together history and lived experience, Njung’e Wanjiru's work opens a space for critical reflection on the worlds being built through AI and on the possibilities for building them differently.