The Digital Village Square: Indigenous Political Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

This paper examined how indigenous political communication changed with the rise of artificial intelligence, using the village square as a metaphor. Today, digital platforms like social media, live streamed town halls, and online forums act as the new "digital village squares," facilitating public debates and political conversations. However, these spaces are influenced by algorithms, data mining, and surveillance, which weaken the transparency and trust that are crucial to indigenous communication systems. This study, adopting Jurgen Habermas’ Concept of Public Sphere, looked at the conflicts between communal reasoning and the data-driven logic of modern digital settings. It argued that AI-enhanced platforms offer promises of access, but also split audiences, commercialise user data, and hide accountability. The paper asserted that reclaiming the essence of the village square requires a process of digital decolonisation. It concluded that the credibility of the digital village square relies on its ability to maintain communal discussion, protect data dignity, and balance technological advancement with the moral values of African communication traditions.