A.I. – situated in colonial divides

Across scientific fields AI is implicitly understood as a Western phenomenon – applied e.g., in Western social media, building on Western use cases, and relying on notions of intelligence rooted in Western philosophy and science, and with historical ties to the development of a modernity intrinsically related to the colonization of the Global South(s). Big Tech’s use of the Global South(s) subjects and labor to both gather data and train models in unregulated settings is but one example of how these ties play out today. 

In this talk I will use Manthia Diawara’s film “African Intelligence” as an outset to raise a discussion of AI in the light of colonial divides, how it relates to dominant understandings of modernity (including ‘progression’ and ‘development’), and speculate on what alternative visions and studies of AI this might lead to.

The Center for Language Generation and AI at Aarhus University is committed to fostering the interchange of ideas and support for researchers in the area of language generation and AI. By opening our biweekly talks to the public, we aim to create a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration among researchers, students, and the broader community.

These talks will be conducted virtually, allowing attendees from around the world to participate. Registration details and links to join each talk will be provided on our website. All talks will take place at 13:30 (CEST) on Zoom. The link is: https://aarhusuniversity.zoom.us/j/62020950492

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For media inquiries and questions, please contact: pascale.moreira@cc.au.dk