Data Flows and Colonial Regimes in Africa: A Critical Analysis of the Colonial Futurities Embedded in AI Ecosystems

Abstract: This chapter seeks to frame the elemental and invisible problems of AI and big data in the African context by examining digital sites and infrastructure through the lens of power and interests. It will present reflections on how these sites are using AI recommendation algorithms to recreate new digital societies in the region, how they have the potential to propagate algorithmic colonialism and negative gender norms, and what this means for the regional sustainable development agenda. The chapter proposes adopting business models that embrace response-ability and consider the existence of alternative socio-material worlds of AI. These reflections will mainly come from ongoing discussions with Kenyan social media users in this authors' user space talks, personal experiences and six months of active participant observations done by the authors.