AI Colonialism

MIT Technology Review series |||

On a honeymoon in Spain, Karen Hao saw firsthand the roots of European colonialism. Drawing a parallel to modern AI, she realized how today’s technology mimics past exploitation, particularly in the global south. AI companies gather vast amounts of data, often from vulnerable communities, enriching a few and becoming a rather disadvantage to many. Her MIT Technology Review series investigates these dynamics, exploring the impact on places like South Africa and Venezuela. The series suggests that decolonizing AI could help reclaim control and power for those historically marginalized. Intrigued?

An MIT Technology Review series, supported by the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program and the Pulitzer Center, investigating how AI is enriching a powerful few by dispossessing communities that have been dispossessed before. Access this series here.