Who Benefits From Africa’s AI? Inside the New Data Colonialism

Kari Jaaskelainen

25 Nov 2025 — 1 min read

AI is quietly rebuilding Africa’s digital life—from what we watch to what we buy. A new chapter by Ndaka, Avila‑Acosta, Mbula‑Ndaka, Amera, Chauke, and Majiwa asks: who holds the power?

Using six months of participant observation and talks with Kenyan social media users, they show how recommendation algorithms can echo colonial-era control—boosting outside interests, muting local voices, and reinforcing harmful gender norms.

When data flows follow old power lines, digital life inherits old injustices.

The authors call for response-ability: AI that answers to communities, recognizes alternative socio-material worlds, and shares value fairly—vital for Africa’s sustainable development.

Demand transparency on data flows and recommendation logic
Invest in local data stewardship and community oversight
Build gender-aware, culturally grounded AI products

Read more: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19283v1

Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19283v1

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AI Africa AlgorithmicColonialism DataJustice DigitalRights PlatformPower GenderJustice SustainableDevelopment Kenya

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