AFRICA IN THE AGE OF AI: A PHILOSOPHICAL INQUEST INTO THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN DIGNITY

This paper investigates the knotty interplay between artificial intelligence (AI) and human dignity within the African context, framing the discussion through philosophical optics. As AI technologies gain traction across the globe, Africa stands at a critical juncture—poised to either harness these innovations for socio-economic transformation or become further marginalized by digital colonialism. Employing the philosophical methods of analysis and hermeneutics, the study seeks to interrogate how African philosophical traditions, including communitarian ethics and the concept of Ubuntu, can inform a more humane and culturally rooted approach to AI development, employment and deploymentwiththeviewofcreatingabalancingandtocorrectthe anomaly that the human person can create something more intelligent than himself. The study seeks to project AI as a Machine Assistant (MA), aiding human efforts and not as a replacement of human intelligence/ingenuity, but rather a result of it. It critically explores the ethical challenges and opportunities that AI offers, particularly as it pertainsto autonomy,privacy,labourandsociopoliticalequity.Finally, the paper argues for a future in which technology serves not only as a tool for progress but also as a means of preserving and enhancing human dignity in Africa. This vision requires both a re-imagination of global AI narratives and a commitment to inclusive, ethical innovation rooted in African values and experience.

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