Keynote Talk
Title: Techno-neocolonialism: An Emerging Risk in the AI Revolution
Presenter:
Prof. Jerry John Kponyo
Dean of the Quality Assurance and Planning Office
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
Ghana
Abstract:
Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to be revolutionary, but they have also sparked questions about power relations and socioeconomic inequalities that are reminiscent of previous colonial practices. The risk of ”techno-neocolonialism,” a phrase used to characterize the potential for dominance and exploitation analogous to historical colonial practices, is juxtaposed with the possibility of unprecedented technological advancements. This talk examines the idea of techno-neocolonialism as a modern form of dominance and exploitation, emphasizing how the AI revolution runs the risk of sustaining these practices in a globalized environment. Through an analysis of vital AI enablers like talent, data, infrastructure, and computing power, we contend that the advantages of AI are frequently centered in rich countries, marginalizing the Global South. The talk goes on to stress how important it is that cooperative frameworks give equity, respect for one another, and ethical issues top priority while developing AI. This talk, which ends with a plea for fair collaboration, seeks to show the way toward a more inclusive AI ecosystem that actually empowers all parties involved while avoiding the exploitation traps that come with techno-neocolonial partnerships.
Bio:
Prof. Jerry John Kponyo is the Dean of the Quality Assurance and Planning Office of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) under the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. Previously, he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at KNUST. Before assuming the role of Dean, he served as the Head of the Electrical Engineering Department.
He is the Project Lead of the KNUST Engineering Education Project (KEEP), a 5.5 million Dollar Africa Center of Excellence Impact project sponsored by the World Bank with focus on Digital Development and Energy and the Co-Founder of the Responsible AI Network (RAIN) Africa, a collaborative effort between KNUST and TUM Germany. Between 2016 and 2019 he was a visiting Professor at ESIGELEC, France on a staff mobility programme where he taught postgraduate courses in Business Intelligence and conducted research with staff of ESIGELEC. He currently leads the Emerging Networks and Technologies Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, KNUST which focuses on digital development technologies research.
Prof. Kponyo is the PI and Scientific Director of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab sponsored by IDRC and GIZ and coordinator of the West Africa Sustainable Engineering Network for Development (WASEND). He is also the PI for the Partner-Afrika project sponsored by BMZ.
He has done extensive research in IoT, intelligent systems and AI and has over 70 published articles in refereed Journals and Conference proceedings and he is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers.