AI systems replicate colonial biases by embedding Orientalist and Islamophobic frameworks as neutral knowledge
Original framing: “Orientalism and Islamophobic artificial intelligence” — bing news
The article draws on a long history of Orientalist thought, from 19th-century European scholars to modern AI, showing how knowledge systems have consistently been used to justify domination and exclusion.
The article reveals how AI systems, far from being neutral, replicate colonial-era Orientalist and Islamophobic biases by embedding them as objective knowledge.
This is not an accidental flaw but a systemic outcome of Western-dominated AI development that excludes non-Western epistemologies. Indigenous and non-Western perspectives offer alternative frameworks for ethical AI, emphasizing relationality and community-centered design. Historical parallels show that knowledge systems have long been used to justify domination, and modern AI is no exception. To correct this, AI must be decolonized through inclusive education, community-driven development, and transparent governance. Only by integrating diverse voices and epistemologies can AI move beyond its current role as a replicator of bias to become a tool for equity and justice.