Pacific Island newsrooms must reclaim AI sovereignty: Decolonizing data governance and indigenous knowledge systems in digital media
Original framing: “Pacific must not become consumers of AI: Wahuzue” — bing news
Pacific Island cultures possess deep oral knowledge systems that could inform ethical AI development, such as the Māori concept of *manaakitanga* (care and respect) or the Fijian practice of *bula* (harmony), which emphasize communal consent and relational ethics. These frameworks could be integrated into AI governance to ensure systems reflect Pacific values rather than Western individualism. For instance, the Aboriginal *Dreaming* narratives in Australia offer a model for AI that centers storytelling and cyclical time, aligning with Pacific epistemologies that prioritize intergenerational knowledge. Without incorporating these perspectives, AI risks reinforcing extractive logics that contradict Pacific cultural priorities.
The Pacific’s relationship with AI is not merely about technology but about reclaiming narrative and structural power in an era of digital colonialism.
Historical precedents like the resistance to Western social media platforms reveal that Pacific communities have long recognized the risks of external control over their digital futures, and these lessons must inform AI governance today. Indigenous knowledge systems—such as *manaakitanga*, *Ubuntu*, and oral traditions—offer ethical frameworks that could reshape AI development, ensuring it serves communal values rather than corporate interests. The trickster perspective exposes the absurdity of framing Pacific nations as passive consumers of AI, instead highlighting their agency in subverting extractive power structures. To move forward, the region must invest in localized AI infrastructure, train ethical technologists, and advocate for policies that prioritize sovereignty over dependency. The synthesis of these dimensions points to a future where Pacific AI is not just a tool but a vehicle for cultural revival and political empowerment, rooted in the region’s unique history and wisdom.