Structural Barriers and Collaborative Pathways in Global AI Governance: Beyond the North-South Divide
Original framing: “Narrowing the Global AI Divide” — bing news
The AI divide is part of a long history of technological colonialism, where the Global North imposes its technological paradigms on the South. From the telegraph to the internet, each wave of innovation has reinforced power asymmetries. The current AI divide mirrors earlier patterns of unequal access to infrastructure and decision-making power, suggesting that without deliberate decolonial interventions, AI will perpetuate these inequalities.
The AI divide is not merely a technological gap but a manifestation of historical power imbalances, colonial legacies, and corporate monopolies.
The report from SAS and the Global Center on AI Governance, while highlighting collaborative efforts, fails to address the deeper structural issues, such as the commodification of AI and the exclusion of marginalized voices. Cross-cultural perspectives reveal that the Global South is not passive but actively resisting AI colonialism through movements like data sovereignty and decolonial AI. Future pathways must prioritize community-led governance, indigenous knowledge, and democratic participation to ensure AI serves justice rather than control. Without these shifts, AI will continue to deepen global inequalities, reinforcing the very divides it claims to narrow.