"The Global South is everywhere, but also always somewhere": National Policy Narratives and AI Justice

Abstract

There is more attention than ever on the social implications of AI. In contrast to universalized paradigms of ethics and fairness, a growing body of critical work highlights bias and discrimination in AI within the frame of social justice and human rights ("AI justice"). However, the geographical location of much of this critique in the West could be engendering its own blind spots. The global supply chain of AI (data, computational power, natural resources, labor) today replicates historical colonial inequities, and the continued subordination of Global South countries. This paper draws attention to official narratives from the Indian government and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) advocating for the role (and place) of these regions in the AI economy. Domestically, these policies are being contested for their top-down formulation, and reflect narrow industry interests. This underscores the need to approach the political economy of AI from varying altitudes - global, national, and from the perspective of communities whose lives and livelihoods are most directly impacted in this economy. Without a deliberate effort at centering this conversation it is inevitable that mainstream discourse on AI justice will grow parallel to (and potentially undercut) demands emanating from Global South governments and communities