Godwin Etta Odok, Emmanuel John Anagu

Keywords: AI, symbolic interactionism, Ubuntu philosophy, Algorithmic bias, society

Abstract

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally
transforming social systems and everyday social interactions in societies
of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In these societies, AI is profoundly influencing all aspects of social life. Employing symbolic interactionism, this paper examines how AI is interpreted not just as a technical tool, but as a social object whose meaning is constructed through human interaction in societies of sub-Saharan Africa. The paper argues that understanding AI as a social phenomenon is essential for responsible innovation and equitable development in human society. Data for the study emerged through qualitative documentary analysis which involves the systematic review of peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and reports retrieved from databases of the Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and institutional repositories. The study’s findings reveal that meanings associated with AI in societies of sub-Saharan Africa developed through social interactions rather than techno-centric ability alone. The social power of AI was found to be expressed in societies of sub-Saharan Africa in epistemological violence of algorithmic bias that deprives African languages and ontologies of value. The study concludes that the use of AI is reshaping expectations about social structures, institutions, power relations and every day social interactions in societies of sub-Saharan Africa. The paper recommends that there is need for guiding policies that ensure that AI serves collective human interests in societies of sub-Saharan Africa.

Author Biography

Godwin Etta Odok

Department of Sociology, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

Emmanuel John Anagu

Department of Computer Science, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

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