A question of connection?

The video is available on our Instagram and YouTube channel.

In this short video, Esther Mwema argues that artificial intelligence (AI) is a tool that masks empire. AI empires thus impact different spheres of society, such as health, transportation, education and the way we think of ourselves as humans. Esther names AI infrastructure as an example of colonial continuities.

Esther Mwema is an award-winning artist and digital inequalities expert on Internet governance, Internet Infrastructure and Internet Freedom. Her practice intersects art and technology, interrogating hidden systems of power in digital society ranging from fiber optic cables, digital colonialism and gender equality. She has over ten years commitment to social impact at the grassroots via her non-profit Digital Grassroots; and has done extensive work within the UN system. She is an Open Internet for Democracy leader who centers African feminist and decolonial praxis.

Tips for instructors

The way we learn about societal developments is changing – and with it our educational media. Global Citizenship Education is increasingly taking place online, but how can transformative education be transferred to everyday formats such as social media? Teenagers and young adults in particular are progressively acquiring knowledge via social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter or Tiktok. This opens up a window of opportunity for Global learning: By engaging with the audience in their everyday lives, they gain low-threshold access to global approaches. Also, their own role and self-efficacy is emphasised.
As a result, we have transformed some of our methods into small, digital learning units: Memes, infographics and short videos on climate justice, global inequalities and distribution issues. They enable small learning increments that use playful and humorous elements to facilitate reflection and engagement with larger learning objectives. These so-called microlearnings can be used as a discussion starter for a workshop, given as a follow-up or recommended for independent research.

Possibilities for further work

Click here to watch Esther Mwema’s talk “Just digitalization instead of digital colonialism“ (1hour and 11 minutes).