Big Ideas Is AI the new coloniser? How to create more life-centred AI before it's too late
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Oct 1, 2025 Jessica Russ-Smith, a Wiradjuri Womble woman and Associate Professor, joins Michelle Lazarus, a Professor at Monash University, to explore the dual nature of AI as a potential coloniser or a tool for decolonisation. They discuss how AI mirrors human biases, the importance of Indigenous data sovereignty, and advocate for locally developed, life-centred AI that prioritizes community over individual gain. The conversation also highlights the hidden human costs of AI, emphasizing the need for ethical frameworks and community involvement in its evolution.
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AI As Transformation, Not Novelty
- Jessica reframes AI as transformation rather than novelty, linking it to Wiradjuri concept Wayana.
- AI is another expression of technology, continuous with past tools and connected to country.
Data Is Knowledge; AI Is Relational
- Jessica argues data equals knowledge and AI is a way humans filter and use existing knowing.
- She urges we treat AI as a relational being that must be trained to respect us and country.
Politeness When Talking To AI
- Jessica says she writes "please and thank you" when using the Claude AI to maintain relational etiquette.
- She treats AI politely as part of a cultural practice of respect.
