https://en.sputniknews.africa/20250720/africas-battle-for-ethical-ai-kenyan-researcher-calls-for-cultural-grounding-in-peace-technologies-1075729323.html
Africa’s Battle for Ethical AI: Kenyan Researcher Calls for Cultural Grounding in Peace Technologies
Africa’s Battle for Ethical AI: Kenyan Researcher Calls for Cultural Grounding in Peace Technologies
Sputnik Africa
Across Africa, AI is rapidly becoming a vital tool not only for predicting conflict but also for building sustainable peace rooted in local realities. As... 20.07.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-07-20T11:00+0200
2025-07-20T11:00+0200
2025-07-20T11:00+0200
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Africa’s Battle for Ethical AI: Kenyan Researcher Calls for Cultural Grounding in Peace Technologies
Sputnik Africa
Across Africa, AI is rapidly becoming a vital tool not only for predicting conflict but also for building sustainable peace rooted in local realities. As policymakers and peace builders explore AI’s potential, experts warn that solutions disconnected from African cultures risk repeating the same failures of foreign-imposed peace frameworks.
The conversation around AI and peace in Africa often revolves around surveillance, early warning systems, and digital data. Yet what’s frequently overlooked is the importance of context—how people live, relate, and resolve conflict in their own terms. As AI tools evolve, there’s growing demand to ensure they reflect the continent’s diverse cultures, languages, and indigenous knowledge systems.
The conversation around AI and peace in Africa often revolves around surveillance, early warning systems, and digital data. Yet what’s frequently overlooked is the importance of context—how people live, relate, and resolve conflict in their own terms. As AI tools evolve, there’s growing demand to ensure they reflect the continent’s diverse cultures, languages, and indigenous knowledge systems.Naomi Mwelu Kilungu, a Kenyan peace and AI researcher, stressed that many conflicts across Africa resist prediction not because AI lacks power, but because the tools being used ignore local context. She argues that imported technologies fail to understand or respond to Africa’s cultural nuances, rendering them ineffective in long-term peace building. She highlights that many of these models come from outside the continent, with little consideration for African values and ways of resolving disputes.“When now we are solving conflicts in Africa, we should consider those aspects because different cultures have different meanings and how they react to issues… If we create a tool that incorporates what [local communities] believe in and how they solve the crisis, then that is one step towards conflict resolution in Africa… But the issue is, we have liberal peace-building models that just come and put a blanket solution that does not apply to any African perspective.”To listen to the whole discussion, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Castbox, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict, Overcast, and Mave Stream.► Check out all the episodes of Global South Pole.
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podcasts, artificial intelligence (ai), conflict, peace, peace talks, peacekeeping, security, african union peace and security coucil, bias, african union (au), technology, digital technology , research, military, military cooperation, africa, language, аудио
podcasts, artificial intelligence (ai), conflict, peace, peace talks, peacekeeping, security, african union peace and security coucil, bias, african union (au), technology, digital technology , research, military, military cooperation, africa, language, аудио
Africa’s Battle for Ethical AI: Kenyan Researcher Calls for Cultural Grounding in Peace Technologies
Aliyu Bello
Correspondent, Podcast Host
Across Africa, AI is rapidly becoming a vital tool not only for predicting conflict but also for building sustainable peace rooted in local realities. As policymakers and peace builders explore AI’s potential, experts warn that solutions disconnected from African cultures risk repeating the same failures of foreign-imposed peace frameworks.
The conversation around AI and peace in Africa often revolves around surveillance, early warning systems, and digital data. Yet what’s frequently overlooked is the importance of context—how people live, relate, and resolve conflict in their own terms. As AI tools evolve, there’s growing demand to ensure they reflect the continent’s diverse cultures, languages, and indigenous knowledge systems.
Naomi Mwelu Kilungu, a Kenyan peace and AI researcher, stressed that many conflicts across Africa resist prediction not because AI lacks power, but because the tools being used ignore local context. She argues that imported technologies fail to understand or respond to Africa’s cultural nuances, rendering them ineffective in long-term peace building. She highlights that many of these models come from outside the continent, with little consideration for African values and ways of resolving disputes.
“When now we are solving conflicts in Africa, we should consider those aspects because different cultures have different meanings and how they react to issues… If we create a tool that incorporates what [local communities] believe in and how they solve the crisis, then that is one step towards conflict resolution in Africa… But the issue is, we have liberal peace-building models that just come and put a blanket solution that does not apply to any African perspective.”
“When we are solving conflicts in Africa, we should consider those [cultural] aspects, because different cultures have different meanings and different ways of reacting to issues. […] If we create a tool that incorporates what people believe in and how they solve crises, then that is one step towards conflict resolution in Africa. But the issue is, we have liberal peace-building models that apply a one-size-fits-all approach […] that just put a blanket solution which doesn’t apply to everyone; it doesn’t apply to any African perspective. […] Culture and language—those are the main issues. From there, we will know what to do. They are key factors that should be considered in [peace] building,” Kilungu stressed.
To listen to the whole discussion, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of Global South Pole. 
