Re-imagining African Unity in a Digitally Interdependent World

Abstract

This dissertation examines how 21st-century socially disruptive technologies – particularly artificial intelligence (AI) – reshape African institutions and cultures, challenging traditional concepts of unity in African moral thinking. It explores the geopolitical dynamics involving the United States, China, Russia, and the European Union. It highlights how their competition for digital dominance poses significant threats to African autonomy and self-determination. The arbitrary power of foreign algorithms and data systems limits Africans’ choices and exacerbates power imbalances. The dissertation also critiques how some African leaders misuse the concept of unity to maintain power and suppress human rights, sometimes aligning with China and Russia in ways that compromise genuine digital sovereignty. Despite these challenges, it is argued that unity holds inherently emancipatory potential if reimagined in terms of non-domination. By examining historical appeals to unity in Pan-Africanism, the dissertation seeks to understand how unity can inform normative theories that critique digital domination. Addressing a gap in African ethical and political philosophy – where unity is less explored compared to concepts like “Ubuntu" – the dissertation proposes a global, inclusive approach. It aims to develop a normative conception of unity that balances communal and individual values, enabling collective self-determination and effective resistance against unjust AI regulatory practices.