Reframing "Multilateralism"
Dominant narratives say it’s important to engage where power is—listen to leaders and negotiate agreements. In reality, powerful companies and nations dominate multilateral AI spaces, and civil society dilutes critique to stay invited. Alix speaks with Chinasa T. Okolo to reframe “multilateralism,” urging people to show up, make noise, and push agendas alongside those usually excluded.
CHINASA T. OKOLO - MULTILATERALISM
Chinasa T. Okolo is the founder of Technecultura and a policy specialist at the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET). Her research examines how African governments can effectuate robust AI and data governance, investigates the geopolitical impacts of AI, and analyzes datafication and algorithmic marginalization in Africa.
In this conversation, Okolo unpacks the current state of AI global governance, and Big Tech’s dominance, from a Majority World perspective. At a moment when Big Tech is leading with “AI for good” and “AI for development” hype to access the consumers and data of the Majority World, Okolo pushes for a nuanced conversation to understand the real potentials of AI in light of entrenched structural issues. She cautions against corporate partnerships and makes a strong case for richer peer exchanges between Majority World countries as the way forward for feasible solutions for local contexts and communities.
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"Kenya had this health data partnership with the United States where it would provide access to the US with sensitive Kenyan health data for basically decades. That's unreasonable."