Project description
A new colonial challenge in the age of AI
In today’s AI boom, the promise of digital consent is fading fast. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the COLONAILISM project draws a parallel between modern data collection by AI labs and colonial-era treaties, in which Indigenous peoples were deemed incapable of giving true consent. This historical precedent enabled vast power imbalances and colonisation, affecting 75 % of the world’s population. COLONAILISM warns that similar dynamics now threaten to concentrate power through the unchecked gathering of user data for large-scale AI systems. Beyond analysis, the project actively shapes policy and industry standards by creating decolonial ethics and governance toolkits. The aim is to prevent new forms of digital colonialism.
Objective
Situated at the intersection of colonial history and sociotechnical analyses of AI, COLONAILISM investigates the apparent degradation of the doctrine of (digital) consent, specifically as it pertains to data collection by AI labs for the development of large-scale AI systems. Its analysis excavates the strong and instructive analogy with the period in colonial history during which the very same concept was subject to scrutiny because critics came to argue that Indigenous actors lacked the capacity to give verifiable consent in treaties involving the cession of sovereign rights. Such a revision resulted in conditions that caused 75% of the world's people to become subject to colonial powers. The analogy suggests the same power concentration/alienation has the potential to recur (if it hasn’t already) following rather similar dynamics in the scramble for user data that is accompanying the development of new foundation models. Importantly, COLONAILISM makes interventions not only in the academic discourse, but also in policy formation (at the municipal and global levels), and industry by developing new decolonial ethics, safety, and governance toolkits AI labs can use to identify and mitigate practices that are harmful to human systems or exploit their value unfairly.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science
- social sciences sociology governance
- humanities history and archaeology history
- humanities philosophy, ethics and religion ethics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.