The AI Divide: Can the West Foster a Fair and Democratic Process For AI Governance?

This story by Abdallah Abdallah originally appeared on Global Voices on November 7, 2025.

Can the West foster a fair and democratic process for artificial intelligence (AI) governance, or will capitalist and business interests dominate? This question has polarized the Global South, particularly Africa, highlighting the digital divide and differing perspectives between the North and South. While AI’s utility is widely acknowledged, the key issue remains: Who benefits, and what purpose does it serve?

History has shown that technological advancements in the Global North have often been accompanied by exploitation in the Global South. The Industrial Revolution, sparked by innovations like the steam engine and transportation technology, is a prime example. These technologies drove progress in the North but exacerbated exploitation in the South, fostering defensiveness and skepticism towards Northern technological dominance. This legacy continues to influence the Global South’s approach to new technologies like AI. 

Furthermore, this skepticism is also rooted in historical precedents, which have shaped how nations interact with technology. Historical precedents suggest that nations’ technological strategies can be understood through two pedagogical approaches. The “Protestant pedagogy” allows nations to apply and tailor technology to their unique cultural and socio-economic contexts, driving advancement in both culture and economics. In contrast, the “Catholic pedagogy” takes an agency form, where nations can only participate through the agency of the technology’s originators. This approach has been detrimental to Africa’s development, as seen in the extractive economies established during colonization.

As noted by Acemoglu and Robinson in their 2012 book, “Why Nations Fail,” this approach has fostered a system in which resources are controlled by external agents, thereby limiting Africa’s ability to shape its own economic destiny. 

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The AI divide: A growing concern

The AI divide is stark: North America and China are poised to reap the lion’s share of AI’s economic benefits, with the Global South experiencing more moderate increases due to lower adoption rates. According to the World Economic Forum, AI is forecast to contribute USD 15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with the majority of benefits going to high-income nations. This disparity underscores the need for inclusive AI development and governance.

The 2nd Conference on the State of Artificial Intelligence in Africa (COSAA) 2025, a conference aimed at providing a platform to discuss AI’s transformative potential in Africa, was met with intense skepticism and uncertainty regarding artificial intelligence. A pressing question dominated the discussion: who truly benefits from AI? This concern is well-founded, given the current dynamics. For instance, Africa generates a substantial amount of data, yet only 2 percent of data centers are located on the continent, meaning the majority of the potential benefits are directed elsewhere. Furthermore, data laborers and gig drivers in Africa face significant inequalities compared to their counterparts in the Global North, highlighting the need for more equitable distribution of benefits and opportunities in the digital economy.

Given this context, it’s concerning that the United Nations General Assembly’s response to AI’s potential for economic upliftment and bridging the economic gap is inadequate. A more concrete approach would have addressed implementation gaps, brain drain, and local context limitations. Instead, the focus shifted to AI’s military applications, particularly in warfare, as highlighted by Ukrainian President Zelensky’s emphasis on AI’s potential for weaponry development. However, the question remains: on what grounds can Africa pursue AI development, given the existing power dynamics? 

Mercantilist interests often overshadow global prosperity

The digital sphere has become accustomed to prioritizing self-serving mercantilist goals over regional, national, and global development efforts. This trend persists despite AI’s potential to uplift millions out of poverty. A recent example is the controversy surrounding the African Network  Information Center (AFRINIC), a regional internet registry for Africa. 

AFRINIC was established to promote digital sovereignty and infrastructure development in Africa by allocating IP address resources across the continent. However, the acquisition of nearly 7 million IPv4 addresses from AFRINIC by Cloud Innovation — a company founded by Chinese entrepreneur Lu Heng — has raised serious concerns. Although Cloud Innovation is formally registered in the Seychelles, the majority of its operations are based in Asia, where it leases these IP addresses to companies in China, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. This situation has sparked debate around issues of representation, inclusion, and the potential disruption of Africa’s internet ecosystem.

Consolidation and control: The future of AI

The AI race has sparked concerns about the global economy’s trajectory and security,  highlighting a trend towards consolidation. For example, the former US President Joe Biden’s administration introduced the Interim  Final Rule in January 2025, which regulates advanced chip distribution for AI, categorizing countries into tiers based on access. This policy favors the Global North, with over 90 percent of Tier 1 countries enjoying unrestricted access, while the Global South, including Africa, faces limited access in Tier 2. 

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Furthermore, current US President Donald Trump plans to scrap this system and engage countries directly for chip access, which may not necessarily improve the situation, as it could lead to a more fragmented and potentially unequal landscape.

Many countries in the Global South, particularly those in  Africa, despite possessing significant reserves of critical minerals used in chip manufacturing, often lack the leverage, expertise, and negotiating power to effectively bargain with the US  government and secure favorable terms, potentially limiting their economic benefits from these resources and exacerbating the problem. The discovery of petroleum in African countries like Nigeria, Angola, and Gabon illustrates this point. Despite vast oil reserves, these countries often struggle to negotiate favorable deals with multinational corporations, leading to unequal revenue sharing, limited economic benefits, and dependence on foreign expertise. 

The Global South’s readiness for AI: Challenges and concerns

The Global South faces significant challenges in adapting to AI, particularly in data collection and management. One major issue is the current state of data collection standards. The three common methods are self-production, repositories, and sites, which can be tedious and time-consuming. Moreover, maintaining a consistent approach to data collection is crucial, but integrating data from foreign sources can introduce existing biases and perpetuate structural inequalities. 

Another significant challenge is the lack of a structured data ecosystem in Africa, because of the continent’s nascent presence in the field. This raises concerns about data transferability, given the varying data policies, laws, and enforcement mechanisms across countries in the Global South, particularly in Africa. For instance, over 40 countries have enacted data protection laws, creating complexity and potential fragmentation. 

These challenges highlight the need for a more coordinated and inclusive approach to AI  development in the Global South, one that prioritizes data quality, consistency, and fairness. By addressing these issues, we can ensure that AI benefits the Global South and promotes equitable development. 

The road towards legitimacy

The West has the power to make AI a legitimate tool for human advancement by adhering to democratic values as a fundamental characteristic. This journey begins with inclusivity and participation, engaging stakeholders across regions and countries to understand unique challenges and aspirations.

This collaborative approach promotes accountability and transparency, building trust between citizens and authorities. Transparency is crucial as AI systems make decisions impacting lives, and clear explanations empower citizens to understand choices and hold authorities accountable. 

Fairness and non-discrimination are essential principles, promoting social justice and equity while respecting human rights and diversity. Human oversight and regulation are vital, with robust frameworks governing AI development and deployment. 

To realize AI’s potential, governments, regional, and international organizations must collaborate to harness its power as a force for uplift. The United Nations should prioritize restoring confidence in AI by aligning it with global initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals and data privacy laws. 

The UN can facilitate this by collaborating with regional institutions to align goals with international standards and promote responsible AI practices. Regional organizations should work together to ensure seamless data sharing, digital law enforcement, and high standards for data collection and protection, prioritizing language and cultural integration to benefit all communities.

[VP]

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