AI: a new (r)evolution or the new colonizer for Indigenous peoples?

Abstract

We are often told that there is one constant in life and that is change; it is inevitable, inescapable. When the forces of power begin to blow and conditions are right, change will happen. As the planet undergoes a period of transformation brought about by the advances of data science and the convergence of technologies, the Internet of All Things and AI, the potential of AI to be change agent for Indigenous peoples is a thought-provoking, and to a certain degree, daunting proposition. The rapid progress of technology and innovation, in terms of its volume, complexity, and exponential growth in computing power, have drastically changed how we socialize, communicate, access, share, distribute and view knowledge and information. Is AI inevitable, inescapable, a fait accompli for Indigenous peoples?