In this file photo, Children in a Naga village run and play with wooden sticks. On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, scholars are urging deeper reflection on how AI’s rapid growth intersects with the preservation of indigenous knowledge and heritage. (Morung File Photo)
On World Indigenous Peoples Day, scholars urge ethical engagement with AI to protect water, land, and cultural heritage
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | August 8
Even as power failures and the depletion of groundwater and streams have become pressing issues on the ground, Dolly Kikon, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for South Asian Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, categorically stated, “As a Naga people, we are aware how basic needs like water and electricity have become very important issues.”
Speaking to The Morung Express on the eve of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples that is being observed under the theme, ‘Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures,’ she underscored that, “the future of Artificial and Indigenous Peoples are deeply connected.”
With research indicating that AI consumes around 1.8-12 liters of water for each kWh of energy usage, she highlighted that, “it is estimated that by 2050 more than two-third of the world’s population will face extreme water scarcity.”
As a state, she pointed out that, “it is very evident we are already far behind in this AI game due to lack of infrastructure.”
As AI grows exponentially, she expressed concern that “there is an inherent danger about cultural biases and misinformation.” In this regard, she cited that while in the 20th Century indigenous peoples faced deep exclusion from policy and decision making forums; they continue to experience exclusion in the digital advancement and innovation opportunities even in the 21st Century.
Respect & Preserve: Safeguarding Naga Indigenous Heritage
Looking beyond the benefits of AI for cultural preservation, she urged that the focus must be on safeguarding Indigenous knowledge and practices. While AI is now inevitable, she however stated that, “dependency on AI for new ideas or replacing Indigenous creativity is not the answer.”
“We must underline respect for Indigenous cultures and the importance of our intangible heritage”, she said, adding, “it will be a sad day when Nagas forget the art of storytelling and depend on AI to narrate our stories.”
“AI requires close monitoring because it is eventually humans who feed information for AI to generate solutions (which are routinely not accurate)”, she stated. It is up to the people, Kikon added, to “connect and think and feel together.”
In the century of AI, where the world is witness to machines replacing humans at an unprecedented pace, Kikon underlined that, “If we believe that Naga culture is a living culture, then we must reflect about our ethics, values, and Indigenous philosophy about what makes us human.”
The UNEP highlights that a quarter of the world’s natural resources are on Indigenous lands. Kikon pointed out that, “the growing demand and growth of AI means the depletion of natural resources.”
“As a teacher, I tell my students that their dependency and refusal to use their creativity to do an assignment comes at a cost. It is like burying a spring or a well that gives us water just to do an assignment. It goes against our Indigenous values to care for land”, she added.
‘Reflect on the seriousness of the nature of our engagement with AI’
On the importance of defending rights in the realm of digital representation, Poet, Educator & Cultural Conservationist, T Keditsu highlighted “the proliferation of content that claims to be Naga and share Naga knowledge but features characters that a parodies collation of indigenous cultures (in terms of attire) & peoples (in terms of features) elsewhere.”
“Defending rights means celebrating our unique place as Naga indigenous peoples (especially within Nagaland) - the freedom we enjoy as compared to our Naga fraternity outside or indigenous peoples elsewhere,” she pointed out.
She urged people to use their freedom and comfort responsibly to create original representations and content. “We have enough creative people with us with training and critical thinking. Rather than taking shortcuts that plunder, plagiarise the work of others and make a mockery of us,” she stated.
Stating that AI collates from existing content, she remarked that “much of the content with regard to indigenous peoples is already either produced through appropriation, stereotyping or content produced by indigenous peoples is being accessed without consent and out of context.”
In relation to this year’s theme, ‘Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures,’ Keditsu hoped that it would “allow us to reflect on the seriousness of the nature of our engagement with AI and to see the violence we are doing to our indigenous brothers & sisters, to their ancestors when we type in prompts to create our content - be it for education or entertainment.”
