African Intellectuals put to the Test by Algorithms: Between Erasure, Empowerment and Alliance in the Age of AI.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence has taken hold at breakneck speed, profoundly disrupting the way knowledge is produced, disseminated and recognized. This transformation is not without consequences for the figure of the African intellectual, who is now faced with unprecedented questions. The hypothesis put forward in this study is that AI does not automatically spell the demise of African critical thinking; rather, it modifies its forms, paving the way for augmentation and, above all, collaboration. The central issue is therefore to understand how algorithms The central issue is therefore to understand how algorithms influence the role, authority and responsibility of the African intellectual in the contemporary digital space. To this end, the approach adopted combines conceptual analysis and critical reflection, combining philosophical reflection with an examination of current technological discourse. The analysis is divided into three parts: first, the fear of the gradual replacement of intellectuals by machines; second, AI as a tool for strengthening intellectual capacities; finally, the emergence of a collaborative relationship between humans and algorithms, conceived as one of the possible conditions for a renewed African cognitive sovereignty.