Through the lens of postcolonial theory and Middle Eastern cultural studies, analyze how the development and use of AI technologies could potentially reinforce or disrupt existing power structures and cultural narratives in the region. Ground your analysis in specific examples and case studies from the course.
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Victoria Mummelthei (2. Juli 2024). ai and the Middle East, assignment complementing the conclusion (deadline July 5). Keine Disziplin – No Discipline. Abgerufen am 27. März 2025 von https://doi.org/10.58079/13jrk
The most memorable chapter for me was the “Power” chapter of the book, which highlighted the dual potential of AI technologies. So, AI-driven censorship would be a good example. For instance, it represents a highly sophisticated evolution of control mechanisms historically used by Middle Eastern regimes. Like I discussed in the Power chapter, AI has an ability for making the opposition voices almost invisible by burying them instead of deleting them which means keeping them under control by making them less and less visible for the public. The power of this technology lies in its use by those already in power. So it deepens the inequality by maintaining the already existing power relationships between the oppressor and the oppressed.
On the other side of the coin, there is also a potential for disruption. AI’s ability to process and circulate information rapidly can empower marginalized groups by providing new platforms for organization and resistance. If adopted by grassroots movements, AI could increase minority voices and challenge the status quo. The demonstrations organized in Tahrir Square, Egypt, in 2011 and Taksim Square, Turkey, in 2013 illustrate AI’s potential to mobilize and unify protesting voices.
The impact of AI on the Middle East’s socio-political landscape is indeed a double-edged sword. On one side, it provides powerful tools for regimes to reproduce existing inequalities; on the other, it offers marginalized groups the means to challenge these dynamics. The key will be in how these technologies are developed and utilized. In the near term, they are likely to continue reproducing historical injustices rather than promoting justice and equity.
I especially admired the duality of utopianism and dystopianism in the Power section because AI is neither the solution to everything nor a malevolent force that will drag everything to doomsday. AI is a projection of current humanity and only repeats today’s power hierarchy. Humanity decides to change or strengthen this power hierarchy, not Enchanted determinism as it is thought. In addition to this, I think the discussion of AI and materialism in the Power section was also precious because although AI is often talked about as something very abstract, almost ‘spiritual,’ in fact, there are material limits that AI can reach and a very severe relationship between it and the material world. The chapter where Crawford talked about the carbon footprint of AI is significant in this respect because, as he wanted to emphasize, it allows AI to move from an ethereal place to a material place. Also, one of the perspectives I want to bring to this event is how military and AI are moving in parallel, as Crawford mentions, and how AI can also play a role in drawing the material boundaries of the world, as we have observed in the Palestinian-Israeli war for the last ten months.
I also only partially agree with Crawford’s approach at the end of this chapter, which says there is no point in discussing ethics unless you have power. The definition of power as equal to how much capital you possess is partially correct. Since I have experienced the gains that organized resistance can achieve throughout my life. Instead of the mentality that less gain is no gain, it is necessary to approach the issue as whatever we can get from the capitalists is valuable, and people should increase the scale of organized resistance.
As a result, I believe it is wrong to approach AI abstractly because AI is in an immanent position with the state and the military in a way that will affect the geopolitical positioning of the world beyond the energy and resources it consumes. However, the abstract side of AI, the human impact on AI, should not be underestimated as well.
At the outset, it could be argued that both postcolonial theory and Middle Eastern cultural studies offer critical frameworks for analysing how the development and use of artificial intelligence technologies can influence power structures and cultural narratives in the region. These frameworks highlight how hierarchical, global power dynamics and colonial legacies continue to exert shifts in current socio-economic and cultural relations. By applying these perspectives to AI, one can assess both the potential of these technologies to reinforce inequalities and their capacity to offer new forms of cultural agency and resistance. Kate Crawford’s Atlas of AI offers a valuable framework for understanding these dynamics, highlighting how AI is deeply intertwined with power structures and thus those practices for obtaining power.
Undoubtedly, the development of AI in the Middle East is often influenced by global technological powers, predominantly from the West. Crawford argues that AI is not a neutral technology, but one that reflects and amplifies existing inequalities and power dynamics. In the Middle East, the adoption of AI technologies by authoritarian regimes has been able to serve and to consolidate state and social control, reinforcing authoritarian structures and suppressing dissent. A contemporary example is the use of facial recognition and mass surveillance systems in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In this way, unprecedented surveillance of the population has been exercised, restricting individual freedoms. This phenomenon reflects what Crawford describes as the “power infrastructure” of AI, where control and monitoring are deeply embedded in the technology itself.
On the other hand, AI also offers opportunities to challenge dominant narratives and promote cultural agency. This technology also have the potential to alter power structures by democratising access to education and health, as seen in Qatar and Turkey, where AI tools are improving healthcare in rural areas, challenging existing inequalities and promoting social inclusion. It has also promoted numerous online activist movements, basically powered by it and social media, proving effective in mobilising both social and political demands. During several government elections, social media platforms played a crucial role in organising protests and disseminating information, challenging official narratives and providing a voice for marginalised populations.
In conclusion, through the lens of postcolonial theory and cultural studies, it is evident that the development and use of AI technologies in the Middle East can both reinforce and challenge existing power structures and cultural narratives. While external influences can perpetuate inequalities and dynamics of control, there is also significant potential for cultural agency and resistance. The key lies in how these technologies are adopted and contextualised in the region, and in the capacity of local populations to use them in ways that promote equity and self-determination. Kate Crawford’s work underlines the importance of understanding AI not just as a technological tool, but as a field of political and cultural contestation. After all, the impact of AI in the region will depend on how these technologies are adopted and contextualised.
Kate Crawford’s “Atlas of AI” offers an in-depth analysis of AI about its use and effects on social and political structures. This book can give significant insights into the ways AI technologies reinforce or disrupt existing power structures if it is approached through the perspectives of Middle Eastern cultural studies and postcolonial theory, Crawford uses case studies and examples to show how AI reproduces the strategies of domination of Western nations that they inherited from their colonial past and how it increases inequality globally. In a region that has been under the influence of Western colonial powers for ages, developments of AI can be used to read how this influence may continue.
The Middle East, which has long been the target of Western colonial ambitions, is currently dealing with a new kind of colonialism brought about by AI technology. AI enables governments to control their citizens more effectively through biometric data collection and surveillance technologies. Such technologies are often developed and imported by Western companies. This creates a dependent alliance between the authoritarian Middle Eastern governments and the West for strictly controlling and suppressing its citizens. For instance, Western-created smart city projects in the Gulf countries facilitate the surveillance of local populations and monitoring of their behavior, which upholds the authoritarian systems already in place.
On the contrary, claiming that the application of AI technologies fully upholds regional power systems and cultural narratives would be misleading. Since these technologies also offer opportunities for resistance and change. Despite government censorship laws, activists can make their voices heard and get attention from a global community with the AI algorithms employed in social media. For example, the positive role of the women’s movements in Iran or the role of social media during the Arab Spring show how AI-enabled technologies can be a double-edged sword. In this situation, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can both be a tool that serves to strengthen existing authoritarian regimes and a tool of resistance used by those who oppose these regimes.
In conclusion, Kate Crawford’s “Atlas of AI” provides examples of how AI technologies can both strengthen and weaken power structures. In light of this knowledge, the possible implications of AI in the Middle East during the postcolonial era can be discussed. When analyzed through the lenses of postcolonial theory and cultural studies, there is a duality in the effects of these technologies on the region. While authoritarian regimes use them as instruments of control and repression, they also present new possibilities for resistance and change. In essence, this dynamic offers a critical perspective for understanding the complex effects of Western-controlled AI technologies on social and political structures in the Middle East.
AI technologies, hailed for their transformative potential, hold the capacity to reshape societies profoundly. When analyzed through the lens of postcolonial theory and Middle Eastern cultural studies, it becomes evident that the development and use of AI can both reinforce and disrupt existing power structures and cultural narratives in the region.
Postcolonial theory often critiques how technological advancements perpetuate colonial legacies, particularly through the dominance of Western corporations such as big banks and for-profit organizations. In the Middle East, it can reinforce unfair and asymmetrical results. For instance, surveillance systems developed by Western companies are being adopted by authoritarian regimes in the region. These systems enhance the state’s capacity to monitor and control dissent, thereby reinforcing authoritarian power structures. A notable example is the use of AI-driven facial recognition technology in countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which bolsters state surveillance and potentially stifles political activism. Such facial recognition systems are currently banned in the US. AI is also actively used in the military, in form of counter terrirosm, pilotless drones and general intelligence gathering. With hotspots such as Palestine, Lebanon and Yemen, it can have a devastating result on the battlefield, which often harms innocent civilian population residing there.
Moreover, AI technologies can perpetuate cultural biases and stereotypes. AI algorithms, trained predominantly on Western-centric data, often fail to accurately represent Middle Eastern societies. This misrepresentation can lead to biased decision-making in various sectors, from employment to law enforcement. Like the author mentions, the accuracy of AI is almost alien-like. Based on “outdated” data, it can have a dubious result. For example, an AI hiring tool trained on Western data might undervalue qualifications from Middle Eastern institutions, thereby perpetuating economic inequalities and reinforcing the dominance of Western standards.
Conversely, AI also holds the potential to disrupt entrenched power structures. In the realm of Middle Eastern cultural studies, the adoption of AI technologies can facilitate greater cultural exchange and understanding. For instance, AI-powered translation tools are breaking down language barriers, enabling more profound intercultural communication and potentially challenging Western cultural hegemony. These tools can empower Middle Eastern voices in global conversations, fostering a more balanced cultural narrative. Tools such as Google’s translate and other, similar services, which are free of charge, can connect so many individuals around the world without the prerequisite of knowing the language, which can take many years to master.
Additionally, AI technologies can democratize access to information and education, thereby challenging traditional power hierarchies. Online learning platforms leveraging AI can provide quality education to remote and underserved communities in the Middle East. This “open source” nature of knowledge can empower marginalized groups, fostering social mobility and potentially disrupting existing socio-economic hierarchies. Individuals, who otherwise wouldn’t have access to vital information for general research, could add value to ongoing discourses in Academia.
A pertinent case study is the use of AI in healthcare in the Middle East. AI-driven healthcare solutions, such as diagnostic tools and personalized medicine, are increasingly being adopted in countries like Qatar, Turkiye and Israel. These technologies have the potential to bridge healthcare disparities by providing high-quality medical services to rural and underserved populations, as well as foreign citizens who seek urgent medical intervention to save lives. By improving access to healthcare, AI can challenge existing health inequities and promote a more inclusive society. Implementation of AI can also accelerate research in vaccines and pharmaceutical products in general, which is a universal progress for the whole world.
However, there are also concerns regarding data privacy and ownership. In countries with weak data protection regulations, there is a risk that sensitive personal data collected by AI systems could be exploited, further entrenching existing power imbalances. For instance, data harvested from AI healthcare applications could be misused by state or corporate entities, exacerbating issues of surveillance and control. Lack of democratic, transparent institutions can lead to an unfair advantage, which over time would be harder and harder to bridge.
Through the lens of postcolonial theory and Middle Eastern cultural studies, it is evident that AI technologies possess a dual potential: they can both reinforce and disrupt existing power structures and cultural narratives in the region. While AI can perpetuate Western dominance and bolster authoritarian regimes, it also holds the promise of democratizing access to knowledge and fostering greater cultural understanding. The impact of AI in the Middle East will ultimately depend on how these technologies are developed, deployed, and regulated. A critical and nuanced approach, grounded in ethical considerations and local contexts, is essential to ensure that AI contributes to a more equitable and just society in the region.
As a sidenote, I want to say that I really enjoyed Kate Crawford’s book. It is a great read on quite a contemporary topic which seems to be the future nowadays.