A recent Intercept analysis argues that the rise of large artificial intelligence companies, led by figures like OpenAI’s Sam Altman, reflects a new form of technological imperialism. The piece suggests that as Western tech giants expand their influence globally, they’re not only shaping AI development but also exporting values, economic control, and power structures that often mirror historical patterns of colonial dominance. Rather than a decentralized or democratized future, the critique claims the AI era may reinforce existing global inequalities.
At the heart of this critique is the idea that a small group of highly funded U.S. tech firms effectively dictates the direction of AI research and deployment. These companies control massive amounts of data, computing infrastructure, and talent, which gives them outsized influence over whose needs AI serves and whose voices are heard. Critics argue this concentration of power can marginalize local innovators, especially in regions with less access to capital or technological infrastructure, such as many parts of Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
The article also raises concerns about cultural dominance and value imposition. When AI systems are trained primarily on data produced in wealthy, Western contexts, the resulting models may reflect and reinforce the norms, biases, and priorities of those societies. This dynamic can overshadow local knowledge systems, languages, and problem-solving approaches, leading to technological outcomes that aren’t aligned with the needs or ethics of diverse communities around the world. Critics see this as a form of “soft colonialism,” where influence is exercised through technological adoption rather than direct political control.
While proponents of widespread AI adoption argue that these technologies can democratize access to information and economic opportunity, the Intercept piece contends that without equitable governance and global participation, AI could simply replicate old hierarchies in new digital form. The critique calls for broader involvement of voices from the Global South in AI governance, development, and ethical standard-setting to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared more fairly and don’t merely reinforce existing concentrations of economic and cultural power.
