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Short abstract:

This proposal reports on how Senegal is developing national regulations and strategies for the development and usage of digital technology and will focus on how the Senegalese youth perceive the tensions concerning Artificial Intelligence, collective deliberation, and decision-making processes.

Long abstract:

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Responsible Research Innovation (RRI), and Science and Technology Studies (STS) are becoming focal points to foster social technology frameworks in the Global South. As the evolution of AI garners global attention, a noticeable imbalance persists between Hemispheres. Northern corporations often treat the Global South as an outsourcing option for practices that may not meet the ethical standards of Europe and North America. Regions such as South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa bear the brunt of these operations, impacting citizens who find themselves constrained by practices that exploit local companies and social assemblages. In response to these challenges, countries like Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa, are asserting themselves by developing regulations and standards to establish optimal parameters for digital work and development. Focusing on Senegal, this proposal delves into its Digital Strategy, scrutinizing the tensions surrounding AI in the field of Evidence-Based Decision Making, elaborating on how Senegalese youth perceive the relationship between digital development, collective deliberation, and decision-making. Leveraging the framework for decolonizing transformation in non-Western and Southern innovation and technology (TnWiST), the proposal seeks to report on how Senegal can emerge as a global reference in decolonizing digital systems for sustainable development. Additionally, this analysis will present the insights gathered from the survey "Cartographie des écosystèmes d'innovation au Sénégal", understanding the imaginaries of Senegalese youth concerning AI. Through this proposal, the goal is to establish a common ground for African countries to engage in discussions about further possibilities for technology decolonization.