The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Techno-Colonialism, and the Sub-Saharan Africa Response

Abstract

Techno-colonialism, which I argue here to specifically mean the transfer of technology and its values and norms from one locale to  another, has become a serious concern with the advancement of socially disruptive technologies1 of the Fourth Industrial Revolution  (4IR), like artificial intelligence and robots. While the transfer of technology from one locale, especially economically advanced countries,  to developing countries comes with economic benefits for both regions, it is important to understand that technologies are not value- neutral; they come with the values, cultures, and worldviews of their designers. However, despite the nonvalue-neutrality of the  technologies of the 4IR, they are still relevant for subSaharan Africa’s development. Thus, using a phenomenological approach, especially  the sub-Saharan African experiences of past histories of colonialism, I prescribe cautionary measures that sub-Saharan Africans ought to  take in approaching the current industrial revolution and its technologies.