Reimagining AI as a Human Endeavor: A Call for Papers on the Human Aspects of AI and LLMs in Africa

Venue: University of Lagos, Faculty of Arts, RM 401. August 16, 2025. 12 noon.

This panel, within the LAGOSTECH (Project: 101104921 – HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01) research project, critically examines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) not as autonomous, objective technologies, but as deeply human products shaped by labour, social conditions, and cultural contexts. Popular narratives often frame AI as neutral or purely technical, and as these technologies integrate into daily life, they also risk becoming taken for granted, evading scrutiny of their development and use. Yet, evidence shows that algorithmic systems reflect the organizational structures, social architectures, and user interpretations that “enact” them. Far from external forces, AI tools build upon and reinterpret pre-existing human elements, functioning as cultural artifacts embedded in socio-technical fabrics—especially in Africa’s diverse realities.

Viewing algorithms as intrinsically cultural—rather than merely existing “in” culture—transforms our understanding of their technical workings. Even “objective” decisions, like error thresholds or data selection, are infused with human values, hidden labour, and interpretations. Users actively personalize AI, adapting it to culturally specific needs and relationships, countering alienation and turning it into a tool for negotiation, connection, and self-expression in everyday life.

The perception of AI as autonomous often obscures embedded human choices, values, and biases, deflecting accountability from creators and socio-economic structures. Meanwhile, discourses on “algorithms” can stem from terminological anxiety about the roles these systems occupy in society. This panel moves beyond the “algorithmic drama” of AI as an obscure, inhuman power, instead illuminating its complex socio-technical underpinnings.

Moderator: Katrien Pype (Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, KU Leuven)

• Introduction to the panel, and the story of Folami, an LLM data annotator – Felix Ajiola (History Department, University of Lagos) and Davide Casciano (Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, KU Leuven)

This presentation examines the hidden human labour behind Large Language Models (LLMs) through an ethnographic study of data annotators in Lagos, Nigeria. Drawing from ongoing fieldwork at a Nigerian AI company, dubbed ọrọ, it focuses on the experiences of workers who annotate and categorise data for an LLM designed to incorporate local Nigerian languages. Through the story of Folami, a data annotator, I will describe how these workers navigate between global tech aspirations and local realities, while dealing with emotional labour, precarious working conditions, and cultural translation challenges. Despite ọrọ’s decolonial ambitions to create more linguistically inclusive AI systems, the study uncovers how existing global inequalities and colonial legacies are reproduced through salary disparities, technological dependencies, and workplace hierarchies. The findings suggest that AI systems are fundamentally cultural assemblages, shaped by the hidden emotional and practical labour of many individuals, such as data annotators who transfer their cultural knowledge into machine-readable formats. This contribution ultimately expands our understanding of AI’s social impact in Global South contexts and challenges the notion of AI as a purely technical “black box.”

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Data Labour, Nigeria, Ethnography, Postcolonial Computing

• Rewiring/Rewriting African Past: Artificial Intelligence and Decolonial Reimagination and Postcolonial Turn of African History – Gabriel Eyo Matthew (Department of History and International Studies, Akwa Ibom State University)

Massive studying gaps and problems exist and persist in African historiography. This includes the problems of colonialized archives, perspectives and interpretations; and fragmented sources which have oftentimes narrowed historians’ abilities and skills to write and teach African history. It has made the history of the “cradle of civilization” like a “Christian text”, bound by canon established elsewhere, interpreted non-locally and guarded by gatekeepers whose authority is rarely rooted in African knowledge traditions. Evidently, this has undermined the many gains that African scholars, institutions and the ordinary people has made, since the 1950s when study of Afrocentric or Africa-centered history of Africa began. This study seeks to interrogate what it might mean, to specifically mobilize artificial intelligence (AI) as a decolonial tool to address archival gaps, expand source credibility and facilitate plural interpretations that center African indigenous voice in her history. It asks; how can AI be applied to mitigate archival, methodological and interpretative challenges in African history and studies? Can its application fundamentally disrupt the colonial epistemic frameworks that have long defined what counts as “authentic” African historical knowledge in a globalized intellectual landscape? Since technology is never neutral, and AI is a western invested technical innovation, the study will also critically engage urgent tensions in its usage. This includes: who design these tools, whose languages, ontologies and priorities train the algorithms? Can machines comprehend the complexities of Africa orality, symbolism and experiences without the risk of reducing the knowledge to mere data points? Ultimately, the research envisions AI as a techincal and non-technical element, placing in historians, linguists and communities’ hands the scaffold to rewrite the scrolls of African history.

Keywords: African Historiography, Artificial Intelligence, Decolonial Reimagination and Postcolonial Turn.

• A Multi-Theoretical Analysis of Artificial Intelligence Innovation in Lagos – Akeem Akinwale (Department of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Lagos).

Limited scholarly attention has been given to human agency in the evolution and utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI), leading to a tendency to perceive and treat AI as independent of human intelligence. To address this gap, this study critically examines AI innovation in Lagos using a theoretical framework that integrates Socio-Technical Systems Theory, Diffusion of Innovation Theory, and Technological Adoption Theory. These theories are used to explain the interaction between people and technology within the contexts of AI innovation, adoption, and development. Guided by this framework, the study addresses the following research questions: What factors shape the diffusion of AI innovation in Lagos? How important is human agency among the factors shaping the diffusion of AI innovation in Lagos? A qualitative approach was adopted, involving a critical review and content analysis of relevant documents. The analysis revealed key factors – infrastructure (electricity supply, ICT infrastructure, and digital devices), data (coding), skills (human capital), partnerships, funding, and professional networks – that influence the diffusion of AI innovation. These factors operate through human-technology collaborations, successful implementation of AI innovation in key sectors, widespread adoption of AI tools, and the evolution of AI scaling hubs. The AI innovation lifecycle relies heavily on human agency, from design and development to acceptance and use. Effective AI innovation requires system alignment, diffusion, and acceptance. This study underscores the significance of human-AI interactions and the central role of human agency in enabling context-specific AI applications across key sectors in Nigeria.

Keywords: AI Innovation, Diffusion of Innovation, Human Agency, Socio-Technical Systems

• Human-AI Interaction in Shaping Norms, Identity, and Knowledge: A Culturo-Techno Contextual Approach – Oladimeji Festus Olafare (Department of Technology and Vocational Education, University of Lagos)

This paper delves into the profound and multifaceted relationship between human agency and artificial intelligence (AI), particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), within the rich and diverse socio-cultural landscapes of Africa. Our central argument posits that AI systems are not neutral or autonomous entities, but rather deeply embedded human products, meticulously shaped by human labor, prevailing social conditions, and intricate cultural contexts. This perspective is crucial for understanding the dynamic interplay between technology and society, especially in regions with unique historical and cultural trajectories. Moving beyond simplistic notions of AI as an independent force, we assert that the development, deployment, and interaction with AI inherently reinterprets and reconfigures pre-existing human elements. This process generates novel values, emergent phenomena, and evolving meanings that carry significant implications for identity formation, the transmission of knowledge, the establishment of societal norms, and the evolution of cultural practices across the African continent. By meticulously examining specific instances of AI integration across various sectors within Africa, this study aims to illuminate the complex and often reciprocal interplay between rapid technological advancement and profound societal evolution. Ultimately, this research underscores the critical imperative for adopting human-centered and culturally sensitive approaches to AI development and deployment. Such an approach is vital to ensure that these powerful technologies are harnessed in a manner that genuinely contributes positively to the well-being, progress, and cultural integrity of African societies, rather than inadvertently perpetuating existing biases or imposing external paradigms.

Keywords: AI, LLMs, Human-AI Interaction, Africa, Norms, Identity, Knowledge, Educational Technology.

• Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Cultural Preservation and Promotion in Africa – Faith Olabisi (Department of Technology and Vocational Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos) and Victor Onah (University of Greenwich).

This paper explores the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the preservation and promotion of Africa’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. It examines how AI technologies can serve as powerful tools for safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural assets, including historical archives, indigenous languages, artistic expressions, and traditional knowledge systems. We discuss various applications of AI, such as digitization, language revitalization, and the global dissemination of African cultural content. Furthermore, the paper addresses critical challenges and ethical considerations, including data bias, digital colonialism, and technological infrastructure gaps, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive and Africa-centric approaches. By highlighting both opportunities and challenges, this research advocates for the responsible and collaborative integration of AI to empower African communities in celebrating, preserving, and promoting their cultural heritage on their own terms.

Keywords: AI, Cultural Preservation, Cultural Promotion, Africa, Digital Heritage, Indigenous Knowledge.