Artificial Intelligence Colonialism: Environmental Damage, Labor Exploitation, and Human Rights Crises in the Global South

Abstract: The artificial intelligence (AI) industry, expected to reach $1.81 trillion by 2030, is revolutionizing sectors and economies worldwide. Its growth, however, intensifies global disparities and contributes to human rights abuses. This study explores two key questions: How does AI development lead to human rights violations, particularly in labor exploitation and environmental harm in the Global South? In what ways do these practices intensify systemic inequalities? This article demonstrates that AI functions as a form of digital colonialism, concentrating wealth among a global elite primarily in the Global North, while the Global South suffers from dehumanizing working conditions and environmental consequences. Laborers in the Global South endure unstable employment for low pay, supporting AI advancements while remaining unseen in the industry's narrative of progress. Concurrently, resource extraction and power-hungry AI data centers in the Global South damage ecosystems already impacted by climate change. This article emphasizes the critical need for responsible AI governance that emphasizes workers' rights, ecological preservation, and balanced global progress.